Dorchester Flog It!

We've got a full house of people, five camera crews,

a real electric atmosphere and of course, you've got yours truly.

It can only mean one thing - welcome to Flog It!

Today we're in Dorset at the Dorford Centre in Dorchester, a town which

local author Thomas Hardy based his fictional town of Casterbridge on.

But it's the real stories we're after behind all the antiques

and collectibles being brought in, before we take them off to auction.

Hello. That looks interesting.

Coming up in today's show we have nerves...

-It's quite nerve-racking!

-It is, yeah.

..excitement...

-I'm getting excited! I'm getting carried away, aren't I?

-Yes!

..and will flattery get you anywhere?

There's no pressure on you but you have to tell us who your favourite expert is.

-Definitely you.

-Thank you very much.

Our two experts leading our team of valuers today are Mark Stacey and David Fletcher.

Mark sees every day as an opportunity to learn something new, while David's partner thinks

he's crazy to get worked up over inanimate objects, but that's what we love about him.

People come from far and wide, using all sorts of transport, to get here.

Believe it or not, I cycled all the way here on this!

Somebody good with their hands put this together in the 1920s.

You probably won't find another one like it, so you can't have a book price on this.

That's why you call it scratch built.

It's a bit of modern-day folk art in a way.

Anyway, it's so good that everybody is now safely seated inside.

It looks like a full house.

First up is Mark Stacey, looking at something brought in by his namesake.

This is a good omen - two Marks for the price of one.

You've brought this lovely little owl in. Where did you get it from?

It was my dad's, and my mum passed it on to me

a few weeks ago, when I was up seeing her.

He'd have collected it. He used to collect lots of little bits and pieces from jumble sales.

I used to be a Scout.

We would go along and help out at the jumble sales.

I'd probably play around more than anything.

He'd come along under the disguise of helping, and go through the bric-a-brac and boxes.

So he had a little cheeky, sneaky peek at the goodies!

He'd buy them long before the doors opened.

That's not really fair, but it happens all the time.

He obviously had an eye for collecting curious knick-knacks.

Here we have a little brass model of an owl, which is rather sweet with these cabochon glass eyes.

Sometimes these are made in silver, and when they're silver they'd be a lot more money.

But there's another purpose to this, because if we open his head up,

you see there's a little gap there.

-That's where you keep...?

-Matches.

So it's a little vesta case.

And then on his back, we can see where you'd strike the matches.

In terms of the date, I think we're looking around 1910, 1920.

It's mass produced, but they're quite collectible, particularly unusual shapes.

The reason I chose it was because you and I are very wise, and owls represent wisdom.

So hopefully that will prove us right at the auction.

In terms of value, I think we're probably looking at around the £40 mark.

-Are you happy with that?

-Fine.

If it have been silver or enamel, cold-painted bronze,

it would have bumped the price up a lot.

You haven't had it an awfully long time.

Why have you decided to flog it today?

I really love the programme, watch it all the time.

It just happens that today was my day off and I thought, come up to Dorchester, get involved in Flog It!

I went through a few bits and pieces, got some stuff together, and came along.

If we get a good price, is it for anything in particular?

I'm saving up to buy an Austin Healey.

Any pennies are going to the Austin-Healey fund.

There's no pressure on you but you have to tell us who your favourite expert is.

-Definitely you.

-Thank you very much.

Let's put £30-£50 on it and a reserve of £30 because we don't want to give it away.

-Hopefully, it will fly in the sale and we can say twit twoo!

-Very good!

Like Mark, a lot of people turn up because they love the show,

little realising they've also brought in an item of value, or of interest.

But, of course, not all items have either much sentimental

or financial value, so it's up to me to let them down gently.

Can I have a rummage?

I'm just sort of picking on a few people

before the experts get hold of you, to see what you've got in your bags.

Have you got the packed lunch in there as well?

Gosh. That's "look at me", isn't it, really?

It's a bit flash. Do you like that?

-I don't like it.

-You do or you don't?

I don't, but I bought it as an investment.

