Balbirnie Flog It!


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Peace and quiet is on the agenda today.

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We've come to scenic Fife in Scotland.

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With over 400 acres of country estate here at Balbirnie House,

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there's plenty of space to gather your thoughts and marvel at our spectacular backdrop.

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Welcome to Flog It!

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'It's a glorious day in Scotland.

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'The sun is shining and the anticipation is building.'

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Waiting to have their items valued

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are our wonderful fans who have come to this magnificent setting

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to meet our team of experts,

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led today by the gorgeous Anita Manning

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and the very dapper, in his new Panama hat, James Lewis.

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I'm keen to find out what's in all these bags and boxes.

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Let's get started.

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'A handsome barometer's caught my eye.'

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We don't need to read it. There's not a cloud in the sky.

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'Anita and James have got stuck in, and there's plenty to look at.

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'Anita's an auctioneer in Glasgow.

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'She'll be looking out for local treasures with a bit of Scottish history.'

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It's an awful wee shield. It must be for Pygmies!

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'Or maybe not!

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'Derby auctioneer James is also on the lookout for something interesting.'

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-Isn't that a nipple sucker?

-LAUGHTER

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-Do I have a volunteer? Something like that.

-Or an abscess.

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It could be for an abscess. God! I shouldn't have mentioned nipples!

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'Hm. Best move on.

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'And coming up on today's show,

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'prepare to see shocked faces as our clever owners show our experts some remarkable finds.'

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-I found it in a market in London for £1.

-No! That is ridiculous!

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-How much did you pay for them.

-£2 each.

-£2 EACH?

-I think so.

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I picked it up in a charity shop for next to nothing.

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I've never found one in a charity shop. I've been looking for years!

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It looks like the whole of Scotland has turned up.

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That's an awful lot of antiques to value.

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Our experts have their work cut out, and it's not an exact science.

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James is our first expert to the tables.

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Let's look at what he spotted.

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'Fiona has brought in something that can only thrill snuffbox collector James Lewis.'

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Fiona, thank you SO much for bringing

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what anybody who watches Flog It!

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will know is my favourite subject.

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I love my snuffboxes.

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I've collected them for ten years and I'm an absolute addict.

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Is this something that you're passionate about?

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I'm afraid not. I know nothing about it.

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I must have picked it up in a charity shop

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-years ago...

-Charity shop!

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..for next to nothing.

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-I can't have paid much for it.

-Charity shop!

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I've never found one in a charity shop. I've been looking for years!

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Well done, you! What did you think it was?

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I don't know. I just thought it was a little box.

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What did you think it was made from? What period did you think it was?

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-I'm afraid I thought it was plastic.

-OK.

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I wondered, because of the picture, whether it might have some age.

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Well, it certainly does.

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It really is just the most beautiful quality.

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This is a snuffbox made...around 1800,

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1820.

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The lady or the gentleman who was taking snuff from this box

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would have been around during the Napoleonic Wars.

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Nelson had just been killed at Trafalgar.

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Wellington might be around the Battle of Waterloo.

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This little box could be English or it could be French.

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-What's this over it? Glass?

-Yes. This is a very fine piece of glass.

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The socle that's holding it in place is probably made from gold.

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The ivory border and, if we hold that up to the light,

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-you see that's lined in tortoiseshell.

-Yes.

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But the miniature in the centre is beautiful!

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Hand-painted, a beautiful young girl.

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The miniature alone is saleable. Forget the box.

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The miniature is a piece of art.

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-I can't believe all this!

-It's lovely!

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But snuff is a form of tobacco taking. It's always been controversial.

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In 1600, 1603, King James would say that if anybody was caught

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-taking snuff in his presence, they would go to the Tower.

-Oh!

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100 years later, Queen Anne was patron of the British Snuff Taking Association.

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Where has it been for the last few years?

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-It just sits on my dressing table.

-You use it for earrings?

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No. Until today, I'd never opened it because it was very stiff.

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-What do you think it's worth?

-Would it be about 40?

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Would you sell it to me for 40?

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-I would, yes.

-You shouldn't.

-Oh!

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-How about 80?

-That would be even better.

-How about 100?

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-My goodness! It can't be worth all that!

-I think 100 is a minimum.

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-Goodness!

-I really do.

-Goodness!

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I think that's 120-180, something like that.

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-Goodness!

-I think it's a really lovely pretty little box.

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-I'm just gob-smacked!

-Thank you for bringing it.

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It's a lovely thing to see.

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'Fiona thought it wasn't worth anything!

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'It's always worth getting a valuation.

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'Moving on, Brenda's with Anita and something more recognisable.'

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Brenda, you have brought along the Rolls-Royce of wristwatches.

