Malvern Flog It!

I'm not going to tell you where we are today.

I'm going to let some of the good people here who have been waiting

patiently in the queue to inform you. Where are we?

Malvern in Worcestershire.

-What are you here to do?

-Flog it!

-It's 9.30. I think it's time to get the doors open and get the show on the road, don't you?

-Yes!

Come on, then.

Our venue is tucked just under the beautiful Malvern Hills.

This is the spa town famous for the Malvern water which was first bottled nearly 400 years ago.

It became a popular resort in Victorian times as people came here for the famous water cure.

Today this lot are queuing outside the Malvern Theatre complex for a Flog It cure.

This is the programme where we take your unwanted antiques

and collectables and turn them into cash.

Everyone knows the Meissen sign. Don't they just.

Leading our team of experts today we have the young ones.

Adam Partridge runs his own auction house.

He started in the antiques business when he was just 17 years old.

-A very interesting object.

-He's sold everything from cars to houses.

He once spotted a £10,000 vase on Flog It.

Royal Mint condition.

Kate Bateman nearly became a professional ballet dancer but realised her future was

more auction house than opera house and set up business with her father.

I don't think you'll appreciate the ducks, really.

Not at all.

I wonder who will be topping the bill in today's show.

Somebody here in this queue is going to go home with a lot of money.

Who's it going to be? Stay tuned and you'll find out.

When I say a lot of money, I mean thousands.

£1,000 I have, 1,150, 1,200, 1,250.

-Will we get £2,000?

-Done.

Also on the show today Adam's all a fumble with this toy from yesteryear.

-That's going to go on for a while, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Shall I stop it?

While Kate is hoping Susan's coffee pot is worth a few beans.

What would you buy if we sold it for that kind of money?

Probably put it towards a holiday.

-You could go somewhere where they grow coffee.

-That's true.

Sounds good to me, so let's get on with the valuations.

Adam is already getting stuck in.

He's with Josephine, no stranger to the Malvern Theatres complex.

-I believe you were here late last night as well.

-Yes, 11 o'clock.

-Were you?

-Yes, dancing. We go dancing four or five times a week.

-Do you? That keeps you fit.

-Very.

You've got a delightful little Royal Worcester cabinet cup here.

-Isn't it pretty?

-It is lovely.

What area were you working in?

First of all I started in the factory and then I went into the shop.

You brought along this lovely little example today, which I presume you got while you were there.

-Yes, I did.

-Do you remember when that was?

In the '70s.

-Did you used to get a staff discount?

-Oh, yes, a very good discount.

It must have been around £70.

-Quite a lot still.

-Yes.

It was a lot of money in those times.

It's still a fair amount now, isn't it? Yes.

The Cup is painted inside.

-And all around the outside.

-It's beautiful.

-It's 22 carat gold.

-You've got the Royal Worcester mark on the bottom.

You're selling it to me. Still in sales.

Oh, yes.

It's got a signature on there as well.

That's the signature of...

the painter called Nutt.

His first name was Terry. Terry Nutt.

-Very talented. To be able to paint that...

-Very, very talented.

I've got very small hands,

but look how tiny that cup is next to my finger.

To be able to paint like that, so precisely, in the Royal Worcester tradition with the fruit on the

typical background that they have always done is quite a skill.

And it really tings.

-Put a pen on it.

-You do it.

RINGS

Wow. That's really good.

SHE SOUNDS A DIFFERENT NOTE

You can play a tune on china.

If we had loads of them, we could. Isn't it going to be hard for you to part with this?

Yes in a way, but I don't mind selling it now. I've got

so many beautiful things at home and a lot of them are shut away.

It's a job to fit everything in.

I've only got one corner unit.

Right.

All the best things go on there.

Well, your £70 is going to have increased in value.

I think...

let's hope it makes £200 plus.

I hope so.

I think we should put a reserve on it, because I'd hate to have you disappointed.

-I wouldn't let it go under £100.

-I agree with you.

No, I wouldn't let it go under £100, no way.

Then we'll put an estimate of 120-180 to get them encouraged about it.

Hopefully I'm going to get the price right.

I'm sure our auctioneers will, because they handle so much fruit painted Worcester.

I know it's extremely popular.

-Let's hope that all the Worcester collectors are there.

-I hope so.

It's been lovely talking to you.

Thank you very much.

-I'll see you at the auction.

-Yes, you will.

That Adam is such a charmer.

And I'm falling in love as well.

-What's Ted called?

-Just Teddy.

-How long have you had him?

-Since I was seven.

Oh, let me have a look.

Look, he's hung his head down. He doesn't want to be flogged.

He doesn't want to be sold. You're not going to sell him, are you?