You like taking risks, don't you?!

I'd rather put money on the horses, I think!

But some objects have more iconic status than others,

like the item brought in by Sue and Steve, which they're showing to our expert, David Fletcher.

I remember Muffin the Mule from when I was a child in the 1950s.

-Black and white, yes.

-So, getting on for 60 years ago.

But be a little more conservative

or you will make me feel older than I am.

-But I remember this very clearly. Have you owned these since new?

-Yes.

So the box, still it's colour's nice and bright.

A little bit chipped,

but to me, it appears to be mechanically in amazing condition.

So I'm going to ask you to have a little go with him. Can you do that?

-I'll try my best.

-You've done this before.

-Many years ago!

-I'm a bit rusty with it.

-I remember him make a terrible clanking noise.

He still does make a clanking noise.

Why the decision to sell him?

-Well, the grandchildren don't play with him.

-No.

They're not really their sort of thing.

It's a shame that youngsters don't play with these things.

But you can understand why.

It's nice to see them in the original boxes, but it is nice to have them used.

You mentioned the box and the fact that it is an original box greatly adds to its value.

The box is in tip-top condition, really.

The figure itself is made by Moko, a factory established in Germany in the late 19th century.

In time, Moko were absorbed or merged with Lesney, who made Matchbox toys.

-It so happens that Jumbo is also made by Moko.

-That's interesting.

This is a tin plate toy, with a clockwork motor.

I'd like to know if it works?

-It does work, yes.

-Have you got the key?

-Yes.

-Shall I wind him up?

-Why not?

He goes very sedately, but he does work.

-Well, I think they're going to sell jolly well.

-Good.

This sort of thing is highly collectible.

People want to get back, in many respects, to their younger days.

Lots of people have seen the box and remember him.

-There's been a lot of interest today.

-He's stopped. He's tired.

Any idea as to what they may be worth?

I was hoping for £80.

I think that's a good shout.

I'm optimistic that they'll make £80 and I hope a bit more.

Have you got plans for the money?

We have discussed this, and my own particular Plan B, is to use the money to buy a new golf club...

-Just a single golf club!

-..but, our Plan A is to give the money to the grandchildren.

What there is, they'll have it.

Yes, I came in hope, but that hope has been dashed.

I think £80 is on the conservative side, but not way under.

They've got to be worth £40 or £50 each.

So I would go for an estimate of £100-£150, but if you're happy

with a fixed reserve of £80, which is in line with your hopes...

Yeah, that would be good.

-That will be fine.

-We'll do that.

And all those overgrown children like me will have a field day!

-Yes, let's hope there's some people that will love him.

-There will be.

Right, good night, Muffin. There we are.

Apart from simple but effective toys, there were other ways children were kept occupied in days gone by.

Sheila has brought in a fantastic example of one.

-Sheila, this is lovely.

-Thank you.

-How long's it been in your possession?

-It's been in my possession for about 20 to 30 years, before that it was in my father's possession.

-On the wall?

Not on the wall, no, I didn't like it.

-My father had it on the wall for a short time.

-You didn't like it?

-No!

-What have you done with it?

-It's been in the loft.

-Do you know where this came from?

-My father did some odd jobs for an old lady next door.

This was done by her mother, who lived in Cornwall in Marazion.

Really? And were they still a Thornton?

The next door neighbour was Winifred Thornton Brocklebank. So she married.

Yes. She was an artist. Her and her husband were artists.

Hence the scene. I think this one's a lot of fun.

It is almost a nursery rhyme, really.

I love the rabbits, the chickens.

We've got a lovely tree here with somebody riding a horse.

-Yes.

-It's a proper farmyard scene.

Originally, samplers were band samplers,

towards the end of the 16th century and through the 17th century, they were so wide -

hence the name band samplers, a long drop.

Again, it was a discipline for young ladies to learn.

Obviously taught by a seamstress or the lady of the house.

It's a way of educating or teaching. But also, it's a discipline.

You have to sit there for four or five hours a day.

I don't think any young girl would do that at the age of 12 today - they'd be on the computer!