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I'm always delighted to see little wristwatches from the '30s and '40s.

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I've found that they're becoming very collectable and very popular.

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But these are different, something special.

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-Tell me, where did you get them?

-I'm afraid I can't remember, Anita!

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I've had them a long time.

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I go around various fairs or auctions

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-and just, er...

-Was there any reason why you bought watches?

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My father, when his mother died, there was a grandmother clock that somebody had taken to bits.

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My dad put it back together again, and then had an interest in watches and clocks.

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I would imagine that when you were collecting your own stuff,

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-if you saw a watch or clock you would go for it.

-I would. Yes.

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Both of these are still working!

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What we have here are two Rolex watches.

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Rolex is the most wonderful and prestigious company,

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still making the best watches in the world, a Swiss company.

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We have two separate periods here.

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I would say that this one comes from the 1930s.

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This one, a little bit later.

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I haven't opened up the back of these watches. I need a wee knife.

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But they are 9-carat gold.

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This one has a bracelet which is also 9-carat gold.

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This one here has a bracelet which is rolled gold.

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I don't think that was the original bracelet. Did you wear these?

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I wore this one.

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Price-wise, I think I'll give a wide estimate, Brenda.

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An estimate of £200 to £400. How would you feel about that estimate?

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-All right. Yes.

-Would you be happy?

-Yes.

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We'll put a reserve price of £200, but I think that is a bare minimum,

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which will only protect it.

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-Right.

-I think that these will sail away.

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-Oh, right.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-That's good.

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They're both in working order. They come from a prestigious company.

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They are made of gold. Gold is high just now.

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We cannot lose!

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Right.

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'You don't hear conviction like THAT very often! Anita knows her market.

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'Talking of familiar subjects, I found a bit of wood brought in by Steve.'

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Steve, you've struggled in with a piece of furniture,

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and we always need furniture.

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If you come to a valuation day, please bring some furniture.

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How did you come across this tilt-top table?

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It was a donation to the British Heart Foundation.

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When it came in and we looked at it, we just said that it looked old,

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it didn't look like a put-together piece, modern.

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Do you know, that house dates back to 1777, doesn't it?

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-I believe so.

-Yeah. That's the date, within...

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20 years, I'd put on this table - late 18th century.

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It's a piece of country furniture and, of course, made in oak.

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Many were made in oak or elm or fruit woods.

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City pieces were tended to be made in mahogany.

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If I tilt that up...

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They were like that because they were an occasional table.

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You brought them out, used them,

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put your wine on them, then put them to the side.

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And if you turn them round that way against the wall,

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they look quite decorative

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and don't take up a lot of space.

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The grain is very good.

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It's a nice broad decorative grain.

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The colour is still there. That's the most important thing about oak.

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The older it gets, the tighter the grain and the better the patina.

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There's so many decades of dirt and polish gone onto that surface.

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If I turn it around this way, you see it started life together.

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In many of these,

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-tops don't belong to the bases, but can you see this mark?

-Yeah.

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Can you see the end grain? That's rubbed on the under side.

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That's been there for a long time.

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There's no extra holes here.

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These cleats that hold the planks together have never been moved.

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The bad thing is that it has been reduced in height by eight inches.

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It would have been a supper or wine table and, now, it's a coffee table.

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-Can you see the central column?

-Yes.

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Architecturally, it doesn't finish right.

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There should be ring turnings at the top to mirror those at the bottom.

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I think we've got to put a sensible price on it of £60 to £90.

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-I think that's a good valuation.

-Is that OK?

-It's going to charity.

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That's great. Let's hope we can get £90, the top end of the estimate.

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It's a nice piece of country furniture.

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We know now that we've got some history of the table. Very good.

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-I think we'll set a reserve at £50, don't you?

-Yeah.

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So a valuation of 60 to 90 with a reserve at 50.

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Hopefully, it'll tempt a dealer or a DIY enthusiast,

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-or somebody that wants a nice coffee table with a lot of history.

-Fine.

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I think that's a lovely piece for anyone to have at home.

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You've just seen our first items ready to go off to auction.

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There's a few corkers! We might be in for one or two big surprises!

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So, we'll leave you with a reminder of the items we're taking with us.

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'James was a fan of Fiona's snuffbox but she didn't know much about it.

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'Now she knows it's worth something, will Fiona be tempted to keep it?

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'Brenda's gold ladies' wristwatches are a classy lot.

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'The gold value alone is a big plus, but they're also a lovely design.

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'And Steve's wooden tilt-top table is a great find.

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'It's been reduced in height,

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'but that doesn't detract from its usefulness.

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'We're at Thomson Roddick Scottish Auctions, south of Edinburgh.

