0:00:27 > 0:00:30Welcome to another series of Ten Of The Best of "Flog It!"
0:00:30 > 0:00:32as we look back through the archives,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35and today I'm at Syon House in West London.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38This magnificent building is set in 200 acres of parkland,
0:00:38 > 0:00:43providing an idyllic retreat from the hustle of the busy capital just ten miles down the road.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46It's also a haven for flora and fauna.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50So it seems the perfect location for me to share my collection
0:00:50 > 0:00:53of natural-world treasures from the last ten years.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57# Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo #
0:00:58 > 0:01:01While tastes and trends relating to the trade in animal antiques
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and artefacts have changed hugely over the centuries,
0:01:04 > 0:01:09I've seen many natural-world wonders fly through "Flog It!"'s doors.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Take the whale vertebra that Rebecca and Mandy brought to show me
0:01:15 > 0:01:18at the Blackburn valuation day in 2009.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Right! Well, let's talk about this whale vertebra,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28because it's great! It's a piece of sculpture.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33There's a lot of people thinking, "I'm not keen on natural-history objects, it's cruel,"
0:01:33 > 0:01:38but let's face it, you know - that was killed in the 19th century,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42and that's been an educational tool for Victorian families
0:01:42 > 0:01:45for a long, long time. So, how did you come by it?
0:01:45 > 0:01:49- I bought it at a car-boot sale. - Did you? Recently?
0:01:49 > 0:01:51- About five years ago.- OK, yes.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- Can I ask how much you paid for it? - 65.
0:01:54 > 0:01:5765. OK. Well, what do you think of this?
0:01:57 > 0:01:59I think it's brilliant. Obviously people...
0:01:59 > 0:02:02It's a "wow" thing. You either love...
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It's like Marmite. You either love it or hate it, yeah.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Exactly. I bet I know where this has been, actually.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12If you've got a small house, if you've got an open fireplace
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- that doesn't work, you put that in the fireplace.- You do.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19- It's a good space for it.- It is. - And I think that's fantastic.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23- That's what it should be used for. It's a piece of sculpture.- It is.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Do you know, when it's up this high now,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29and you can walk around, and you view sculpture from every angle,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33for me it's like being in Barbara Hepworth's sculpture garden down in St Ives.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35You can understand the shape and form,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39and you can see different things when you look from different angles.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42That's the quality of good sculpture. This has it.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45This has it, although nobody made this.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47God made this happen.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51But I love it. I think it's great.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54And I know the auctioneer is going to pick me up on this,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58have a go at me. He'll say, "What have you brought to my saleroom?"
0:02:58 > 0:03:01But if we put this into auction,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04I think we put it in with a valuation of... What did you pay?
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- 65.- We put it in at 65, with a valuation of £65 to £100.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- Right.- We'll get your money back, and hopefully we'll get the top end
0:03:12 > 0:03:16- of my valuation, and little bit more on a good day.- Yeah.- Fantastic.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18- Happy with that? - Yes, happy with that.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22But I can't wait to see the auctioneer's face on this one.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I just couldn't keep my eyes off that item!
0:03:26 > 0:03:29But did it sink or swim at the auction?
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Back in 2003, Hazel couldn't stand to hold on
0:03:34 > 0:03:37to her Deco shagreen timepiece a minute longer!
0:03:39 > 0:03:43It's only because I became animal liberation and vegetarian
0:03:43 > 0:03:47that I want to sell it, because I found out that this is animal skin.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49- Absolutely.- Yeah.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52- So it's not my friend any more.- OK.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Do you know what sort of animal skin it is?
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- Er, sharkskin, I think. - Absolutely. It's known as shagreen.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- Yes.- And it's very popular, from right the way back
0:04:01 > 0:04:05in the 17th century, all the way through into the Art Deco period,
0:04:05 > 0:04:10the 1920s, when this was made. How long have you had it?
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- Oh, about 40 years.- It's been in your possession a long time.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- Yes.- When did you discover it was sharkskin?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18About a year ago. SHE LAUGHS
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Did you take it for a valuation, or...
0:04:21 > 0:04:24No. I was going round antiques fairs, trying to value my stuff,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and I saw this... I'd always known it was shagreen,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29but I didn't know what that meant. "Green", yes.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33And it turned out it was sharkskin, and so I don't want it any more.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37OK. Well, it's been dead a long time.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41- I know.- And it would probably have been a by-product, as well.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- Oh, of people eating them?- Sharks weren't killed for their skins,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48so it's not as bad as ivory, although it's still not...
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- No.- Or tortoiseshell, but it's still not a nice thing, I agree.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Now, if we just take the bezel off the front...
0:04:56 > 0:04:59..and take the movement out... There we are.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02And if we give that a little rub, that should...
0:05:02 > 0:05:05There we go. Look at the difference there.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- Sorry, I should've cleaned it! - That's fine.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- We've got a super set of hallmarks. - PJF.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13That's the maker. Then we've got the anchor,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- which means it's assayed in Birmingham.- It's English?
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Absolutely. Anchor for Birmingham, lion for England,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and the D, which is the date letter for 1928.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Oh! Really?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27It's known as a dressing-table timepiece,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and it's not a clock. A clock strikes.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- A clock has bells. - Oh, really? I didn't know that.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- Oh, right.- And it's typical Art Deco in style, isn't it...