Condition, you could say it is 99%.

It's almost perfect.

There's a couple of bits of stitching missing there and there.

-Yeah.

-That's all.

There is a slight stain there. Bit of water damage.

But thank goodness this has been kept out of the sunlight

because the colours are very bright and vibrant.

-The worse thing that can happen to samplers is insect attack.

-Right.

Underneath the glass, moths, things like that, woodworm.

Anything that will bore away at this will devaluate it.

Considering its age, it has lasted well.

Is this something you're thinking of selling?

Yes, I would like to sell it, yes.

I knew you'd say it because you don't like it! Why not?!

Well, I've just had my house modernised and it's very dull.

-What do you think it's worth?

-About £100?

I can tell you now, I feel confident putting £200 to £400 on this.

Really, as much as that?

Yes. Somewhere between that.

On a good day, you might get the £400, but you will easily get £200.

-Well, that's good.

-Happy?

-Very, yes.

-OK, we'll put it in for auction.

-Thank you very much.

Well, that's the first bunch of items ready to go off to auction.

We're taking them to Duke's saleroom just up the road from our valuation day.

We have two auctioneers sharing the rostrum today, Gary Batts and Matthew Denny.

Gary is intrigued by the big ambition of one of our smaller objects .

This next item is a little hoot, it belongs to Mark.

It's a little vesta case. It's a shame it's brass and not silver.

But I think owls are really trendy, interior designers love owls.

He's selling this because he wants to save up and buy an Austin Healey.

-Does he?

-Don't knock it, he's got ambition, which is really good.

We've got £30 to £50 on this.

And someone told me you've got an Austin Healey?

-Yes, I do have an Austin Healey.

-Are you selling it?

-Funnily enough, I am thinking of selling it.

-Swap it!

-I think the answer to that has to be "no".

-A proper man's car, an Austin Healy.

It is THE classic British sports car.

I think we'll need to sell a few more owls to get the Healey!

Actually, it's not as daft as you think, is it?

If he had about 300 bits and pieces worth £50 each...

Then you could buy one really nice object.

I often say to people, sell all these little bits and buy one really nice object.

That's a much better investment.

Hopefully, Mark will get his Austin Healey. I think that £30 to £50 is reasonable for that, that'll sell?

It should do that.

It's fun, small, it's collectible, it is actually quite nice quality.

It's a way towards an Austin Healey, but not quite there yet.

Also about to go under the hammer are Sue and Steve's Muffin the Mule

and the lovely Victorian sampler I spotted, brought in by Sheila.

First it's Muffin the Mule and Matthew Denny is on the rostrum.

We've seen them on the show before, they've always done well for us.

-This one is in good condition and it's boxed.

-Yes.

Played with, but then stuck in the cupboard so it might as well be sold.

-We've got the elephant as well. So the money's going four ways?

-Yep.

Let's see what we can do, shall we? Let's pull some strings, here we go.

-You're not old enough to remember Muffin The Mule, Paul.

-Not quite. The Magic Roundabout, yes!

370, tin plate toy, Jumbo, a walking elephant

and a Muffin puppet there, 370.

Lovely little things there.

I've got bids to start you at £50, with me, I'll take £60.

At £60 at the back. £70. £80.

At £70, £80 with you. £90 here, £100.

£100 beats the commission, I'll take £110 next.

Commission bid at £100, I'll take £110.

I hope the grandchildren are watching!

At £100.

All done in the room at £100.

Yes! The hammer's down on £100.

-Brilliant.

-Are you happy?

-Absolutely.

-It didn't gallop home, but it got home!

-An easy sum to divide up!

There is commission to pay, but I hope the grandchildren watched.

I'm sure they did, they'll be thrilled.

That was a good result and although it's not quite enough for Steve's golf club,

I'm sure the money will be appreciated by Steve's grandchildren.

Next up, though, it's Sheila's fabulous sampler, the one I valued.

-We've got £200 to £400 on this.

-Right.

-A bit of quality.