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'It's a busy sale with two auctioneers - Sybelle Thomson

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'and Gavin Tavendale.'

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I'm feeling nervous cos this is where we up the tempo.

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It's time to put our first valuations to the test.

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I had a quick chat with auctioneer Sybelle Thomson to see what she had to say about one of our items.

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Time is definitely up for Brenda's watches.

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Not one gold Rolex here - two!

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We have a valuation of £200 to £400, with a fixed reserve of £200.

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-I think these will fly away.

-It's quite cheap for Rolex. There's always a lot of demand for them.

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But the main demand for Rolex is for the gentlemen's watches. Like yours!

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The ladies' watches aren't as collectable,

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but I think they'll do well and hopefully get the top estimate.

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-Brilliant! The £400 mark.

-Live in hope.

-That's what we like to see.

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'Fingers crossed for the watches, coming up later.

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'First, Fiona's snuffbox.

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'Putting it under the hammer is auctioneer Gavin.'

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Next, one of my favourite lots.

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-A tiny snuffbox that belongs to Fiona and not for much longer.

-Hope so.

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Pretty little watercolour. Tortoiseshell interior.

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It's got everything going for it. And the price, £100 to £180.

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-You picked it up for nothing. How much?

-I can't remember.

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It was so insignificant.

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We need a few gents that can splash out on a lovely snuffbox.

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-Wish I could buy it.

-We're not allowed to.

-No.

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A 19th-century circular patch box in ebony mount.

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200? 100? £50? 50's bid. 50.

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In the room at 50.

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Five. 60. Five.

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70. Five. 80...

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-This is good, Fiona. Really good.

-Not yet it's not.

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No. It's not, is it? We need a lot more!

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..all done at 100?

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110. 120.

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130. 140. 150...

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-Now it's good.

-That's good!

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..All done at 150?

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-Spot-on.

-Thank you very much.

-What are you going to do with that?

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-I'm giving it to the Pakistani flood victims.

-That's really sweet of you.

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-Well done.

-Thank you.

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'I think James would have snapped up the snuffbox, given the chance.

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'Next is the wooden table I liked.'

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Now I'm hoping for top dollar here because the money's going to to the British Heart Foundation.

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Steve brought this table to our valuation day, a lovely sunny day.

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-Fond memories!

-The one day of the year.

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Oh, wasn't it? We've had plenty down south, but it's sunny today and everyone's smiling.

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The 19th-century oak tripod snap-top table.

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£100 for a nice snap-top table? 100?

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50?

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30 bid. With the gentleman at 30.

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35. 40. Five. 50. £50.

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Gentleman seated at 50. Anyone going on for a nice table?

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55. You're out seated.

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At 55. Anyone else? Can I tempt anybody else? At £55...

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That's OK! It's obviously gone to the trade. Thank you so much.

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'That was worth Steve bringing it in and getting some many for charity.

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'Now it's the Rolexes being put to the test,

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'and auctioneer Gavin's back on the rostrum.'

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-Did you ever wear one?

-I did.

-Which one?

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I wore the one with the full bracelet.

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They're gold. And they work. And they're a great name.

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-So it doesn't get much better.

-It doesn't.

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We just need a couple of people to bid against each other.

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We're going to find out now. Good luck, Brenda.

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Two ladies' 9-carat gold Rolex wristwatches.

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300? 200?

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£100. 100 bid. At 100.

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100. 110. 120.

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130. 140. 140. 140 in the room.

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150. 150. 160. 170.

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180. 190. 200. 210.

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Standing at the back at 210.

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210. Standing at 210.

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220. 230...

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-Someone's on the phone.

-..240.

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250.

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260. 270.

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280.

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290.

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300. 320.

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340. 360.

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380.

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380 on the telephone. 380. 380.

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All done at 380? At £380...

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You can always rely on a phone bidder sitting at home thinking,

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"Yes, I do really want it!"

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-They pushed it to the top. £380. Brilliant.

-Absolutely.

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-Happy?

-Yes, I am. Thank you.

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-There is commission to pay, 15% plus VAT.

-Yes. I know.

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-Are you going to buy more antiques or treat yourself?

-Buy more antiques!

-Oh, good!

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'Fantastic result for Brenda and her elegant timepieces.

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'That's it for the auction for now,

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'but we're coming back later in the show.'

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I'm ready for today's performance.

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And the venue for the bright lights and showbiz

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is the Carnegie Hall, world famous for its musical events.

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You're thinking, "He's gone to New York!"

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No, I haven't. This is the Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline.

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It's the same benefactor and founder behind both Halls,

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Mr Andrew Carnegie, Scotland's most generous multimillionaire.

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I'm here to tell you all about him.