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- Yes.- ..with its wonderful Art Deco angular structure,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45and it really is a good thing. Now, although you don't like shagreen,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49unfortunately for sharks, it's a very popular thing at the moment,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and I think that will do very well.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55So if we put an estimate of £60 to £100 on it,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I think it'll do jolly well.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Is that all?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- What did you think it was worth? - Millions!
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I tell my daughter, "Everything here's worth millions."
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Well, it would be nice, wouldn't it?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13We could both go on a holiday for millions, but...
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- Yes.- ..unfortunately not.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18It's going to make between 60 and 100. It might make a bit more.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21OK. OK. Well, I don't want it.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Will that shark prove to be a friend or foe to Hazel
0:06:26 > 0:06:28when it comes up for sale?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Over to Tenby now, where, in 2008, Charlie Ross was humbled
0:06:33 > 0:06:35by the provenance
0:06:35 > 0:06:38of Deanne's calfskin King Charles I coat of arms.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42I think we can undoubtedly give you the prize
0:06:42 > 0:06:45for the oldest thing on "Flog It!" today.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Me or this?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48THEY LAUGH
0:06:48 > 0:06:54Well, not unless you were born in 1648.
0:06:54 > 0:06:571648, this is! How did you get it?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I had an elderly neighbour, who I used to do her garden for her,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- and she'd owned an antique shop in London...- Really?
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- ..in the 1920s. - Do you know whereabouts?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09- In St Christopher's Place.- Right.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And one day she said to me, "Would you like this?"
0:07:12 > 0:07:16And so I've had it since then, and it's been in a trunk in my house
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- for the last 30 years. - What's it about?
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It's about granting a coat of arms
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- for this... I think it's Coiland. - I think it's Colland.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Looking at that, I think it's Colland St Clair.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I think that's the seal. It's very fancy.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35There's a curtain coming around here. Colland St Clair.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39And it's the granting of a coat of arms to him, that family.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42I think what's really interesting is the date,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44which is 1648,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48one year - in fact it was January 1649 -
0:07:48 > 0:07:51that Charles I lost his head,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55because it says, "twentieth year of the reign of our sovereign lord,
0:07:55 > 0:08:00King Charles of England." I'm absolutely sure it's authentic.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03It's definitely on vellum, which is a calfskin.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06You can feel the texture of it. Secondly,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10the decoration is real.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I mean, it isn't printed on, any other shape or form.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18It's actually painted on. When you dug it out of the box it was in,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- did you have an idea of what it might be worth?- No.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Because I've moved house, it's actually in the garage,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- in the trunk.- It's not doing any good in the trunk, is it?
0:08:27 > 0:08:31- No, it isn't.- My view is, it's worth £50 to £100,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33but that's a bit of a guesstimate, I think.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Certainly not worth hundreds of pounds,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- but it must have a value because of its age...- Yes.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44..and its relative quality. So £50 to £100,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- and we'll sell it without reserve. - OK.- Paul gets very cross
0:08:47 > 0:08:52- when we do that.- Does he? No. No. I don't want to upset Paul.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Charlie wasn't too concerned about my feelings.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59That item went to sale without any reserve!
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Over to Newbury now, and back to 2004,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and Mandy was somewhat confused about the function
0:09:06 > 0:09:10of her unusual ivory antique. So it was over to Catherine Southon on it.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Mandy, what's this you've brought along to us today?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I'm not quite sure, but I thought it might be a dance card.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23As far as I know, it was my great-grandmother's, but beyond that I don't know.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- Something you've had in your family for a while?- Yes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29So you thought it was a dance card? I don't think that's what it is.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32If we just pick it up here, and undo the catch here -
0:09:32 > 0:09:35it's very nice quality, actually, this -
0:09:35 > 0:09:37and open it up, we can see all these leaves.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42Now, these leaves tell us that it's actually an aide-memoire,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45so it's something that you would have put in your pocket,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48taken out and written little notes on in pencil or whatever.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Now, it's a really charming little piece,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55a really unusual little piece. So it's something that your mother had
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- for quite some time? - Yes.- But no history beyond that?
0:09:58 > 0:10:02No. It's just been passed down the generations.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Right. As we can see on the front,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08it's got "Napoleon's Tomb" engraved quite clearly on the front,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and on the back, "Napoleon's House".
0:10:10 > 0:10:15But I think that it's probably going to date from around his...
0:10:15 > 0:10:20probably his death, so around... He died in... When was it? 1821,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23so I think we'd date it more as a commemorative piece,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27around sort of 1820s, 1830s, about that sort of date.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- But it's a really nice piece. - What would they have written with?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Just little notes. Just sort of anything...
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- But what sort of pen, pencil? - Oh, sorry. Yes.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39It would have been a pencil, that sort of thing.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42That would have been the only thing you'd have been able to get,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46and also that would have really stayed on here, I would've thought.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Anything else would've been wiped off quite easily.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52But little pencils and things like that.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54What do you think the value's going to be worth?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58- I really don't know, to be honest. - It's a curious piece, isn't it?- Yes.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00I think it's going to be worth
0:11:00 > 0:11:03somewhere in the region of £50 to £70,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06so I think put a nice price on, £50 to £70,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09nice and attractive - bring some people in,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11and let's hope it really makes the money.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14We'll put a nice reserve on as well, of £40,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- to make sure that we don't sell it for nothing.- Yes.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19- Does that sound reasonable? - That sounds fine.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- Are you happy to let it go at that? - Yes.- You're not interested in it?
