Guilty Pleasures Flog It!

Welcome to another series of Flog It! Ten Of The Best.

I'm in the magnificent surroundings of Syon House

just a few miles from central London.

I'm in the private dining room of the Percy family.

If only the walls could talk!

I wonder if we'd be hearing tales of drunken revelry and naughty behaviour!

Well, sometimes it's good to be bad.

So today I've been really indulgent.

For our little dip through the Flog It archives,

I've picked out my top ten guilty pleasure treasures for you to look at.

I hope you enjoy them!

My trail of hedonistic delights begins in Southampton,

where, in 2004, I was positively drooling over Carl's nubile bronze figurine.

Talk about figures!

Beautiful bodies. Look at that.

She's beautiful. I got her about three or four weeks ago

in a charity shop.

-As recently as that?

-Yeah.

-How much did you pay for her?

-I actually paid 75 pence!

-Really? 75 pence?!

Pence, yeah.

So why have you come to a valuation day today in Southampton after four weeks

wanting to sell this?

-I've got enough at home.

-What, other bronzes?

Other bronzes, pictures, paintings I've got over the years.

Plus I don't think my wife actually likes this one.

-Doesn't approve?

-No, not this one.

It reminds me of that whole pre-Raphaelite art movement.

This is modelled on Ophelia, Lady of the Lake,

floating around with lots of lilies and poppies.

I think it's beautiful. It really is such a romantic thing.

It's on a little Jasperware block which might be a slight marriage.

It was possibly on something else before that.

There's one artist and modeller in particular that works in bronzes, M.Bouval,

a French artist, very prolific, right up until about 1912,

just before the First World War.

Bouval is probably one of the most highly sought-after bronze sculptors

you could wish for.

I don't know enough about bronzes. It feels right,

there's good patina, the colour's right, the weight is right.

The moulding is right, the undercuts are right.

Everything's so right about this. And it's signed here M.Bouval.

I can't believe you paid 75p for this.

If you'd said 75 quid,

I'd have said, "I think that's a good buy",

because I think this is worth 200 to £300.

But if it is Bouval, it could be worth anything up to a couple of thousand pounds!

Oh!

Yeah, now that's frightening.

I feel quite scared doing this because I'm well out of my depth.

I don't know much about bronzes. I've been put up to this by our experts, putting me on the spot!

Because none of them are sure.

She's beautiful. I wouldn't sell her if I was you.

But I'm so pleased you brought her in. We've definitely got to give this a go.

I think we'll let the bidders decide if she's fake or fortune.

Well, yes. Flog it!

Carl's sculpture certainly started me up.

I'll reveal later if it backfired when it went under the hammer.

Next, we're off to London's Alexandra Palace

where in 2003, Henry's unusual cigar cutter really grabbed James Lewis's attention.

Originally, it was a present to my late father.

My late father had a very good friend, he worked for this gentleman

for more than 20 years.

When this gentleman passed away,

my late father and myself and only one other individual went to the funeral,

which was very upsetting.

Shortly after the funeral, the widow phoned my father

and asked if he'd like a memento of 20 years of friendship.

She called him over and gave it to him. It's been in the family ever since.

What a lovely thing to have.

This is a really fine quality 19th-century continental cigar cutter,

formed from the tusk of a wild boar

with the cutter at one end and this wonderful eagle terminal at the other.

I'm in the dental profession, but I've never pulled out a tooth with roots as long as that!

What a wonderful thing for a dentist to have!

This is the sort of thing that would have been in the grand houses of London

and all over the UK and Europe.

Smoking was a social thing in the 19th century.

The well-off, the aristocracy of the time, the ladies would have sat around after dinner,

socialising, and the gentlemen would have retired to the smoke room.

This is what you would have found there. It's clearly a man's object.

Dates to around 1870, 1880.

To the right home, I would imagine that's going to make

180 to £250, something like that.

-That's really surprising.

-It's a good object.

I think we ought to put a reserve of 160 on it

and not let it go below that.

And it should sail away.

You've obviously had it for a long time. Why sell it now?

I'd like to see it go to a good home. I'm not a smoker and nor are my family.

If it went to somebody who made good use of it, that would be very nice.

-What will you spend the money on when it sells?

-It isn't sufficient to take me to the Bahamas,

but it would suffice to take my grandchildren out for an evening.

Straight on to Crawley, where in 2007,

Charlie Ross fancied a flutter with a game that John had brought in.

I think this is fantastic. The condition is amazing.

-Where's it from?

-A friend of mine bought it at auction.

-Really?

-Yes.

-And gave it to you?

-No, he asked me to bring it cos he can't come himself.

-How long ago did he buy it at auction?

-Just a few months ago.

-Got bored with it already?

-He probably doesn't know how to play it.

Did he buy it because he liked it?

-Probably at the right price.

-Blimey, we're on the spot here!

Hope he didn't pay £1,500 for it!

I think the great thing about this is the condition.

It looks as if nobody's ever played it.

This game must be 100 years old.

It looks like this fully-fitted box has got all the correct number of horses,

-12 horses.

-12 horses.

-They're lead.

They're hand-painted, they've got original colours on them.

An original mahogany box of super quality.

Slightly disappointing that there's no maker's name.