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'Before I explore Carnegie's Scottish background

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'let me introduce you to his story.

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'Andrew Carnegie was born in Dunfermline to kind and hard-working parents.

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'Through his family, he learned morals, respect

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'and what can be achieved through sheer hard work.

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'When he was 12, work dried up for his weaver father.

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'The family sold up, and borrowed enough to emigrate to America.

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'From the moment they arrived, Andrew worked hard.

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'He started as a bobbin boy in a factory, but quickly got promoted.

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'His quick thinking and ambition meant he was a natural entrepreneur.

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'Through investments and businesses he became a multimillionaire.'

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Andrew's generosity with his hard-earned cash spread worldwide.

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It was the donations to his beloved Scotland that has brought me to his boyhood town of Dunfermline.

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Carnegie's story of wealth and success starts here from humble beginnings, Moodie Street.

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This is the house Andrew was born in.

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His father worked downstairs all day while his family lived upstairs.

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They ate and slept up there. They educated themselves up there.

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Andrew's parents led by example so he could succeed in a dignified manner.

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Andrew's father was a damask weaver, a very skilled trade.

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His wife wound bobbins upstairs, singing to a young Andrew.

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Perhaps that's where he got his love of music.

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When work dried up, Andrew's mother, Margaret,

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set up a shop repairing shoes and doing odd jobs.

0:22:310:22:35

Whatever sacrifices they had to make, Andrew never went without.

0:22:350:22:40

He was always smartly turned out in a white starched collar.

0:22:400:22:44

It was his parents' work ethic that inspired Andrew to improve himself.

0:22:440:22:49

After moving to the States, his mother showed her resourcefulness

0:22:490:22:54

and did whatever she could to keep her family going.

0:22:540:22:58

It was Margaret Carnegie who lent her son the huge sum of 600,

0:22:580:23:04

by mortgaging their house, so he could buy shares in Adams Express.

0:23:040:23:09

It was a bold move, which led him on the path to success,

0:23:090:23:13

becoming a steel tycoon.

0:23:130:23:15

That savvy mind and family support

0:23:150:23:17

meant that, by the time Andrew was 33,

0:23:170:23:21

he had assets worth 400,000.

0:23:210:23:23

By the time he retired at the age of 65,

0:23:230:23:27

he was worth a staggering 400 million, a great deal of money!

0:23:270:23:31

He wanted to distribute his wealth to deserving causes.

0:23:310:23:35

He devoted a lot of time to philanthropy as well as business.

0:23:350:23:39

What do you buy somebody for their birthday who has everything?

0:23:390:23:43

His wife, Louise, for his 60th birthday bought him this house, his birthplace.

0:23:430:23:49

Today, it's run as a tribute to him and the worthy causes he funded.

0:23:490:23:54

'I met Lorna Owers, the curator at the Carnegie Birthplace Museum,

0:23:590:24:04

'so I could find out more about Carnegie, the man.'

0:24:040:24:09

I gather he didn't have much education. He started school at eight. What happened before?

0:24:090:24:15

School was optional, you could choose, and you paid a penny a week.

0:24:150:24:20

It was quite an outlay for a family at that time.

0:24:200:24:24

Before that, anything he learned was from his family.

0:24:240:24:27

-In America, he came across a makeshift library?

-That's right.

0:24:270:24:31

Colonel Anderson had his own private library.

0:24:310:24:35

Andrew gained access, as a working boy.

0:24:350:24:38

He allowed them to borrow books on a Saturday.

0:24:380:24:42

-Hundreds of books, he had.

-Yes. He had 400.

0:24:420:24:46

-Do you think that's what inspired him to donate libraries around the world?

-Yes.

0:24:460:24:51

He wanted everyone to benefit from education,

0:24:510:24:55

to have access to books, the way he had.

0:24:550:24:59

'He was inspired by all things new and inventive.

0:24:590:25:02

'He regarded knowledge as a treasure.

0:25:020:25:05

'Imagine what it was like for a teenage boy from Dunfermline

0:25:050:25:09

'to end up in a developing city like Pittsburgh,

0:25:090:25:13

'with the railroad and the theatre, things that he'd never seen before.'

0:25:130:25:18

-There's the great man himself.

-Yes.

0:25:200:25:24

-What age was he when that was painted?

-About 70.

-Was he?

-Yes.

0:25:240:25:28

-He lived till he was what, 83?

-83. That's right. Yes.

0:25:280:25:32

He's got a twinkle in his eye.

0:25:320:25:34

He definitely has. He was quite a character.

0:25:340:25:38

-Did he miss Scotland much?

-I think he did. He came back several times.

0:25:380:25:42

He owned Skibo Castle as a holiday home.