I hope we get past that £200 mark. It would be great to see £400.

-I'll keep my fingers crossed.

-Yes!

418. Needlework sampler, this is a lovely needlework.

1846, aged 12. A nice thing there.

418. Start me at £100 for it.

-I think it's worth every penny of what I said.

-Yeah.

I'll take £10. At £100, I'll take £10.

£120, £130, £140.

£140, I'll take. £150.

With you at £140. £150, if you will.

All done then, at £140.

-That's not sold.

-No, well off. Well off.

That's auctions for you! I'm pleased it's protected with the reserve.

-Yeah.

-That's going home.

It is, I'm going to reframe it and put in the grandchildren's room.

And let them look at it and see what a wonderful discipline that was

for a young girl to do at such an early age.

-That's what I think I shall do with it. I'm pleased in a way.

-Good.

Well, all's well that ends well.

It will continue to be appreciated by another generation.

Next up, it's Mark's little owl with high hopes.

I had a chat to the auctioneer about the vesta case, he agreed with the valuation, hopefully £50 plus.

I hope so. It's a nice little quality piece, Edwardian.

And as you say, owls are very collectible subjects, so it's got everything going for it.

Yep. We're going to find out what the bidders think, that's the most important thing.

286, a brass vesta case in the form of an owl.

Lovely little collectible thing. £20 for it.

Thank you. Take £5.

£30, £35, £40.

At £40 on my left, I'll take £5. At £40 only.

Good, there's someone on the phone.

£5 anywhere for the vesta? £45 on the phone.

£50. At £45, the phone has it.

I'll take £50. At £45.

-Yes, it's gone. £45.

-That's not bad, is it?

Somebody got it on the phone.

It's a shame there was no-one else in the room to push them.

because I think that a phone bid would have gone a lot higher.

But that's brilliant, £45.

It's a bit more towards the fund.

I hope you get it, because I think classic cars are a great investment.

Just a few yards from the Flog It valuation day, is Dorchester's Old Crown Court.

It is most famous for the trial of the six Dorset farm labourers, in 1834. The Tolpuddle Martyrs.

It was a travesty of justice that led to a national outrage.

At the start of the 19th century, about a third of the workforce in Britain was employed in agriculture.

But the working and living conditions left a lot to be desired.

Farm workers and their families were housed in hovels, not fit for cattle.

Many of them could afford to live on little more than tea and potatoes.

Cuts in wages meant that by 1830, the situation had become intolerable

and rural unrest swept across Dorset and the south of England.

You see, the workers had no voting rights and their frustrations soon turned to violence.

They rioted, destroying many mills and farm machinery in protest.

Four years later, in 1834, a farm labourer called George Loveless from Tolpuddle,

here in Dorchester, gathered a group of labourers together to try a different approach.

They took oaths and formed a peaceful union, to represent and promote their cause,

calling themselves the Tolpuddle Friendly Society.

They were one of the first ever trade unions.

Meetings were held on the village green underneath this very tree,

to find out ways of fighting further pay cuts, their doctrine rejected any form of violence.

But the Government, fearful of more unrest, decided they wanted the trade unions crushed.

The problem was, the men actually weren't doing anything illegal.

An obscure law against taking an oath was dug up and duly enacted by the Government.

So, hoping to make an example of them, George Loveless and five other innocent men were arrested

at daybreak on the 24th of February in 1834, while on their way to work.

They were marched here to the old Crown court in Dorchester.

The six men were led into this room, this very cell, via an entrance through the back of the building,

through an alleyway there which goes right underneath the courtroom.

These men were going about their daily business one minute,

the next, they were arrested. They didn't know what for.

They were held in this very room, this cell, for three days and three nights, the period of the trial.

Could you imagine being in here, not knowing your fate? One minute, you're completely innocent,

going about your daily business, expecting to see your loved ones.

And the next, you're incarcerated, not knowing what's going on.

Courtrooms back then were less about justice and more about entertainment.

Public hangings were rowdy events, with thousands of people turning up to watch.

It was an age of severe and brutal legal punishments.