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Well, it is a lovely thing, but it's just in a box.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- You're happy to let it go?- Yes. - I hope someone else will have their eye on it,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34just as I had, and let's hope it does well at auction.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38We'll see whether that pocket ivory aide-memoire
0:11:38 > 0:11:41managed to rocket up a small fortune in a minute.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44But before we head off to auction, let me give you a quick summary
0:11:44 > 0:11:47of my first batch of natural-world treasures.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Hazel disliked this sharkskin clock,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54but did it delight any of the bidders at auction?
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Deanne's King Charles I vellum coat of arms
0:11:59 > 0:12:01got Charlie's royal seal of approval,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03but did it rake up a king's ransom?
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Catherine identified Mandy's ivory item
0:12:09 > 0:12:12as an aide-memoire, and we'll soon find out
0:12:12 > 0:12:16if it made a memorable impression in the saleroom.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19And finally the whale vertebra
0:12:19 > 0:12:21that Rebecca and Mandy brought in to show me,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24which might have been a bone of contention,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27but did it win any admirers in the saleroom?
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Let's see how it went down with the bidders
0:12:29 > 0:12:32as I take you to the auction room near Halifax.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38I can remember saying, "I can't wait to see the auctioneer's face
0:12:38 > 0:12:41when he sees this," and unwraps the bubble wrap
0:12:41 > 0:12:42from the courier, and goes...
0:12:42 > 0:12:46And he did. Ian's face was a picture when I saw him this morning.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49He said, "I knew that was you. I knew you picked that."
0:12:49 > 0:12:53But he didn't give any clues away, so it's fingers crossed.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55We've pitched it to sell, haven't we,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and £65 to £100, something like that.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00I'm just wondering what this lot will make of it.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04We're going to find out right now. Good luck. Here we go.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10The whalebone-vertebra sculpture on stand.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11There we are.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I think it looks fab.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I'm opening this at £40. And five. 50.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21And five. 60. And five.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23At £65.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26And 70. And five.
0:13:26 > 0:13:2980. And five.
0:13:30 > 0:13:3290. And five.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36100. And five.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- 110.- Brilliant!- 115.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- Bit of competition. - Yeah.- £115 on my right.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- HE BANGS HAMMER - 115!- That's excellent, yeah.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- Top end of the estimate. That's good. Pleased with that?- Yeah.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54I was a bit dubious to start with, but hey, it's gone, it's gone!
0:13:54 > 0:13:56What a good result for Mandy!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Now off to London, where Kate Bliss discovered
0:13:59 > 0:14:02that despite disliking her sharkskin clock,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Hazel had upped James's reserve!
0:14:06 > 0:14:07You've had a word with the auctioneer
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- and you've changed the reserve to 100, I believe?- Yes.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Belatedly I found a very old valuation,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16about 15 years old, that was 300. It was insurance,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19so you knock off 100, but that was 15 years ago,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21so I've realised it's worth much more.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24James, you've heard that the reserve has gone up to £100,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and Hazel feels justified in doing that.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Do you feel that £60 to £100 is realistic?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I think it should do that. It might do a bit more.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37£50. Someone offer me £50 for it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39No-one at £50? £50 I'm bid.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41£50. 55.
0:14:41 > 0:14:4460. Five. 70. Five.
0:14:44 > 0:14:4680. Five.
0:14:46 > 0:14:4890. Five.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50100. 110. 120.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53130. 140. It's against you.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55130. 140. New bid.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I want 50. 160. 170. 180?
0:14:58 > 0:15:03£170, £170. I'm selling for 170. All done, 170?
0:15:03 > 0:15:05All done, then, at 170. Your bid.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08£170! What do you think about that, Hazel?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Good. It's OK. That'll feed me for a couple of weeks.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13THEY LAUGH
0:15:13 > 0:15:15So, worth upping the ante after all.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Let's hope that result gave Hazel plenty of hot dinners!
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Next to Carmarthen, to see if Deanne's royal vellum
0:15:24 > 0:15:26rustled up a good result.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30This is possibly one of the oldest things we've ever had on "Flog It!",
0:15:30 > 0:15:33dated 1648 - the King Charles I parchment,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37and it belongs to Deanne here, and hopefully for not much longer.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Well, it's going to sell. There's no reserve on this.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45- That's true.- Guess who put that in! - I can't possibly imagine.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51The 17th-century parchment, or perhaps vellum document,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54dated the 4th of July 1648. Some interest here with me.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- Oh, good.- I have two bidders,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00which start me at 160.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- Wow, that's good!- Yeah, it is.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05£200, I'm bid. And £200 I'm bid, with me.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12At 200. May I say 220 anywhere else? Selling it, then. All happy?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Going at £200...
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- Wow! That's really good! - Extraordinary!
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- That was short and sweet, wasn't it? - I didn't think it would sell!
0:16:20 > 0:16:24That's cos you'd said no reserve. It kind of puts you in a down mood
0:16:24 > 0:16:26to start with!