See how much he fetches.

That's exactly what everybody is here for, to find out exactly what it's worth and if they're happy

with the valuation, well, they just might sell.

Poor old Ted, he doesn't want to go.

But there's plenty more here that does want to go.

Kate is with Susan and a 100-year-old relic from the days of fine dining.

You've brought in this rather handsome coffee pot.

What can you tell me about it?

I really can only say that it was my mother's. I can remember it as long as I've been around.

She had the teapot to go with it, but I don't know what happened to that.

-Oh, no. You're left with the coffee pot. Ever used it?

-No.

It just sits there in a cupboard?

It sits in a glass cabinet.

It's rather nice. If we look at it round the other side we've got some

hallmarks and the maker's main name which tells me it's Sheffield, 1902.

R and B for Roberts and Belk - quite a good Sheffield maker.

It's in style copying the Georgian silver, so you've got this

plain top, half reeded bottom and then these ebonised handles.

But it's a really attractive piece. I suppose if you don't use it, you want to sell it.

That's right, I'm getting to the age where I'm going to have to de-clutter.

It's not the sort of thing that children want any more, is it?

It's not very practical. You can use them.

Silver has gone up recently, but I think it's still underpriced compared to gold and other things.

Any idea price wise what do you think it would make?

Possibly 120, 130.

-Is that based on things you've seen similar selling?

-Yes.

If we pick it up, it's got a good weight to it and it's solid silver, apart from the handles.

You've got the ebonised wood which is adding a bit of weight.

But it's probably 15 - 20 ounces and silver is high at the moment anyway.

The condition is pretty good. What's also nice is there's no inscription at the front,

so it's not dedicated to somebody, which always makes it harder to sell if it's got initials or something.

It's a really nice thing and I think silver collectors would be happy to have it.

Obviously if it was an earlier, properly Georgian piece, we'd be tripling or quadrupling the price.

But I think your estimate isn't far off.

What we think is probably a reserve of maybe 120 and maybe a slightly higher estimate just

for the auction, so 150 - 200 as an estimate for the auction catalogue.

-Is that something you'd be happy with?

-Yes.

I think it'll do all right.

Let's hope it goes in the sale and somebody can pour themselves a cup of coffee out of it and see it go.

Kate has got a real eye for quality items and it also pays to keep your ears open.

CHEEPING

-Has that been in the family long?

-About 15 years.

It was bought for me as a gift when I was younger.

Is it something you're thinking of selling now?

Possibly, I don't know.

Just interested to see if it's worth anything.

It's entertaining you, isn't it?

He loves it, yeah.

We see a lot of childhood toys on Flog It and this next one is real tops.

Adam is with John who has brought in his grandfather's spinning top, carved from a nut.

-Fantastic, isn't it?

-Yes. That's going to go on for a while, isn't it?

-It's going to go on for a while, yes.

-Shall I stop it?

-That's absolutely dead upright.

-There we are.

-Almost!

-So, you've had this from grandad, have you?

-Yes.

And you played with it as a child?

I played with it as a child, and then when he died back in the '70s, he left it in his will to me.

Did he ever tell you anything about it?

Nothing at all, no. It was just there. I just played with it.

It was the first thing I asked for when I arrived on a Sunday morning.

I think it's a charming little thing.

I just wonder what makes you want to sell it?

Well, it's now been in the attic

for about 20 years. It's just been in a box.

No-one else in the family would want it?

I've got four boys, I've got 10 grandchildren.

-It makes an argument, doesn't it?

-What do you do with it? Yes.

"I wanted it!"

Exactly.

-It's going to come to auction?

-Yes, I think so.

It's a lovely little piece. It's a good, solid material, isn't it?

It's just a pleasing object. There's something really lovely about it.

It's very tactile.

Well, have you got any ideas what it might be worth?

No idea at all, no. I thought I'd leave that up to the experts.

It's a tricky one. It is a tricky one.

I'm usually on the cautious side.

It's 19th century coquilla nut spinning top.

-I'd say £50 - £80 estimate, but I think it will make more than that actually.

-Do you think?

-Yeah.

-All right, OK.

-How does that sound to you?

That sounds pretty good.

It will go

towards something I'm sure.

-I wouldn't be surprised if it did a bit more than that.

-Really?

Because it's a lovely object, and a novelty thing.

It's a curio for a cabinet.

It's got a lot of appeal to it.

-I think where we're going, the auctioneer is going to like that as well.

-Is he?

He's into his little bits of things like this.

We'll put a reserve in at £40, but if it doesn't make £40, I think you'd be underselling it.

-Right.

-We don't want that to happen.

-No.

We're here to protect your interests, make sure nothing's given away.