You could be executed for nearly 300 offences, including stealing a spoon or cutting down a young tree.

And this is the very same courtroom in which the six men from Tolpuddle were tried.

On Monday the 17th of March, 1834, they were led up from the cells,

up these stairs here and into the dock with their heads shaved.

Absolutely nothing has changed in this room.

It is exactly the same today as it was back then.

The Government, the magistrates, the judge and even King William IV

feared and wanted to destroy the fledgling trade unions.

This meant that right from the start, the six Dorset labourers had no chance of a fair trial.

George Loveless would have stood here, on this very spot, as he made his dignified defence.

They were just trying to save their children from starvation,

but his plea fell on deaf ears in a trial whose outcome had already been decided, even before it began.

The six men were sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia.

Transportation was a terrible punishment.

Conditions on convict ships were absolutely appalling.

Prisoners were kept chained up in filthy conditions and were flogged without mercy and disease was rife.

One in three did not even survive the harrowing six-month journey.

Once in Australia, the men were forced to work in chain gangs and penal colonies.

They were half a world away from their wives and children and stripped of all of their dignity.

The severity of the sentence sparked mass demonstrations and uproar in the press.

In the face of mounting pressure, the men were granted pardons.

Four years after their trial, the men were allowed to return to England.

They were reunited with their families and great celebrations were held in London.

The impact of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, as they became known,

can still be felt today, although it would be another 100 years before capital punishment was abolished.

But the roots of the fair and just legal process that we have today can be traced back to these times.

Furthermore, the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs still provides inspiration today

for many working people seeking fairness for themselves and their work colleagues.

There's still plenty more work to do at the Dorford centre in Dorchester.

Mark is very excited about a Delftware plate brought in by Jean and Terry.

You've brought a lovely plate in to show us. I'm so excited about this.

-Great.

-Is it a family piece?

-Yes.

Where did it come from?

It's always been in our house, as long as I can remember.

That was in Bangor, North Wales. But, my father, he came from Scotland.

That's interesting. Let's look at the plate, because it's quite an interesting object.

This is Delftware, it's a high tin-glazed earthenware, which is very prone to chipping and cracking.

So when you do use wire hangers for the wall,

-it flakes and chips very easily.

-Yes.

This was made, I was going to say about 1771,

but that's cheating, because of course the date is already on there!

-Stylistically, it's the last quarter of the 18th century.

-Oh, right.

You've got the Chinese pattern, the pagoda with the figure.

All porcelain and pottery at the time was made

with the Chinese designs on it because that's what people wanted.

If this plate had just been a Delft plate,

nicely decorated with the figures and things, without the date,

then that would have been worth maybe £50 or £60 in that condition.

-Oh, that's all?

-That's all.

What really lifts it is the date and the initials.

That turns it into a documentary piece of Delftware.

Oh, right.

We know that was made for somebody in 1771.

Now, the initials we will never know,

unless there's another plate that's been recorded with family history

that can show that - highly unlikely.

It makes me tingle when I see a documentary piece like this.

-I think it'll make Delft collectors tingle as well.

-Oh, great.

I am almost certain it's English Delft.

Probably made either down in the West Country or in Lambeth in London, somewhere like that.

-Probably not made in Scotland.

-No. No.

Have you done any detective work yourself in terms of valuations?

I brought it once to the local auctioneers.

He said he thought it would be worth about £400.

Well, I wouldn't disagree with him, to be honest.

My only concern is I want to reflect the slight damage.

I would probably put an estimate straddling that, £300 to £500,

-to get people's appetites whetted, do you know what I mean?

-Yes, I do.

If we put a firm reserve of £300 on this, we know it's not going to sell below that.

I think we'd surpass that.

I wouldn't even be surprised if it went over £400.

-Right.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes, I think so.

-But you've obviously had it for many years.

Oh, very many.

Why have you decided to sell it today?

Well, I'm very worried about it getting broken.

I have so many knick-knacks, I don't know where to put it, really.