0:25:420:25:46

Otherwise, he gave buildings.

0:25:460:25:48

He gave the town the Carnegie Hall, the library, the swimming baths

0:25:480:25:55

and, of course, Pittencrief Park.

0:25:550:25:57

Carnegie vowed that if he had the opportunity, he would buy the park and give it to the town.

0:25:570:26:03

-It gave him great satisfaction.

-I bet it did.

0:26:030:26:06

Lorna, thank you for talking to us. It's been fascinating.

0:26:060:26:11

What a wonderful story. Such an inspiration to everybody.

0:26:110:26:14

The city's very lucky to have so many fabulous buildings

0:26:160:26:20

donated to it by such a famous resident.

0:26:200:26:23

For me, Dunfermline gave something to Carnegie in his formative years.

0:26:230:26:28

It forged the tenacity and the pride to succeed later in life

0:26:280:26:33

as a phenomenal businessman.

0:26:330:26:35

It's a true tale of triumph against all odds.

0:26:350:26:39

'We're in Balbirnie House in Fife.

0:26:450:26:47

'There are plenty of people to see and treasures to be unearthed.

0:26:470:26:54

'Still to come, Anita spots some familiar Moorcroft.

0:26:540:26:57

'But are they valuable?

0:26:570:26:59

'And will Andrew's beaded snake prove to be a wise buy?

0:27:000:27:05

'First, Anita's over at the tables

0:27:070:27:10

'with Betty and Jim, who have an eye for a famous maker.'

0:27:100:27:16

Thank you for bringing this wonderful pair of vases.

0:27:160:27:20

They are, of course, Moorcroft, one of my favourites.

0:27:200:27:25

Tell me where you got them.

0:27:250:27:27

-Betty purchased them.

-I bought them at a car boot sale.

0:27:270:27:31

Aye. Quite near here, yes.

0:27:310:27:33

-Was it Cairngorm?

-A car boot sale?!

0:27:330:27:36

A pair of Moorcroft vases! How much did you pay?

0:27:360:27:40

-I think they were £2 each. GASPS:

-£2 each?

0:27:400:27:44

We splashed out!

0:27:440:27:46

Did you beat the trader down?

0:27:460:27:48

-No, no.

-No, no.

-This was ten, 12 years ago.

0:27:480:27:52

-Aye.

-I wasn't aware that these colours would be Moorcroft

0:27:520:27:57

when I first bought them.

0:27:570:27:59

-Do you go to car boot sales a lot?

-Yes.

-Are you avid collectors?

-Yes.

0:27:590:28:05

-Are you mad collectors?

-Yes.

0:28:050:28:07

-Magpies.

-Magpies!

0:28:070:28:10

I'm always delighted to see Moorcroft on Flog It!

0:28:100:28:14

It's one of my favourite potteries.

0:28:140:28:16

I love the colours and the vibrance of the patterns.

0:28:160:28:20

Moorcroft, of course, started in the late 1880s.

0:28:200:28:24

William Moorcroft started with his friend Macintyre.

0:28:240:28:28

In 1924, he started his own factory.

0:28:280:28:32

That was really the birth of Moorcroft.

0:28:320:28:36

It was what we call an art pottery.

0:28:360:28:39

Everything was handmade, nothing mass produced.

0:28:390:28:42

Every single pot was different.

0:28:420:28:45

These little ones here are from a later date, about the 1930s.

0:28:450:28:52

They're called the wheat sheaf pattern.

0:28:520:28:55

They're in beautiful condition.

0:28:550:28:57

We do have a little trace of tube-lining,

0:28:570:29:02

the running slip that we see often on the Moorcroft pieces.

0:29:020:29:07

If we look, we can see the blue stamp here and "made in England".

0:29:070:29:15

So not the earliest stuff, but still very, very charming.

0:29:150:29:20

Why do you want to sell them?

0:29:200:29:22

We have to sell at some time because we're swamped under.

0:29:220:29:27

-Is your collection moving in on you?

-It eventually moves to a box.

0:29:270:29:31

-It's on display then we buy something else...

-And it goes up in the loft.

0:29:310:29:37

Yeah. Auction estimate. If they were coming into auction,

0:29:370:29:41

I would put a conservative estimate of 150 to 250 on them.

0:29:410:29:45

-Would you be happy to sell them at that?

-Ecstatic.

-Ecstatic?!

0:29:450:29:51

Well, it's a good profit on a couple of quid.

0:29:510:29:54

You obviously have a very good eye. So we'll put them in at 150 to 250.

0:29:540:30:00

We'll put a reserve of say, 150,

0:30:000:30:03

but we'll give the auctioneer discretion, 10%.

0:30:030:30:07

Thank you for bringing them along. They're a delight.