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Reserve or no reserve, Deanne made a regal £200
0:16:30 > 0:16:34with her vellum, doubling the top end of Charlie's estimate.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Let me take you to Pewsey now, in Wiltshire,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42when I join Mandy to see how her ivory aide-memoire got on
0:16:42 > 0:16:45when it went up for sale.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47I had a chat to the auctioneer earlier.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50He liked it. He said it's going to do its money,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- so fingers crossed.- Brilliant! - We might get a little bit more.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57- It was quite cheap, the estimate. - Quite cheap? So what should it do?
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- I shouldn't say that beforehand. - No, you're letting Mandy down now!
0:17:01 > 0:17:04We've put a good estimate on. It should do quite well, I hope.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Optimistic. It should do it, top end plus.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- We're going to find out. - Time will tell.- This is it.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15The ivory-cased aide-memoire,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17and I start the bidding at £40.
0:17:17 > 0:17:2040 I've got. 45, 50.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Five, 60. Five, 70.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Five, 80. Five, 90.
0:17:26 > 0:17:2995. I'm now out at 95. Bid's in the room.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33100. And ten. 120. 130.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37140. 150. 160. 170.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40180. 190.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42200. And ten.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44220. 230. 240.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47250. 260. 270.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51- 280.- This is the sleeper we've all been waiting for.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54At 320. At 320.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- At 320 in the room... - HE BANGS HAMMER
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Mandy, the hammer's gone down. Oh, you're crying!
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- I am!- £320!
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- Totally shocked.- Catherine was keeping us in suspense there.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09That's naughty! You knew it was going to do something like that.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12I'm thrilled for you, but I'm embarrassed for me.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- We need to buy you tissues now. - I dreamed it might happen,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- but didn't expect it. - What a lovely "Flog It!" moment!
0:18:18 > 0:18:20What a moment to treasure!
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Amanda was clearly overcome by that result,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and I'm very pleased for her. In the Victorian era,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34every hoof, antler and shell was transformed
0:18:34 > 0:18:38into an elaborate object as a worked piece of art,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41very much like this 19th-century nautilus shell here,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43which I think is absolutely incredible.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45If it was made of horn, ivory or an item of taxidermy,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48it was considered to be the height of fashion,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50a must-have to be displayed in your home,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53like your own mini-museum. However, nowadays
0:18:53 > 0:18:55such displays have fallen out of favour.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59But what you have to remember is, these worked pieces of art
0:18:59 > 0:19:01were born of an era before TV and tourism.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05They were key scientific and educational tools of their day,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07and it's a legacy that's still with us,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10as I discovered back in 2005
0:19:10 > 0:19:14when I visited one of Britain's leading natural-history museums.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Take a look at this.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24'Coming here to the Natural History Museum at Tring
0:19:24 > 0:19:27'is like stepping back in time, and visiting a museum
0:19:27 > 0:19:29'out of the Victorian era.'
0:19:29 > 0:19:32SNARLING TRUMPETING
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- CHIRRUPING - The museum was built in 1889
0:19:35 > 0:19:37for the second Baron Rothschild, Walter,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41who turned out to be one of the country's greatest collectors
0:19:41 > 0:19:43of natural history.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Walter had been obsessed by the natural world
0:19:46 > 0:19:49from an early age, and by the time he was ten,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51he had amassed a collection of insects and birds
0:19:51 > 0:19:55large enough to start his first museum in a garden shed.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59But before long, his collections were filling rented rooms and sheds
0:19:59 > 0:20:04all over Tring. The museum was built as a 21st-birthday present
0:20:04 > 0:20:06from his father, to provide a permanent place
0:20:06 > 0:20:09- for them all to be housed. - SNARLING
0:20:09 > 0:20:12For the next 18 years, under duress, Walter went to work
0:20:12 > 0:20:15for the family's banking business, but during that time
0:20:15 > 0:20:19he spent all his money, energies and enthusiasm on this place,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23creating possibly the greatest ever natural-history collection
0:20:23 > 0:20:26ever assembled by one man.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28His collections included thousands of mammals,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31reptiles and fish. It had everything,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34from gorillas through to hummingbirds,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36and even a group of domestic dogs.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40I'm here to meet Katrina Cook, who's a curator
0:20:40 > 0:20:42here at the museum's ornithological department,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45whose passion with animals also started when she was young.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Katrina, so pleased to meet you. When and where did it all start?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52It was my mother's fault, really. When I was very, very young,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56she'd bring me here to the museum at least every week
0:20:56 > 0:20:59of every school holidays. Always obsessed with animals.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01My room was a museum, full of skins and wings
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- and pinned insects and things. - Oh, gosh!
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- Fantastic!- I stuffed my first bat when I was seven.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- Did you really? What, at home? - At home, yeah.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Most young girls get into ponies. You got into bats and taxidermy!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16THEY LAUGH
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Walter must have been quite an incredible man -
0:21:18 > 0:21:21possibly slightly eccentric, don't you think?
0:21:21 > 0:21:26All natural historians have a slight tendency towards eccentricity,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28and Walter had the dangerous combination
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- of money with the madness. - He's got a lot in common with you!