Well, you and I have been doing all the chatting, I think we'd better get Terry in on this.

What do you think about it, Terry?

Are you happy for it to go to someone who's going to just love it, really?

Yes, to go to someone who will understand and love it.

It's a beautiful plate.

I think things like this are only lent to us, anyway, in our lives.

If it's being passed on to someone who's going to fully appreciate it,

-you've done your job, haven't you?

-Yes. We've looked after it.

Jean and Terry's Delftware plate has already got Mark tingling.

Let's hope his instincts are right at the auction. Next up,

a stick pin brought in by Ed has caught David Fletcher's eye.

-You've decided to sell this?

-I have, yes.

-What can you tell me about it?

It belonged to my mother, but prior to that, it belonged to her father.

He passed away in 1958, so I can only assume it's been in a box with costume jewellery since then.

-I found it last night.

-You were having a little rummage, were you?

Well, because of today's Flog It.

-You knew we were coming?

-Yes, and there it was.

What we have is a little stick pin, as they're called.

Very simple, but very stylish, I think.

The shaft itself is probably 9 carat gold.

We can tell that because of the colour.

That suggests a high copper content.

It's a rose gold.

The finial is comprised of these diamonds, centred by what I'm sure is a real pearl.

The object itself would have been made in about 1890

and it would have been made to secure a cravat.

I sometimes wonder whether gentlemen wore these as a tie pin.

If you sell it, and I'm sure we will, do you have any plans for the money?

The money? I had my first child at 51, she's now five.

She plays a bit of tennis, so it will be going towards the tennis lessons.

OK. Right, now, I would have said that this is going to make, at auction, between £60 and £100.

I must say, for what they are, they're very good value for money.

We are talking about precious stones, it's just that the appeal is a little limited.

I think one of the reasons why they don't sell so well

is because there were so many of them made.

In the late 18th century, jewellery like this was made in Birmingham by the tonne.

-You never thought of wearing it as a tie pin?

-Never, no.

I only found it last night.

So, that's what we'd like to do, if you're happy.

-Go ahead with an estimate of £60 to £100.

-Would you put a reserve on it?

I always like to sell things without a reserve, if we can.

Any auctioneer would say that. I think something like this

is not going to be undersold, because the market out there exists

and it is hungry for things like this, at the right price.

So it's not going to end up selling for a fiver,

-but to be on the safe side, let's put a fixed reserve of £50.

-Agreed.

Jolly good. Have you far to go home?

About 20 miles. Not far.

Well, when you get back, have another rummage in that box

and make sure that those bits of paste and costume jewellery aren't real diamonds!

-If they are, bring them back to us.

-I will!

-Bye, Ted.

Ed has come a long way to get his item valued, so let's hope his journey will be worth it.

But not everyone who comes to one of our valuation days wants to sell their items.

Everybody OK? Enjoying the day?

Oh, what are you holding there?

It's a jug, from a brewery in Dorchester.

Something of local interest? What's your name, by the way?

-Jeannie.

-Hi, Jeannie, are you losing your voice?

Me ME's playing up.

I'm so sorry to hear that.

My husband worked there for 25 years.

He had an accident and had to give up work.

But it goes back to two generations of his family that worked there.

Wow.

-Now, it's finished and it's gone to developers.

-Oh, that's sad.

-Yes.

-What are you doing with this today?

-It would be interesting to have it valued but it's something we'll keep.

-Oh, I think you should hang on to it, if that is all that's going to be left of it, don't you?

-Yes.

These jugs, when they sold the pubs, they didn't have enough to give the staff, so they smashed them all.

-So there's not many around.

-So it's a hardy survivor?

-Hang on to it, cos it's lovely. It really is.

-It is. It's something sentimental for the family.

'Sometimes the sentimental value of an item can far outweigh its actual value.

'So I would always recommend hanging on to it.

'But Yolanda has no qualms about selling her honey pot.'

-Flog It wouldn't be Flog It without a piece of Clarice Cliff.

-No.

-Where did it come from?

-It's my son's.

-Where did your son get it?