0:30:070:30:10

-And keep on car booting.

-Oh, yes!

0:30:100:30:13

I was going to ask what you'd do with the money. Straight to the car boot sale!

0:30:130:30:19

On the plane to Benidorm!

0:30:190:30:22

'There have to be some rewards for getting up early for those car boot sales.'

0:30:220:30:29

Let's get YOU in the frame.

0:30:310:30:33

If you'd like to take part in Flog It! come to one of our valuation days.

0:30:340:30:40

You can get details of venues from our BBC website. Log on to...

0:30:400:30:44

If you don't have a computer, check the details in your local press.

0:30:460:30:52

We'll be coming to an area very near you soon and we'd love to see you.

0:30:520:30:57

'James has found a bit of wildlife at Balbirnie.

0:30:570:31:00

'Let's join him at the tables with Andrew.'

0:31:000:31:04

Of all the things I was expecting in Fife,

0:31:040:31:08

a Turkish prisoner of war snake dated 1919 is not one of them!

0:31:080:31:13

What's it doing here and where did you find it?

0:31:130:31:17

I found it in a market in London when I was about eight, for £1.

0:31:170:31:22

No. That is ridiculous! That is a really good bargain.

0:31:220:31:26

It's an interesting thing.

0:31:260:31:28

I don't know why Turkish prisoners of war decided

0:31:280:31:32

it would be a good thing to make snakes.

0:31:320:31:35

You're sitting there in your prisoner of war camp

0:31:350:31:39

thinking, "What can I do? I'm going to make a beadwork snake!"

0:31:390:31:43

They made them in their hundreds and thousands.

0:31:430:31:46

Obviously, they sold them well.

0:31:460:31:48

They were very kind. It doesn't take a genius to work out what it is!

0:31:480:31:53

It says "Turkish Prisoners 1919" along the side.

0:31:530:31:57

When I saw this, I have to be honest,

0:31:570:32:00

I thought, "First World War, 1914-1918." That's what I learnt!

0:32:000:32:05

That's what I've thought since.

0:32:050:32:08

But I phoned a friend and they said, "No, you're wrong."

0:32:080:32:12

The peace treaty was signed between Britain and Germany

0:32:120:32:17

in 1918, so the war between the major parts finished in 1918.

0:32:170:32:22

There was fighting on various fronts including Russia until 1919.

0:32:220:32:26

-So the prisoners weren't released.

-OK.

0:32:260:32:30

I've seen these snakes all over the place, at antiques fairs.

0:32:300:32:34

They always sell well so how you found it for £1, I don't know.

0:32:340:32:39

-Aged eight, what attracted you to that?

-The looks, generally.

0:32:390:32:44

-The mad colours and beautiful green.

-It is completely bonkers!

0:32:440:32:48

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It doesn't look slightly realistic.

-No.

0:32:480:32:53

-Did you have sisters to taunt with it?

-I did. I have two.

0:32:530:32:58

-Stick it in their bed?

-Definitely. Got played with.

-Oh, great fun.

0:32:580:33:03

Value? I don't know.

0:33:030:33:06

-£40 to £60?

-OK.

-Something like that.

0:33:060:33:08

Your £1 investment's done all right. They come in various sizes.

0:33:080:33:14

This is a particularly long one, so that's in its favour.

0:33:140:33:18

-Shall we put £40 reserve on it?

-That sounds good to me.

0:33:180:33:22

-What will you spend the money on?

-A holiday.

0:33:220:33:25

-Where are you going?

-Los Angeles.

-All right for some!

-Not bad.

0:33:250:33:30

-When are you going?

-In a few weeks.

-Are you around for the auction?

-Definitely.

0:33:300:33:36

Fingers crossed it will do well.

0:33:360:33:38

'A beaded snake must rank high on a list of intriguing items we've seen on a valuation day.

0:33:380:33:46

'Let's see what mystic magic Wilma and Kendal have to show Anita.'

0:33:460:33:51

What a great wee object!

0:33:510:33:55

It's a chap on a flying carpet made of bronze.

0:33:550:34:00

-Where did you get him?

-He actually belongs to my mother.

0:34:000:34:04

She got him from her mother, who was a housekeeper

0:34:040:34:08

to a big house just outside Cupar.

0:34:080:34:11

It belonged to a Mrs Wilson from the Pilkington family,

0:34:110:34:16

and she used to change all the stuff in her house

0:34:160:34:20

and would offer my gran anything

0:34:200:34:22

cos it was going to charity or in the bin.

0:34:220:34:25

That was very generous. I'm glad this didn't go in the bin.

0:34:250:34:29

-Kendal, tell me, do you like it?

-Yeah.

-Uh-huh.