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- If only you could've met!- We'd have got on like a house on fire.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38SONG: "Wild Thing" by Jimi Hendrix
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Walter was a complete eccentric.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44He kept an extraordinary menagerie of exotic animals at his home
0:21:44 > 0:21:46in nearby Tring Park.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Among them were kangaroos, a tame wolf,
0:21:48 > 0:21:5164 cassowaries and a giant tortoise.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55He could often be seen in his coach being drawn by zebras,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58both locally and on the occasional trip to the capital.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Some of the animals Walter brought back, both alive and dead,
0:22:09 > 0:22:13from his travels and the collecting expeditions that he financed,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16had never been seen before, and it's really important to remember
0:22:16 > 0:22:19that not only was he an eccentric scientist
0:22:19 > 0:22:21and a man who did crazy things,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25but he was also a very, very serious natural historian,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and made an enormous contribution to the understanding of science at that time.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Now, your department, the ornithological department,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34that's not open to the general public,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37so can I have a sneak behind the scenes, please?
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- I think we can arrange that. - OK. This way?- Follow me.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46The Natural History Museum moved its ornithological collection
0:22:46 > 0:22:49from London to Tring in the 1970s.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53There are 17,000 specimens preserved in jars,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55and 16,000 bird skeletons.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00Most impressively, there are almost 700,000 bird skins -
0:23:00 > 0:23:0395 percent of the world's species.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07How do the birds vary from the mounts, then?
0:23:07 > 0:23:10What's the difference in stuffing them?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Well, these, what we call skins as opposed to mounts,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16so they're all prepared, just, er...
0:23:16 > 0:23:19just lying flat. They've got cotton wool for their eyes.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23They don't need glass eyes. They don't have to be wired
0:23:23 > 0:23:25into a lifelike position. This way they're easiest
0:23:25 > 0:23:29for scientists to look at, measure and compare one with another.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Can I have a look at those? Is that a parakeet?
0:23:31 > 0:23:34It certainly is. That's not just any old parakeet.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- What's different about this one? - This is a Carolina parakeet,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40which is now extinct in the wild, and this was also prepared
0:23:40 > 0:23:43by the famous artist John James Audubon,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46who produced a mammoth book, Birds Of America.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49And you do this as well here, don't you?
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- Prepare specimens? - It's part of your job.- Yes, it is.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54We're adding to the collection all the time.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Nowadays we're not going out and shooting.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00'We rely on people to bring birds in to us they've found dead.'
0:24:00 > 0:24:03How do you go about preserving this bird?
0:24:03 > 0:24:07OK. When the bird's freshly dead,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10we make an incision from here, mid-sternum, down to the vent,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and then prise the skin away from the body,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17and then, when it's all off, make a false body the same size
0:24:17 > 0:24:20to go back into the skin again. It's not as gory as people think.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Now, I believe in this section somewhere
0:24:24 > 0:24:27there's something quite special you're going to show me.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- They're all special. - To you they are, aren't they?
0:24:30 > 0:24:33- I think you're probably referring to these little chaps.- Gosh!
0:24:33 > 0:24:37These are Galapagos finches, and some of these were actually collected
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- by Charles Darwin himself. - Is that his handwriting?
0:24:40 > 0:24:43No. Actually, none of these bear Darwin's original labels.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46But I can show you a bird that's not a Galapagos finch,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49but it is one of Darwin's. Most of Darwin's specimens
0:24:49 > 0:24:51don't have his own labels on any more.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55They were taken off. But this chappie, this is a bobolink,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57an American bird. It's...
0:24:57 > 0:25:00- 3374. - 3374, in Darwin's own fair hand.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Absolutely incredible. It is such a fascinating place, Katrina.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Thank you so much for showing me around,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10- and especially behind the scenes as well.- Most welcome. My pleasure.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'Back to my Ten Of The Best collection of treasures
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'from the natural world, and I'm taking you to Yeovil,
0:25:23 > 0:25:25'where Hilary caused a real stir
0:25:25 > 0:25:28'when she showed James two unforgettable items.'
0:25:30 > 0:25:35When I saw this in the queue, words absolutely failed me.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39It is one of the most awful objects I have ever seen.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41But the thing is, I know you agree, don't you,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- because we talked about it. - I certainly do, yes.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I thought, "I can't put something so awful on TV."
0:25:47 > 0:25:50And then I thought, "Well, in a way, we should,"
0:25:50 > 0:25:53because I went to Botswana just a few years ago,
0:25:53 > 0:25:58and these things are still being sold in Africa,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02and although it's illegal to bring them into the country,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05the fact is people, people are still buying them out there.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09This would been made around 1880, and you see them as footstools,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13you see them as tables, just about anything.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16And they are still being sold at auction today.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18I don't like selling them, and I wouldn't,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21but the thing that swayed me to bring this on
0:26:21 > 0:26:23was what you're going to do with the money.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- You want to give it to Born Free. - Yes.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28If some good can come as a result of it, that's great.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Fantastic. So we have to somehow come to a value.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35My goodness, what do you think it might make?