-Don't want it going for a tenner.

-No.

-That would be upsetting.

More for you than for me. But I wouldn't like to see it go for a tenner either.

-Really lovely. Thanks ever so much for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

Well, that's our first crop of collectibles from Malvern, and now we're going to sell them

at Philip Serrell's Valuers and Auctioneers,

where sellers pay a 17% commission plus VAT.

This is what I love to see, an auction room packed full of people.

And I hope all this lot are going to put their hands up and bid on our lots.

But before the action starts, a quick run-down of all the items going under the hammer.

Adam's in a spin with John's top.

It belonged to his grandfather, but now it's got to go.

This 1902 coffee pot belongs to Susan, but she's never used it.

Josephine used to work at the Royal Worcester factory and really knows her stuff.

She can even get a tune out of this hand-painted cabinet cup.

Auctioneer Philip Serrell loves Royal Worcester and he's an expert on the subject.

It's time for tea. I hope you're not thirsty?

Not with that, no!

It's good, though, isn't it? Royal Worcester.

-It's a cabinet piece.

-This is all hand-painted, totally hand-painted.

-You're buying a work of art.

-It is.

And what makes it harder, if you think, to paint inside out.

Inside that shaping, sloping side, is really awesome.

The factory's shut. It's not in Worcester any more.

-Makes you sad, doesn't it?

-This is interesting - this is quite late.

It's painted by Terry Nutt. They started to paint it in the 20s and 30s,

but in my eye and my taste, the earlier stuff I prefer. It makes more money.

We're looking at £120 - £180 for this?

A little miniature coffee cup and saucer

like this, retail would cost you, I would guess, between £300 - £600.

If you bought it new, retail.

So it's actually, if it makes £150, it's jolly good value for money.

Very good value for money, yes.

-Come and buy them at auction!

-And, there's a huge army of collectors.

They'll be here to buy it. They'll be on the phone to buy it.

There will be commissioned bids on the book to buy it. And it'll sell.

So, let's find out if he's right.

Josephine's Royal Worcester cup and saucer is our first item under the hammer.

Why are you selling this?

The artwork is stunning.

It is, absolutely lovely.

It is so tiny. Surely you've got a space for that?

I've had to reduce down in size.

I'm in a flat now.

That's perfect for a flat, isn't it?

-Yes, I know.

-Well, good luck anyway.

-We've all had fun talking about this and looking at it.

-It's a beautiful thing.

And you've probably got your own opinion what it's going to go for, but let's hope it's the high end

of Adam's estimate. Good luck. Here we go.

Start me off, someone. Bid me £100 to start.

80 I'm bid. At 80, give me 90? 90 bid.

100 on the telephone.

-We've got a phone now.

-110, 120.

What? At £110 only.

110. 20 on the net. At £120 on the net. 130 on the net.

Within the estimate at the moment.

130, 140. At £140.

150. Is there any more at all?

At £150 and I sell, then.

-Spot on! £150.

-I'm so pleased.

-I'm pleased for you as well.

-Thank you very much.

-It's a pleasure.

-It's been lovely, I've enjoyed every minute.

Good. So, a wonderful result for Josephine. Let's hope we're on a roll.

Going under the hammer right now, we've got an Edwardian silver teapot in a neo-classical style.

We've got that, but unfortunately we don't have Susan, its owner.

But we do have Gladys, who's Susan's best friend, aren't you?

-I am.

-So, how long have you been mates, then?

-About 15 years.

-And you live close by?

No, I live in Worcester, Susan's in London.

-You've obviously seen this coffee pot, in her house?

-I haven't actually, no.

-You haven't?

You might want to buy it. You should have a quick look on the screen when it comes up!

It's a nice bit of silver.

-Is it?

-I really like this.

It's good quality.

It's a classic thing, so it's lovely.

But the fact that you haven't seen it just shows that it was never on display and not really appreciated.

I think she'd had it hidden away.

But she did polish it up. It's going under the hammer now. Good luck.

Lot number 387 is the Edwardian silver coffee pot. A nice lot this.

Bid me for that, put them in the bidding, start me off.

It looks so good.

And I'm bid £50 for that.

60, 70, 80, 90.

90 bid. 100, 110, 120, thank you.

-Good.

-At 120.

-Fast and furious!

-Is there any more?

It's being sold. There's the bid.

At £120.

Any more at all?

At £120, 30 anywhere? At 120.

There's the bid. At £120 and I sell, then.

-Excellent.

-At £120 and done?

That was quick. That was heavily contested and it was very quick.

Well done. Are you going to get on the phone and tell her?

-I will.

-Thanks very much.

Well, that's the kind of phone call that would make your day.