0:34:290:34:33

-Do you have it on display?

-No.

0:34:330:34:35

He sat on the hall table at my mum's. We used him to keep a bit of paper down.

0:34:350:34:42

He's been used as a paper weight now and again.

0:34:420:34:45

-He disappeared months ago when she was changing her rooms.

-Maybe he flew out the window!

0:34:450:34:51

When I went to look for him today, he seemed to have appeared by magic.

0:34:510:34:56

-Flew back in!

-Yeah. Just sitting there with his back to us!

0:34:560:35:01

Let's look at him. He is a charming little bronze. He's made of bronze.

0:35:010:35:06

Probably made in Austria.

0:35:060:35:09

I haven't been able to find any maker's name or cast mark

0:35:090:35:15

on this little creature.

0:35:150:35:17

But it looks very much in the style of Lorenzl, who came from Austria.

0:35:170:35:23

The colour would have been painted while the bronze was cold.

0:35:230:35:29

It has a particular look.

0:35:290:35:31

We call it an Austrian cold-painted bronze.

0:35:310:35:35

Lorenzl often did animal figures,

0:35:350:35:38

but he was also interested in eastern subjects.

0:35:380:35:42

We're seeing this reflected in this character here.

0:35:420:35:47

He's an eastern gentleman.

0:35:470:35:50

He's sitting on a magic carpet

0:35:500:35:52

and he's counting his money.

0:35:520:35:55

One of the charming things, the thing I most like about this,

0:35:550:35:59

is the rumple in the edge of that carpet!

0:35:590:36:04

Isn't that an intriguing and charming detail?

0:36:040:36:07

I like this very much.

0:36:070:36:11

I would like to put him into auction with an estimate of £100 to £200.

0:36:110:36:16

-Really?

-Uh-huh. I think that he's a smashing wee figure.

0:36:160:36:20

I would love to have found a maker's name. That would make a difference.

0:36:200:36:25

We can put him in at £100 to £200 with a reserve of, say, £80.

0:36:250:36:31

-Would you be happy with that, Kendal?

-Yes!

0:36:310:36:35

It is a matter of going to auction. I know you'll be back at school then, but your mum will be there.

0:36:350:36:43

If it's OK, I'd like to bring my mum along, the owner of the little man.

0:36:430:36:48

That would be marvellous, and I hope this little guy takes a flier.

0:36:480:36:54

We've found our final lots for the day so it's time to say farewell to Balbirnie House.

0:37:030:37:09

There's more action to come in the auction.

0:37:090:37:12

'We're selling Wilma's magic carpet cold-painted bronze figure.

0:37:120:37:18

'It hasn't got a maker's mark but Anita has high hopes for it.

0:37:180:37:23

'The Turkish beaded snake was bought by Andrew when he was just eight.

0:37:230:37:28

'Let's hope he's got a beady eye for a profit.

0:37:280:37:31

'Betty and Jim's Moorcroft vases were a bargain at £4.

0:37:310:37:35

'Will they fetch their true value at auction?

0:37:350:37:38

'Before the sale, I caught up with auctioneer Sybelle Thomson

0:37:420:37:48

'to find out what she thinks.'

0:37:480:37:51

I keep saying Moorcroft never lets us down, but you never know.

0:37:510:37:56

Hopefully, these will fly away. They belong to Jim and Betty.

0:37:560:38:01

-They got them for £2 each at a car boot sale!

-That's a bargain!

0:38:010:38:05

I think they will fly away. They're the waving corn pattern.

0:38:050:38:09

It's an interesting colour and the vendor might get a nice surprise.

0:38:090:38:14

-200?

-Eugh! Pushing...

-150?

-150.

0:38:140:38:17

I hope they'll go the top estimate.

0:38:170:38:20

'More on Moorcroft later.

0:38:200:38:23

'First, let's see how Wilma and her mother Mary's bronze gets on.'

0:38:230:38:29

-Good luck!

-Thank you.

-I think we're going to be in for a little surprise here. We're looking at £100 to £200.

0:38:300:38:38

-It's a little rug seller.

-Yes.

-Selling Persian rugs.

0:38:380:38:42

It's absolutely delightful. I love the nicks in the rug.

0:38:420:38:46

And he's counting his money!

0:38:460:38:49

-Lots of it! I think you're going to go home with lots of it!

-Hopefully.

0:38:490:38:54

-We could easily double the top end.

-I'd love to see that.

0:38:540:38:59

We could triple it. You never know at an auction! This is so exciting.

0:38:590:39:04

I think this is a classic lot. Let's see it go.

0:39:040:39:08

The Vienna cold-painted bronze of the rug seller.

0:39:080:39:13

£50 for this. 30?