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Well, I was going to throw it away, unless we could do something with it,
0:26:39 > 0:26:41so I don't know, because of what you've said.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44People don't want it. I was thinking £20, £30.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- I think it'll make 100. - Do you?- It might make a shade more.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50And it is a total comment on the times,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52and if we move across to the next thing,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- this also - same family, of course. - Yes.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- And this was your grandparents'? - This was my grandmother's.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Now, this, of course, is the same sort of date.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04We're talking around turn of the century.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08And this case, a dressing case made out of crocodile skin this time,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10but really fantastic quality.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14We have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine silver-topped bottles,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18we've got a silver-topped flask, powder boxes,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20really good interior there.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And they've got to be worth £20 each at least,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27so if we give that a value of £200 to £300,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29- I think that'll do well as well. - OK, yes.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Split them up, two separate lots. 100 to 150, 200 to 300.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40We'll find out whether Hilary delivered a nice charitable donation
0:27:40 > 0:27:43with the proceeds of her sale in just a minute.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47First, here are three irresistible wildlife-related wonders
0:27:47 > 0:27:50that I must showcase you once again.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Back in Peterborough in 2004,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59this stunning walrus-tusk cribbage board of Tony's
0:27:59 > 0:28:02made a big impression on James Braxton.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09'A year later in Margate, I was in a real flutter
0:28:09 > 0:28:12'when entomologist Mike brought in his first-edition volume
0:28:12 > 0:28:15'of moth books.'
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Condition is perfect, and inside,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20well, it's just a joy to behold.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24They flew out of the sale room, reaching £290.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Here's another whale item. This time it's a Victorian narwhal tusk,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34which Richard wanted to flog in Chippenham back in 2005.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38And Catherine Southon loved it.
0:28:38 > 0:28:44It's absolutely wonderful, a fantastic spiral piece of ivory.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49A rare item, and it went for a whopping £1,950 -
0:28:49 > 0:28:52a great result.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57'Now to Torquay, where in 2009
0:28:57 > 0:29:00'Jean literally rendered me speechless
0:29:00 > 0:29:03'when she showed off her gorgeous amber necklace.'
0:29:04 > 0:29:07- I think you're clutching something quite valuable in there.- Well...
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Let's have a look inside your purse.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Ooh, look at that!
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Wonderful amber necklace! Have you worn it much?
0:29:17 > 0:29:19I used to have hair that colour, Paul,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23so I used to wear it then, and it used to look pretty good.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26- But as one gets older...- Ahhh! - ..one's hair colour changes.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29- I think you'd look pretty good in this still.- You reckon?
0:29:29 > 0:29:34Of course I do. This is timeless. This is amber,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37and it's millions of years old, it really is.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40It's fossilised tree sap, basically.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43If you've got any insects trapped in it,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47- when it was a sticky liquid... - There might be something in there.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51..you are laughing. If you haven't got little insects,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54look for pine needles or bits of moss that get trapped in this.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- Yeah. - But commonly found in the Baltic,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01the beaches of Poland. But it does get washed up in this country.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04- Really? - Yes, it does, on Southwold Beach.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06- Good heavens! - Because I've been amber hunting,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08and I actually interviewed a chap on "Flog It!"
0:30:08 > 0:30:12who collected amber from the beach, and when it's washed up,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14it's sort of like, um...a rough pebble...
0:30:14 > 0:30:17- Yes. - ..a funny little odd-shaped pebble.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19- Really?- But you have to polish it
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and cut it into these facets like this.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Yeah. But let's see what it looks like. Shall we put it on?
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Yes, there we go.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31Look at that. And it still looks fabulous, doesn't it?
0:30:31 > 0:30:34- Give them a twirl. - THEY APPLAUD
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- How much did you pay for that? - It was about £200
0:30:41 > 0:30:44about 20 years ago.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Oh, you'll get your £200 back. I just think it's stunning!
0:30:47 > 0:30:50I really think every woman would like to own that.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53That's the way. Big one at the bottom.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Why don't we put it into auction with a value of...
0:30:56 > 0:30:58- ..£200 to £400?- Oh, excellent.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02You need two women that try that on and look as great as you do in it.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Oh, thank you.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08That necklace certainly wowed the crowds in the valuation room.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12This next lot has appeared in another of my Ten Of The Best collections,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14but they are just too good to ignore,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17so it's over to Solihull, where in 2007,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20James Lewis was amazed at the incredible provenance
0:31:20 > 0:31:24of John's enormous leather-bound first edition botany books.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27When I saw you in the queue earlier today,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30and I saw one of these volumes, my immediate thought was,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32"Oh, no! You've only got one!"
0:31:32 > 0:31:35But you had all three.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37But you had to go all the way home to get them.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Yes, that's right. Yes.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44So whenever we're looking at a leather-bound book of this size,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47the size alone tells us it's a pretty important book,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50so let's open it up and have a look.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54And as soon as you turn to the frontispiece,
0:31:54 > 0:32:00one of the most important names ever in botany,
0:32:00 > 0:32:02- William Curtis.- That's right, yes.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05This edition... We've got Roman numerals here.
0:32:05 > 0:32:071777.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- Absolutely fantastic. First edition! - That's right.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15So you've got one of the most important botanists,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19the first-ever edition, all three volumes.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21And you've got other works linked to him. Now, tell me,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23how do you come to have these?
0:32:23 > 0:32:26They've been passed down through the family.
0:32:26 > 0:32:31He's in fact my great-great-great-great grandfather.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34- William Curtis is? - William Curtis, yeah.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Oh! I mean, what a provenance! Look at these!