Let's see if we can make it three in a row.

Here's John with that spinning top, valued by Adam at £50 - £80.

-Why do you want to sell it?

-Well, I've got 10 grandchildren.

-Crikey!

-They all want to come on holiday with us.

-You can't decide?

-No, I can't.

So it's going into the holiday fund.

Best thing to do. Lots of memories, though?

-Lots of memories.

-And this thing is so tactile, it's beautiful.

-It's right up your street, isn't it?

Yes it is. I'd like to see this do way over the top end, but you just don't know what's going to happen.

Three figures. 100 quid plus.

Yeah. 120, 130.

-That would be nice.

-It would be, wouldn't it?

-We put 50 to 80, didn't we?

-Yes.

A nice, sensible estimate. "Come and buy me."

We just need all these hands going up, three or four at once.

-We're going to find out right now.

-OK.

Lot number 290 is the coquilla nut and bone spinning top.

40 bid. £40 only.

50, 60, 70, 80.

80 bid, I've got to take 90 here.

-100, madam? 100 bid.

-Got it.

-We've got 100.

-Cracked it!

100, 110. 20 now, ma'am?

120. The internet's out. 130.

This is brilliant.

At £130,

40 is it? It's only money!

Philip's enjoying selling this, he's doing us proud, actually.

£130, on the net. At £130.

130...

...and done, thank you.

Under the hammer! That are so many treen collectors out there,

and I know a lot of them would love this as part of their collection.

That was well over estimate, and a great little item.

We'll be back at auction later on in the programme.

I'm a musician, and I love playing music and listening to it.

But, is a musical instrument a good investment?

The highest value instrument has to be the violin.

In 2006, Christie's New York sold a Stradivarius for over £2 million.

Italian Antonio Stradivari really set the standard for violin making

300 years ago, with his beautiful instruments.

And it's by his craftsmanship that all the violins made since are compared.

To be a good instrument, and a great investment, it doesn't have to a Stradivarius.

Even newly-made violins will eventually go up in value.

Believe it or not, there's a violin maker here in

the Jinney Ring Craft Centre, just outside Bromsgrove, that's turning out the most wonderful instruments.

His name is Bill Piper, so let's go and meet the man.

Bill started playing the violin as a lad, and at the age of 16 became an apprentice repairer.

Now, with over 40 years' experience, his instruments sell for £2,500 - £3,000 each.

-Hello, Bill.

-Hello.

-Lovely little workshop, isn't it?

-How are you doing? It's fine.

-What have I caught you working on?

That looks like the back of a cello, not a violin.

That's correct.

The stage I've got to with this is that I've contoured the outside, as you can see.

This is maple, isn't it?

It is maple. Now I'm just turning it over and doing the thicknessing.

So, is this the same process as a violin basically?

Exactly the same, except of course that the cello is bigger. It's lovely working with wood, isn't it?

And feeling the fresh shavings when they hit the floor, and then smelling the aroma.

-There's something about it. Well, it's a workshop, isn't it?

-Yes.

The aroma of the workshop. I know what you mean.

You start with a template, you draw that shape out?

And you get the contour by hollowing it out with that tiny plane?

That's right. These planes are peculiar to violin makers.

So the tools haven't really changed over the last 300 years?

No, Stradivari would have used a plane very similar to this.

It may not have been metal, it may have been wood.

That's incredible. Can I have a go at that a minute?

Be careful, because the blade is very sharp.

-And you're going across the grain? Literally?

-I'm going across the grain, that's right.

And just...?

Yes, very good.

I've done a lot of woodwork - that's quite a nice smooth action.

-That's right.

-How long will that take to dish out like that?

It would probably take me about a day to do that.

-But then obviously the face side?

-That's right. That took me a day.

Well that takes care of the back, and of course the front face. Can we talk about the sides?

-Yes.

-Can I pick one of these up?

If I give that to you rather carefully, you can see

how thin you've cut this wood.

Yes. Now these ribs are about 1mm, 1.1 mms thick. Which is very thin.

-It's veneer.

-How did you cut that?

It is almost veneer.

First of all I cut them down on my bandsaw. And then I used a block plane like this.

And then you start to glue them around this mould?

That's right. First of all, we put in the six blocks.

Which are those.

They hold the whole structure together?

-They hold the ribs together.

-Once that mould's removed.

Then we glue in the middle bout, as we call it. Which is this one.

Then we fit on the top and the bottom.

-Is all that steam-bent or heat-bent, that wood?

-It's heat-bent.

The tool we use is this one.

Which is what we call a bending iron.

You can just bend the wood around it for the ribs, you see?

This is so clever. And how long for that stage?