He found in a loft of a house renovation. A lucky find.

He thought it might be something interesting, so he'd let me see.

-And you recognised it for what it is?

-Yes.

Clarice Cliff is a well-known 1930s' designer, as we know, of the Art Deco period.

Very bizarre designs, bright hand-painted wares.

This is one of her most famous creations.

It's a little beehive honey pot, painted with the Crocus design, which is her most common design.

What I like about it is this little bee on the top, which again is quite terrifying with that orange band.

A few little bits of damage. Well, slight damage.

Flaking a little bit on the green door, there.

Underneath we have the typical Clarice Cliff mark "Bizarre",

"hand painted by Clarice Cliff", and "Crocus".

So we're looking at a period of 1930, 1935, something like that.

Not a bad find, really. What do you think it's worth?

I haven't got a clue.

I really wouldn't know.

I think he would like to make a fortune out of it!

We'd all like to make a fortune.

But unfortunately, these things have set prices.

If it has a rarer shape, or was one of the conical pieces, then we're looking at a lot more money.

This, I think, even with a little bit of enamel missing, I would say it's worth around the £80 to £100.

So, it's not bad for something found in a loft.

Would you be happy to sell it for that?

-I'm sure he would.

-He would.

-Yes.

Are you under instructions?

Yes, if it was under £50, I got it.

-Do you want me to make it under £50 and then you can sell it?!

-No, no.

-If it was over that, then he wants the money.

-Do you like it, Yolanda?

I quite like that one, but I don't like a lot of the Clarice Cliff patterns. That's quite pretty.

And your son's had it a while, so why does he want to flog it today?

They're decorating, I think that's a big reason.

-Well, I think that we'll buzz off to the auction and see what it does there.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much.

Well, those are our final items ready to go over to the saleroom.

Auctioneer Gary Batts wants to take a closer look at Jean and Terry's Delftware plate.

This has got to be my favourite thing in the whole sale, dated 1771.

It's the earliest, I think, in the room as well?

-I think it will be, yes.

-What do you think of this, Gary?

I think this is lovely. It is Delft, which is a very good thing, people are keen to collect Delft again.

It is tin-glazed earthenware. What is very nice about it is it's dated.

It's nice to have the initials, the monograms on it,

which could have been made as a marriage gift, something like that.

It all ties in with our 18th-century interest in Chinoiserie, an oriental pattern.

It has the typical brown-red rim of the period.

A little bit of wear on the rim, but you can forgive that.

-That's part of its charm.

-Yes, Delft is often chipped in that way.

But that doesn't put the collectors off. We've got £300 to £500 on this.

I think that's a good estimate.

It's not a kind of silly, "come and buy me" estimate.

It's quite a sensible, professional estimate.

If you can tie in a town of manufacture - they were made locally

or made in Wincanton, which is not too far way - that helps.

So I think it's probably towards the bottom end of the estimate, but we should sell it.

Fingers crossed for the plate, which is coming up later on in the sale.

We also have Ed's stick pin, valued by David at £60 to £100,

and Yolanda's Clarice Cliff honey pot, valued at £80 to £100.

First under the hammer is the honey pot, owned by Yolanda's son.

And Yolanda brought along something that was missing from the valuation day.

-What's your name?

-Matthew.

-Matthew, pleased to meet you.

-This is your item, isn't it?

-It is.

-I'm talking about the honey pot, the bit of Clarice Cliff that Mark valued.

-It always sells.

It does, hopefully for £80 to £100.

-Hope so.

-The money is going towards decorating?

-It was.

-It was?

-Now it's a new puppy, apparently, for the wife.

-So, we'll see.

-You want a puppy dog.

-What sort of dog do you want?

-A pug.

Lots of vets bills.

Maybe a Labrador or a Spaniel might be a better option!

Or just stick with the wallpapering!

Lot 130 is the next lot.

Which is Clarice Cliff.

There she is. Charming little honey pot.

Crocus pattern. Who'll start me with this, then?

£50 for it to go.

-£50 is bid. And fives I'll take.