0:32:38 > 0:32:41It's interesting, if you look back in history,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44he was said to have a microscopic eye,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and didn't even use lenses to look at the plants he was sketching.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51And if you read Dr Johnson's notes on him -
0:32:51 > 0:32:54oh, look at that! -
0:32:54 > 0:32:56he tells you about the quality of the work.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59And he was the best! There was nobody better than him.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02And each one of these plates would have been hand-coloured
0:33:02 > 0:33:05at the time the books were made.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08So these aren't later coloured. These were done at the time.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Look at that! That thistle is just marvellous.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13OK, it's a very good book.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Now, of course, for any botanist,
0:33:15 > 0:33:20this was the fun thing to produce. But the bread-and-butter was this,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23his botanical magazine.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26They were produced literally every couple of weeks.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Here we have Curtis's Botanical Magazine,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Or Flower-Garden Displayed,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32and these are dated - here we go...
0:33:32 > 0:33:35MD... This is 1822.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38So look at those again. Lots of coloured plates.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Yeah. Beautiful illustrations.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45Yeah. They're lovely. They are things we see a lot of.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47They don't make a lot of money, but they're fun.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52So we've got three of those. Now, tell me about these.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Now, this is Samuel Curtis. He's the son-in-law.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Now, he did this volume,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02- which is Lectures In Botany.- OK.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07And it's put together based on the work of his father-in-law.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Fine. So we need to come up with some ideas of value for you.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14If we look at the condition of them, they really do need attention.
0:34:14 > 0:34:19- They do, yes.- And it's going to cost a lot of money to put them right.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21So...
0:34:21 > 0:34:25those, the little ones, they are going to be worth...
0:34:25 > 0:34:29£150 to £250 for the three.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31The major ones...
0:34:31 > 0:34:37It's hard. They have made as much as £6,000 in mint condition.
0:34:37 > 0:34:42I reckon we should put an estimate of £2,500 to £3,500 on them.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45They may make more. They've got all the plates there,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48so that's important. Need to put a reserve on.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50I would say £2,500.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54All right. Now, obviously you've discussed it with your family.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Yes.
0:34:56 > 0:35:01They've got to go somewhere. They can't stay in my loft forever.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05- No.- And they deserve to be appreciated for what they are.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07They are such an important set.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10They're going to well loved and well looked after,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and I'm sure they'll go to a great home.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17That incredibly rare collection still takes my breath away,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and we'll be back to see if it made big bucks in a bit.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24First let me give you a quick recap on my final selection
0:35:24 > 0:35:29before I show you just how well they did when they went off to auction.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32'Jean's necklace was a real sensation at the valuation day,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36'so let's see if it was a real head-turner at the auction too.'
0:35:37 > 0:35:42John may be sad to let go of his rare and exquisitely well preserved botany books,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45which have been in his family for generations,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48but what a statement they'd make in someone else's library!
0:35:49 > 0:35:54And in Yeovil, Hilary certainly made a big impression on James Lewis
0:35:54 > 0:35:57with her elephant's foot and crocodile-skin dressing case.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02But the laws governing the sale of such items are strict,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05and unfortunately I received some disappointing news about it
0:36:05 > 0:36:08when I met up with auctioneer Nick Sainty.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12It's had to be withdrawn from the sale.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15We cannot sell it, and here's Nick to tell us why.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Unfortunately we're governed by CITES regulations,
0:36:18 > 0:36:24which, in essence, is the 1977 Convention In Trade Of Endangered Species.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28- Right. Yeah.- In that it states that endangered species
0:36:28 > 0:36:32or animal products, post 1947, cannot be sold,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35so they have to be proved to have been worked,
0:36:35 > 0:36:39or, indeed, killed, I suppose, and stuffed,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42before 1947. The burden of proof is upon us,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- and we just can't prove it. - Because you'll be responsible,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49- and that's a big fine, isn't it? - That's a five-figure fine, yes.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52What did the owner say when you said they've got to take it home?
0:36:52 > 0:36:55She didn't have any great love for it, I have to say!
0:36:55 > 0:36:57It was going to go in the garage, probably!
0:36:57 > 0:36:59That's a sad thing, to be honest.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03With that elephant's foot barred from the sale,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07let's see if anyone snapped up Hilary's elegant vanity case.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Now we've got the crocodile-skin dressing case going under the hammer,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16£200 to £300. Good luck, everybody. This is it.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20340. 360.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23- £380 is bid.- Straight in at 380.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28£380. 400, will you? It's on the book at 380.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31- Come on! More, more, more. - Commission bid of £380
0:37:31 > 0:37:35on the book. You're out in the room, and the phones are out.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- Wow!- Quick in, quick out.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41I'm selling, then, at £380.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Hammer's gone down. That's a "sold" sound.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47- Isn't that good?- Wow! - £380! That was quick.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50- You could say that was snappy. - THEY LAUGH
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- That's excellent! - I'm ever so happy with that.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55That is a great result. The phones were booked.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59There were phone lines on there, and they didn't even come in
0:37:59 > 0:38:01because the price was... Fantastic result.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05At £380, that dressing case carried off a great result.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Now to Plymouth, to find out whether Jean's amber necklace
0:38:10 > 0:38:12caught anyone's eye.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14We've got £200 to £400 on this.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17I don't know what the feeling is in the room.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21I haven't talked to anybody. I haven't seen it viewed at all.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24- So fingers crossed, that's all I can say.- Absolutely.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27We're going to find out. I don't think we can talk about it any more.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29- It's down to this lot.- Wait and see.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36On next to lot 489,
0:38:36 > 0:38:38and I'm bid at £200 for them.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41They've gone. They've gone.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44And five. 210. 15. 220.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Five. At 225 here. 230.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49There's a telephone bid.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52- 250. 260.- Come on.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54- 270. 280.- Oh, my goodness!