Usually to make up a set of ribs like this will take me a couple of days.

Right. And then you obviously face it back and front.

And the last thing to work on will be the neck and the head stock?

-That's right. You can see this is cut from a 2 inch block of wood.

-I can, yes.

It's roughed out on the bandsaw, and then I will gradually carve this.

And that's a sea scroll, very much like you see in Chippendale's furniture.

That's right, it's exactly the same.

Gosh, what a lot of work. How long does that take?

To carve one of these? I can usually carve a violin one in maybe two days, three days.

So, all in all, there's about, what? Three weeks' work in one violin?

-Maybe a month?

-I always say it takes me about a month.

During his life, Antonio Stradivari made around 1,100 violins.

Only 650 are accounted for, which means there could be another 450 still out there.

Do you think, as a violin maker, the older you get

and the more violins you make, the better they're becoming?

Yes, I suppose they say that the golden period for violin makers is the period between 40 and 60.

-Which you're in.

-That's right. Just about, just about.

And they say that that was Stradivari's golden period, because before 40 you're inexperienced.

And then, after 60, your faculties start to go.

Although, of course, Stradivari lived till he was 93.

-Did he really?

-He did, and he was making violins up until then.

-Gosh.

The last violin that is known by him, he'd got "De anni 93,"

"Made in my 93rd year."

-Are you passing these skills on to anybody?

-Yes.

I've taught other people to make instruments.

I used to teach at a college in Wolverhampton, and during that time I certainly taught over 100 people.

-I did it for 13 years.

-So there is a lot of talent out there.

Hopefully one day their instruments will be a good investment as well?

-Indeed.

-Bill, thank you so much.

Shake your hand, the hand of the master.

And I know you're really busy, so I'll let you carry on.

-Thank you.

-A pleasure meeting you.

-And you.

Fabulous. It's wonderful to see skilled artisans like Bill

working away with their hands, producing something of such good quality.

And the great thing is, it's a trade that's not dying out.

At our Malvern valuation day, we have got a great crowd.

And I love getting a sneak preview of what people have brought in.

I just push the foot here, just there?

Isn't that great? Thank you.

More fun later on inside, I think.

-See you at the blue tablecloths.

-Thank you.

Still to come, a familiar city landscape, but will Big Ben ring true with the bidders?

So this could be your inheritance?

I think that scene is a classic.

Everybody can identify with that, that's what's going to sell it.

-Thank goodness you've hung on to this.

-Yes, I'm glad I did.

You didn't throw it out. And feast your eyes on this collection.

Jill's gold coins are probably worth a mint.

Any idea of price?

I've no idea, no.

Well, if I said I'd give you 100 quid for them, would you take it?

-No, I wouldn't.

-You're fairly canny with that.

And first up, our expert Adam Partridge just can't avoid trouble.

-Good morning, June.

-Good morning.

-Welcome to Flog It.

-Thank you.

-Where did you get this from?

It was a friend of my mum and dad's passed away about 15, 16 years ago.

Had no-one else to leave it to, so I finished up with it.

-And you like it?

-Yes, it's been over my bed for the last 11 years.

-Traditionally the dragon is a protector, a powerful symbol in Chinese culture.

-Yes.

-Obviously, in European culture the dragon is an aggressive beast.

-That's right.

But in Chinese culture, it's a symbol of power, protection, success and control and that type of thing.

And then they have different levels of dragon as well.

Of course, the Imperial Dragon, the Emperor's dragon, five claws.

-Yes.

-So if you've got a five-clawed dragon,

you've usually got something that was a more valuable object as well.

And then the commoners were four- and three-clawed dragons.

-How many's on this one?

-Well, we were trying to work it out.

Is that it there? One, two, three?

It looks like it, doesn't it?

-It's hard to tell, isn't it?

-It's very hard to tell.

Now, a lot of people may think this is a painting or something, but it's not, of course. It's a tapestry.

And you've got the dragon in gold thread.

Which is really quite intricate.

-There's an awful lot of work in that.

-Yes, a lot of work.

I wonder how many hundreds of hours that would have taken?

-I dread to think.

-Do you do any tapestry?

-I hate sewing.

-Do you?

-Yes. I can't sew a button on.

-Can't do anything?

-No. Useless.

-You and me alike.

Exactly. There's a lot of things I can do, but that's not one of them.

-It's a curious shape as well, isn't it?

-It is.

-Very curious.

-What do you make of the shape? Did you have it that way?

-I think we had it upside down.

-Did you?

-Yes.

-I just wonder, perhaps it looks as though that might be part of a larger work.

-It could be.

Of course you've got this business here that could be carrying on.

-Maybe you could have another one, or even one of four.

-Exactly.