-Come on.

£55. £60 anyone now, then?

-Come on.

-£65. £70, £75.

£80. No? At £75. £80, anyone else?

Ah, yes, we've done it.

£90, £95. £100. Fill it up to £100?

£100 is bid. And £10, sir.

-It's quite nerve-wracking!

-It is, yeah.

-£120, no?

At £110, at the back of the room, going at £110, against you. I sell.

Yes, the hammer's gone down. £110. Well done, Gary.

-A good auctioneer. Happy?

-Yes, very happy.

-To the pug fund, then!

-One leg!

Good luck. Dogs are brilliant, just enjoy it, won't you?

Good old Clarice Cliff does it again.

Next up, it's Ed's gold stick pin, which he discovered amongst a load of costume jewellery.

Good luck, Ed, that's all I can say. The moment has arrived.

We're going to stick this to the bidders right now.

-It's a nice lot. It really is a traditional piece, isn't it?

-Yes.

Old-fashioned diamonds, eight cuts.

I think people really like a finer diamond, with more cuts in it, but it does the job. It's unpretentious.

It's a good little thing.

Like we say, it's something you can afford to buy.

£60 to £100 on this.

I'd like to see the top end, cos it is quality. Why are you selling it?

I have a five-year-old daughter.

OK, haemorrhaging money!

Yes, and I imagine that the ancestors would be pleased to see that she inherits some of their leftovers.

OK. Good luck. Here we go. Going under the hammer.

262, diamond and seed pearl stick pin, 262.

How about this one? I've got £30 here and I'll take £5.

At £35, £40 now.

£45, £50, £55. At £50 on my left.

-We're there, anyway.

-Yes, sold.

-£50. All done at £50.

Yes. The hammer's gone down.

-£50.

-On reserve, just.

What's your daughter's name?

-Leila.

-So that's going in her bank account, is it?

Well, no, it's not. It is going towards tennis lessons.

-She loves playing tennis.

-Does she?

-Are you any good?

-I'm all right, yes.

-I've played some tennis, yes.

-Can you beat your daughter?

I would have thought so, she's only five!

Well, that's game, set and match for Ed and his daughter.

Next up, it's the oldest item in today's sale.

Let's hope it's also one of the most valuable.

That wonderful English Delft plate.

£300 to £500 we've got on this by our expert, Mark. It's dated,

it's fabulous, and it is something for the purist.

Do you know what, inside, deep down, I'm thinking £500.

I'd love it to make £500.

Or £600 or £700.

-Oh, come on!

-I'm getting excited.

-I'm getting carried away, aren't I?

-You are again!

I should just run around and keep putting my hand up.

-No, I'm not allowed to do that.

-I'm very nervous now.

OK. It's going to go to a new home. It's going under the hammer now.

Lot 118. This is a nice lot. One of the highlights of the sale.

A nice little 18th-century piece, it is a Delft plate.

Dated 1771. Couldn't be clearer than that.

Created a bit of interest here.

And start me, if you will, at £200.

£200 to start. £200 is bid.

20s I'll take. £220, £240, anyone?

£220. £240 commission.

£260, £280, £300.

Well, it's sold.

£340, £360, £380, £400.

-Oh, that's good.

-Yeah.

-That's good.

£460 bid. £480 with me.

£500 is bid.

£50 on the phone.

£520, £540, £560.

-£580.

-This is what it should make.

£600.

The collectors will find it, if it's quality, it will always sell.

At £620 in the room. At £620.

Going at £620 against the telephone, all done.

How fabulous. £620. Congratulations!

-Isn't that a good, good thing to sell?

-Yes, fantastic.

So, there is commission to pay.

Are you going to split that up with the family or treat yourselves?

A bit of both, probably.

Get them all back for a nice lunch.

Well, it's all over for our owners.

The auction is still going on, but we've had a very good day.

Everybody has gone home happy. That's what it's all about.

Now, if you've got any antiques and collectibles you'd love to sell, we want to hear from you.

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So until then, from Dorchester, it's cheerio.