0:38:54 > 0:38:56290. 300.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59And ten. 320.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02- JEAN GASPS - 330.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05At £330 on the telephone, against you in the room.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08At £330.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13That's a "sold" sound. £330!
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- Not bad. I'm quite happy with that. - Not bad at all.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- I'm very happy with that. - We were hoping for that,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- and we got it.- Thank you.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- Very happy about that. - Your husband's really pleased.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26THEY LAUGH
0:39:26 > 0:39:28A decent mid-estimate result for Jean,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31but saving the most valuable till last,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34let's see how those William Curtis botany books did
0:39:34 > 0:39:36when they went under the hammer.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39This is a very exciting and a very sad moment, John.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42- You must have butterflies now. - I certainly do.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45But first it's time to flog John's three botanical magazines.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48We've got a valuation of £150 to £250 on these,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51put on by James Lewis, our expert.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56We've got quite a bit of interest in it.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Who's going to start me for this lot?
0:39:58 > 0:40:02Three volumes here. Probably a couple of hundred, I should think.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03Start me at 150.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07100? 100 I'm bid. 120.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09140. 160.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12At £140. You want 160?
0:40:12 > 0:40:14- Yes.- 160,
0:40:14 > 0:40:16On that phone at 160. 180?
0:40:16 > 0:40:19180. 200? 200.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21220, sir? 220. 240?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24240. 260? 260. 280.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- Yes.- 280. 300.
0:40:27 > 0:40:28320?
0:40:28 > 0:40:30320. 340?
0:40:30 > 0:40:33340. And 60? 360.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36380. 400.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38400. 420? 420.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40440? 440.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42- 460.- He's got the butterflies.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45You're letting go. This is your family heritage.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- 500. 500. - It's sad, and exciting, I bet.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53- It is.- 550. 600.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55- 650.- This is good.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59600 now on the floor. 650 on the other phone?
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Yes, 650. 700?
0:41:01 > 0:41:04He says no. 650 on that phone.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06At 650. They will be sold, make no mistake.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10And advance on 650? It's with that phone at 650.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- 700, sir? 650.- Yes!
0:41:13 > 0:41:17- That's a great result. £650! - Brilliant.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- That's really good. - One more lot to go.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21That's right. They're three big volumes.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25I just hope that we get well over three and a half grand,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28and I'm pleased you've raised the reserve.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30I don't know if you know this, James.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Originally you said £2,500 to £3,500.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- We had a reserve at two and a half. - We've raised it to 3,500.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39- We've raised it to 3,500.- I think you've done exactly the right thing.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43We've got the three volumes, the three volumes of it.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47I'm sure you've all had a good look if you're interested.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49- 2,500. 2,500 I'm bid.- Good!
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Two-five. Two-six. Two-eight.
0:41:51 > 0:41:533,000.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Three-two. Three-four.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Three-four. Is it three-six? Three-six.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03- Three-eight?- Good man. - Three-six I've got over there.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Yes, sir. Three-eight. Four, sir?
0:42:05 > 0:42:084,000. Four-two. Four-four. Four-four.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Four-six. Four-eight.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Now we're climbing. This is more like it.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Four-eight, sir? Four-eight. 5,000.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- Five-two. Go to five-two? - Yes.- Five-two, five-two.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- Five-four, five-six. - That's what we want.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22A lot of money.
0:42:22 > 0:42:256,000? You're 6,000. Six-two?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Six-two. Six-four? Six thousand four.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Six-four. Six-six.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Six-eight? Yes, sir, six-eight. 7,000.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36- Worth every penny.- Fantastic.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Seven-four. Seven-six.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Seven-six?
0:42:40 > 0:42:44No? 7,400. Below the stairs here at seven-four.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49Seven-six anywhere else? At 7,400, you're out.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51- At 7,400... - HE BANGS HAMMER
0:42:51 > 0:42:55Hammer's gone down. £7,400. Worth every single penny.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57- Fantastic. - What will you do with that?
0:42:57 > 0:43:01- That's a lot of money! - Unfortunately it's not all mine.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05- It's all spent.- No. It was given down through the family,
0:43:05 > 0:43:10and I've got five brothers - well, four brothers and a sister.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12- So it'll be shared. - It has to be shared,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- but I can see a good holiday. - You can. Of course.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23I know we keep saying it, but quality always sells,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25and those books had it in spades.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Sadly that's all we have time for today,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30but do join me again soon for another look back
0:43:30 > 0:43:33for the "Flog It!" archives. But until then, it's goodbye
0:43:33 > 0:43:35from a magnificent Syon House.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:39 > 0:43:43E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:43:43 > 0:43:43.