I think it was probably a fragment that was brought back and framed up

in that curious shape, which I think really works rather well.

-It does.

-Quite eye-catching.

-It is.

-Value wise...

-Yes, it is there any value to it?

There is some.

But it's fairly limited, fairly limited I would have thought.

-Yes.

-I think if we get over 100 we're doing well.

Yes. I thought over 100.

I hope it makes over 100, but I'd be tempted to put the estimate slightly lower than that at 70 - 100.

-That's too low.

-Is it too low? Right.

-You want 100 minimum?

-Yes.

-June, I like a lady that knows what she wants.

-I do.

-Very good. Well, we'll try it.

-We'll try it. Put 100 - 150.

-Yes.

-We'll put 100 reserve.

-Yes.

If it doesn't make 100, you're going to have to have it back, won't you?

Yes, that's right. And I can always put it on the net.

That's swearing! Don't tell us that!

Real auctions, put it on a real auction.

-I'm sorry.

-No, it's alright. You must do with it what you wish.

But I think 100 is a sensible reserve.

Let's hope it sells very well.

-Thanks for coming in, June.

-Thank you.

I've got my eye on this engraving of Westminster Bridge, brought in

by Christina and her mum Janet.

Tell me the story, how did you come by this Janet?

This was in front of a fireplace

at the house that we were going to move into when I was getting married,

and there was a girlie picture stuck to it and this fell from behind it.

"Oh that's nice, we'll have that framed", and we had it framed and kept it ever since.

And have you had this on the wall?

-Yes, it has been.

-I'm just going to take a closer look.

Hung on the wall in my lounge.

-And I bet it looked good on your wall.

-It did actually.

-Why did you take it off the wall?

-Well, I put something else there.

Why, because you got fed up with it?

Well, yes, it's been there all these years, and I thought "Oh, let's put something else there."

-What do you think of this, Christina?

-I don't actually like it.

-You don't like it?

-No, I don't.

-I do.

-I like it as well. It's quite moody.

-Yes.

-It's a copper engraving.

-Oh, is it?

And it's been signed by the artist.

Frederick Arthur Farrell.

He had a short innings, you know.

-Did he really?

-Yes, he did. He was born in 1882 and he died in 1935.

And I would imagine this

was possibly done when he was flourishing in the 1920s, looking

at the traffic going over Westminster Bridge.

There's a feel-good factor after the First World War and it's London's at its busiest.

The tide's high, the tugs are moving through.

And of course there's Big Ben, famous clock there, made by Dent.

But that's lovely, isn't it. But it's the moodiness of copper.

Because it's a very soft metal, the more print run you take from it,

the softer, more impressionistic it gets, because the metal's so soft.

You don't get that clarity like you do with a steel engraving.

That's lovely.

And this is an affordable way of buying into Farrell's work.

It really is.

So, the etching's in very, very good condition.

-Right.

-What do you think this is worth?

I've no idea whatsoever.

-I think on a very good day it might push £250-£300.

-Oh, very good.

But I'd like to get it into auction

with a fighting chance of getting that figure...

-Yes.

-...at £150-£250, with a reserve fixed at 150.

Yes, that's fine.

-Happy with that?

-Yes.

I think that scene is a classic.

Everybody can identify with that, and that's what's going to sell it.

-Thank goodness you've hung on to this.

-Yes, I'm glad I did.

-And didn't throw it out.

Well, time's running out, but it looks like Kate Bateman has hit the jackpot, with a set of four 22 carat

-gold coins belonging to Gill.

-What do you know about them?

-Not a lot. My dad bought them, and when he died left them to me.

-Right.

-And I've come to sell them.

-They've just sat in a cupboard?

-Under the bed.

-I suppose you've never thought of selling them before now?

-No, I haven't. No.

-Just brought them along to a Flog It valuation day.

-I have, yes.

-OK. Well, at the moment, gold is very high, and actually if

we look at them, we can see that each one has a certificate.

They're obviously made to commemorate Winston Churchill,

so if we have a look at them, turn it over,

we've got his catchphrases, some of his best known sayings here.

"We shall never surrender" and "Our aim is victory."

Usually when we get commemorative coins they're silver or silver gilt, so silver covered with gold, but

these are actually solid 22 carat gold, which is a good start and each one is a limited edition of 2,000.

Yours are various numbers, so he's bought different ones in a series,

they're not a consecutive numbered set.

And they've got some weight to them.

-Any idea of price?

-I've no idea. No.

OK. Well, if I said I'll give you £100 for them, would you take it?

-No, I wouldn't.

-You're fairly canny with that. OK.

I mean with gold being so high, they've got a certain amount

of value purely from the weight of them, irrespective of them being coins.