0:39:130:39:15

30 bid. 35. 40. Five...

0:39:150:39:18

-That's low!

-..60. Five.

0:39:180:39:22

70. Five. 80. Five. 90...

0:39:220:39:25

-There is a phone.

-Good.

0:39:250:39:28

..110. 120. 130.

0:39:280:39:30

< 140. 140.

0:39:300:39:33

Right at the back. 150.

0:39:330:39:35

160. Do you want in now, sir? 170.

0:39:350:39:39

180. 190. 190.

0:39:390:39:42

-Any advance on £190...?

-There's another line.

0:39:420:39:46

200 on the phone. It's against you at 200.

0:39:460:39:49

210.

0:39:490:39:51

< 220.

0:39:520:39:54

220.

0:39:540:39:55

On the telephone at £220...

0:39:550:40:00

-Brilliant! I'm ever so pleased.

-Much more than I expected.

0:40:010:40:05

-She still can't believe it.

-The wee man has gone.

0:40:050:40:09

-The wee man has gone.

-He has gone!

0:40:090:40:12

'What a result for a bronze masquerading as a paperweight!

0:40:130:40:18

'Now it's Andrew's bargain snake.'

0:40:180:40:20

-You bought this in a flea market when you were eight?

-Yes. For £1.

0:40:200:40:25

You've really looked after your investment.

0:40:250:40:29

-Are you like that with everything?

-If I know it's got some sort of worth, I'll keep it safe.

0:40:290:40:35

This man's going to be very rich!

0:40:350:40:38

Let's hope we make James's top end. It's going under the hammer now.

0:40:380:40:43

The Turkish prisoner of war beadwork snake.

0:40:430:40:47

I must start this at £25. 25.

0:40:470:40:50

30. Five.

0:40:500:40:52

40. Five. 50. Five.

0:40:520:40:54

I'll come to you. 60. Five. 65.

0:40:540:40:57

70. Five. 80. £80 on my left.

0:40:570:41:00

At 80.

0:41:000:41:02

85. 90.

0:41:020:41:04

100. 110.

0:41:040:41:06

110. 120. 120. Standing at 120.

0:41:060:41:10

Anyone else want in?

0:41:100:41:13

At £120...

0:41:130:41:16

-A good result.

-The condition was very good.

-And a good big size.

0:41:160:41:21

We've seen prisoner of war beadwork on the show before, by Italians and Turkish prisoners of war.

0:41:210:41:27

-They've struggled because beads are missing.

-Very good condition.

0:41:270:41:32

-Excellent condition. Well done you!

-Well done you!

0:41:320:41:37

'That's double top estimate for the sneaky snake.

0:41:380:41:42

'I hope Betty and Jim do that well with their Moorcroft vases.'

0:41:420:41:46

Why are you selling them?

0:41:460:41:48

-It's a good time to sell, I suppose.

-We don't have them on show.

0:41:480:41:53

-Are you decluttering?

-Yes.

-Have you got lots?

-Lots.

-Lots and lots?

0:41:530:41:58

This couple are a pair of mad collectors.

0:41:580:42:03

Boot sales, charity shops, so they've got a big collection and they've got a great eye.

0:42:030:42:10

Let's find out what this lot think, the bidders. Ready? It's going under the hammer now.

0:42:100:42:15

The very nice pair of Moorcroft blue ground posy vases.

0:42:150:42:22

I've three closed bids on them.

0:42:220:42:24

I must start them at £330...

0:42:240:42:28

330 straight in! Oh, Betty!

0:42:280:42:32

..400. 400. 420.

0:42:340:42:38

450.

0:42:430:42:45

480...

0:42:450:42:47

-Was this a "come and buy me"?

-You know me, Paul!

0:42:470:42:50

..500. 500.

0:42:520:42:54

-I'm wobbling. This is fantastic.

-Phone beside me at £500.

0:42:540:42:59

Would anyone else like in at £500?

0:42:590:43:01

At £500...

0:43:010:43:03

-How about that?

-Did you enjoy that?

0:43:040:43:07

-We got our £2 worth!

-If you'd turned up and settled for £200,

0:43:070:43:12

you'd have said, "That's OK."

0:43:120:43:14

But no, a bit more and a bit more.

0:43:140:43:17

It goes to show, quality always sells.

0:43:170:43:20

Great name. Great condition. Thank you for coming in.

0:43:200:43:24

What a wonderful end to a fantastic day here just south of Edinburgh.

0:43:240:43:29

I can't wait to come back to Scotland.

0:43:290:43:32

Many more surprises to come, but from all of us, it's goodbye.

0:43:320:43:37

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:43:520:43:55

E-mail [email protected]

0:43:550:43:58

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