So with the weight, I suppose they're going to be worth about £1,000 for the four.

-£250 each, does that surprise you?

-It does really, yes, it does.

OK. What would you do with the money if we made that kind of money?

I've got four daughters, give it to them.

Well, there are four coins, so do they not want one each?

I don't think so, no. I think they'd rather have the money, I think.

Well, they're not very girly things, coins, not like rings or jewellery or something sparkly.

So, yes, I think I'd rather have some money and buy a pair of shoes.

From a gold point of view they're saleable and also from a collectable coin point of view

they are saleable, so for an auction estimate I'd probably put between £1,200 and £1,500 on them.

-Lovely, yes.

-Reserve, as I said, we should set it at about £1,000.

-Would you be happy with that?

-I would indeed. Yes, thank you.

So even if you got £1,000, it's easy to split four ways.

-It is, yes.

-Let's hope we get something, a multiple of four that's going to work.

They look like they're going to fly, unlike this chap.

Oh, I like the owl.

Wise old bird.

Wise, but not wanted for auction, and here's a recap of the three items we will be selling.

June's dragon tapestry.

She's determined she wants at least £100 for it.

Janet and Christina are divided over the merits of this copper etching.

And last but certainly not least, Gill could be in for a big pay out with these gold coins.

Kate thinks they could be worth up to £1,500.

We're selling our items at Philip Serrell's Valuers and Auctioneers in Malvern.

But before the next session starts, I've been nosing round a bit.

There is so much to see.

I could spend hours browsing in an auction room.

Now this takes me back to my childhood, because

I used to go fly-fishing with my father an awful lot in Somerset.

God, I had a good collection of flies as well.

Fishing memorabilia is big business and it's possibly the biggest sport in the world.

So many people go freshwater, coarse fishing or sea fishing than any other sport combined really.

It's a wonderful relaxing past time. I know a lot of women are shaking their heads, disagreeing with me,

but it is megabusiness, there's so many fishermen worldwide.

Look at this. Some old boy's sat in a little room and made all these wet nymph flies up.

There's a selection on each page, different flies, certain things to look for.

Made in the manner of little grubs or moths.

This particular one here, with a large bobble at the top, that's known as a bead head fly.

Catch trout with that.

These are wet nymphs. These are all trout flies.

The wallet would be picked up separately and then you'd collect flies when you could afford them.

It depends what you were fishing for really, certain conditions.

You had to have a fly for almost every day of the week.

Absolutely lovely.

And it's contained in a wonderful leather wallet. Look at this.

Moroccan leather.

It's all hand tooled as well.

There's 100 odd flies in here.

Gosh, I think that's a cracking little lot.

It's catalogued at just £40-£60. I think it'll make double that.

We'll find out later.

Let's hope auctioneer Philip Serrell can reel in the bidders on our items.

First up, June's tapestry.

I absolutely love this. I agree with Adam's valuation as well, 150.

-Thank you.

-Spot on. But it's one of those things that can either fly or get stuck mid-estimate.

-Yes.

But hey, you're selling this, you've had this a long time.

-Yes.

-But you need to get some money together for a new carpet.

-Yes, exactly.

-Sitting room, bedroom, stairs?

-Bedroom.

-The bedroom.

-Are you going to redecorate as well?

-Yes.

-Hopefully, if there's a bit more money left.

-That's right.

Did the tapestry hang above the bed?

-Yes, it did.

-So the tapestry's gone, the bedroom's being redone.

-Yes.

-That's a good exchange. That's a fair swap, isn't it, really.

-It is, yes.

-Let's see what the bidders think, shall we?

-Let's hope.

Here we go. Here we go.

Lot number 280 is the really good quality tapestry picture.

-There we are.

-Oh, he's being enthusiastic about it as well.

-That's unusual, isn't it.

-Yes, but it's a proper lot, isn't it.

-Philip likes early pieces.

-Go on. Phil.

Good quality, and 50 for this. 50. 50 bid.

Take 5 and 5 and 60. 60 bid.

65, 70. 5. 80. 80 bid and 5.

85. At 85 only. One more. At 85.

90 and 5. 95.

95. Can I say 100 anywhere?

At 95.

He's going to sell. He's going to sell. £95. 100 is it?

At £95. 100 anywhere at all?

-Let it go.

-At £95. Any more?

Let it go.

No, I'm sorry, I haven't done that.

Why didn't he let it go?

Because he didn't have a bit of discretion, did he?

-Stupid.

-I tell you what, we'll have a word

with Philip afterwards and if he can find that bidder, let it go for £95.

-That was close enough, wasn't it, June?

-Exactly.

You'll get the underlay.

Get the underlay.

-£10 a metre isn't it? How big's the bedroom?

-Oh, it's quite a big one.

-Is it?

-You're very au fait with the cost of underlay.

I am. I've got another business on the side. Hey, I'll come round and do it!

Listen, I don't want to have to hang about.

Bad luck, June, that's the danger of a fixed reserve.

If she had given Philip Serrell the auctioneer's discretion of 10%, he could have accepted the bid of £95.

Remember the fishing flies I showed you earlier, the wet flies and dry flies.

They're just about to go under the hammer, and I love that leather wallet they're contained in.

Let's see if this lot fall hook, line and sinker for it, shall we?

-Philip's just about to reel them in. Here we go.

-I start at £130 bid.

Look at that, straight in 130.

140, 150, 160, at £160 only.

160, is there any more? At £160 and I sell then at 160 and done.

Good result. Great result in fact. Ever so pleased.

The auction seems to be hotting up, so fingers crossed for Janet and Christina and their copper etching.

I love this and it's in good company as well, because look behind.

-Copper plates.

-Yes.

Yours is the end result of that, obviously. That's the image printed off on paper.

We have £150-£200 on this and we are hoping for the top end because it's been signed by the artist.

He's approved the etching, so he worked closely with the master engraver and said yes, that's OK.

I'm hoping it's going to do the top.

-I hope it will.

-Have you been feeling rather nervous about this?

Well, yes and no.

We'll wait and see.

Am I in trouble if it doesn't sell?

-No, I'll forgive you.

-Oh, will you. Please, please.

-Put it on the wall. Take it home if it doesn't sell.

-I will.

Hopefully it will. Look.

Look at this. It's a room packed full of bidders. Hopefully...

They're bidding for me.

Right now it's going under the hammer. This is it, good luck.

Lot number 162, the Fred G Farrell.

Black-and-white etching, a view of Westminster.

Bid me for that, put it in, start me off, wherever you want to be.

£100 to start me. 100.

50, I am bid at 50. 50 only at 50.

60. 70. 70 bid.

80. 90. 100. 110. 120.

130, 140, 150, it's your bid, sir.

At 150 bid.

Bid seated at 150, any more?

At 150 only, any more at all?

At £150, seated, it's your bid, sir, at £150. One more, may I?

At £150 and I sell at 150.

-It's gone.

-It's gone.

Just right on the reserve as well.

-I'm ever so pleased.

-So am I.

There is commission to pay, but hopefully that's a nice meal out for both of you.

It will be, yes. Thank you very much.

Thank you as well. Thank you for trusting me.

I was close.

Yes, you were.

It might be close, but a sale is a sale, and now for the moment I've been waiting for.

Gill's four gold coins.

Kate valued them at £1,200-£1,500 with a reserve of £1,000.

Well, somebody could be in the money and she's standing right next to me now. It's not Kate, it's Gill.

Four 22-carat gold coins, and I know since you've done the valuation,

which is about six weeks ago, the gold market has really shot up. So fingers crossed.

-It's a good time for gold selling at the moment.

-It's a great time. Why are you selling all your gold?

Everybody's investing in it.

Your money's not worth a penny in the bank right now.

-Can't do a lot with a coin.

-You can save it for another ten years.

-No.

-Oh right. OK. I've been outvoted.

Anyway, this is Flog It and we've got to sell things haven't we,

so let's get on with the show, shall we. They're going under the hammer right now.

At the last moment Gill's decided to increase the reserve to £2,000

because she wasn't happy with the original valuation,

and that does rack up the tension.

-Will they make the new figure?

-There we are.

What will you bid me for that lot? Start me off, £1,000 I have. 1,150.

1,250. 1,350. 1,450.

1,550. 1,650. 1,700. 1,800. Any more?

£1,800. At 1,800. At £1,800.

1,900 on the net. At 1,900.

2,000.

At £2,000. One anywhere? At £2,000.

There's the bid at £2,000.

Any more at all? At £2,000 and done.

You've got to be so pleased with that surely. £2,000.

There is commission here to pay, don't forget, it's 17%,

-but wow, at least you know where the money's going.

-I do indeed, yes.

-Lovely, I can't believe it.

-That's a great result.

That's a good price. It was worth the wait from the valuation day

to the auction, because the gold prices did shoot up.

It did us a favour, that wait.

It can work in the other way, but then so can auctions for you.

If you'd like to take part in the show, this is where it all starts, at Flog It valuation day.

You've got to come to one of these.

Now there's two ways of doing it.

You can check the details in your local press or log on to...

Click F for Flog It, then follow the links and you'll find the dates

and venues for our next valuation days and hopefully they're near you.

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