-I was surprised, on the horses, all the reins, there's none damaged.

-It's extraordinary.

It's only like a bit of cotton. With the age it is, you'd think it would be damaged.

-You would. You'd think they'd rot, to be honest.

-All complete.

-Yes.

We haven't got the instructions,

but I imagine you put the fences and the splendid water jump

where you want to, and one assumes if you land on them you go back to the start.

-Have a spin.

-Here we go.

We'd better ask how much he paid. Did he tell you how much he paid?

-He paid 20 or £30 for it.

-Right.

-Did he think he was getting a bargain?

-I think he did.

I think it was a bargain, too.

I reckon it's worth three or four times that.

I'd be very surprised if it didn't make £100.

-Yes.

-He'd be pleased with that, would he?

-I'd have thought so, yes.

Perhaps the old Flog It estimate of 80 to 120?

-Mm-hmm.

-And there'll be no shortage of people that want to buy it.

Shall we put a reserve of double what he paid? You think he paid £30?

-Something like that.

-Let's put a reserve of £75.

-Fine.

-Shouldn't we mention his name?

-His name's Tommy.

-Tommy.

-Yes.

-Thanks very much, Tommy. We'll do our best for you. Thanks for bringing it.

-Thanks.

Was the game a high-roller in the auction room? I'll let you know soon.

Let me take you to Folkestone, now, where in 2002,

Philip Serrell fancied a bit of a tipple!

I think this is lovely, Judy and Brian.

Are you red or white wine?

-White.

-Really? Red?

-Red.

I'm tee-total, so we've one of every mix!

I would think it's probably a boar's tusk, something like that,

and if you turn it over, it's silver-mounted with a hallmark here.

That tells us that this tip is actually silver.

It fits the hand really well, doesn't it?

You can get a good purchase when pulling the cork out of the bottle.

There are avid collectors of corkscrews.

Corkscrews can make two, three, four, five thousand pounds. They can also make a fiver!

So there's something across the whole range.

How did you come by this?

It belonged to my great-grandfather and it's been handed down.

-So that takes us back somewhere in the 19th century?

-Yes.

-Was he a collector?

-No, no, it was used within the family.

-Whether he was a wine buff, I don't know.

-So it's bought by him to assist his imbibing?

-I would think so, yes.

-I think it's lovely.

-Have you used it?

-No, but I think it would be a very good corkscrew.

You have to be careful with these because occasionally the screw can snap off. But it's lovely.

I think at auction, that's going to make 50 to 80, 50 to £100.

Something like that. We'll put a reserve on it of £50.

So if it didn't make that money, you would have it back.

I think it's lovely, but you told me earlier why you want to sell it.

-Yes, I'm vegetarian, so it doesn't please me in that respect.

-And you're absolutely right.

Things become fashionable and unfashionable, the way society looks at different things.

Fur coats now, very unfashionable.

And ivories as well, the reason you're selling this.

People tend to look at them and think, "That's not a good thing."

But selling it gives some collector the chance to buy it

and hopefully use it as well.

-Yes.

-That'll be good.

-Shall we put it in the sale for you?

-Please.

-Excellent. Well done.

We'll see if the corkscrew created a fizz at the auction in a bit.

First, let me refresh your memory with another look back

at the first of my collection of guilty pleasure items.

Henry rang smoke rings around James Lewis

with his eagle-headed cigar cutter.

Charlie Ross thought the horse-racing game that John brought in on behalf of friend Tommy

was a real odds-on favourite.

Judy's 19th-century boar tusk and ivory corkscrew certainly popped something for Philip Serrell.

And Carl's bronze nude really turned my head.

But will it make the bidders blush when it comes up for sale?

I wanted to find out more about this fine figure of a woman

so I met the auctioneer, Leslie Weller, at the sale room in Chichester

to see what he thought of it.

Who can forget a figure like that? Let's hope it does do good figures,

because she's beautiful.

I don't know a lot about bronzes. It's got the right patina,

it's got everything about it.

If it is Maurice Bouval, this could be a lot of money.

If it's a copy, I still think 200 to 300.

Carl purchased this four weeks ago in a charity shop for 75p!

This is what threw me off the scent! I'm thinking, "Oh, my word!"

If it's the real thing, it could be a couple of grand.

But I haven't seen enough and held enough to really know.

-It's absolutely right.

-It is right? Yeah!

-Absolutely right.

Nothing wrong with it at all.

It's a marvellous bronze of that period.

-It's really 1920s.

-It's the iconic look.

-Absolutely.

-Art Nouveau in every book you open.

-It's exactly what you want today.

It's sought-after. It's a real collectors' item.

The patina is what you mentioned. That's terribly important.

Because you cannot actually reproduce that patina

with a contemporary piece.

That is so right, it shouts at me, actually.

-It's got the rub.

-Absolutely. It's...

-Crikey! I cannot wait

for the next half hour. We have to see this fly through the roof.

It will. It's going to make four figures at least.

-Yes! Fantastic!

-So, roll up!

So, did she cut a dash in the auction room?

Is it or isn't it Maurice Bouval?

I've put a valuation of 200 to £300 on this cos I'm not sure, right?

But it has got the nutty patina that you'd expect from something from that Art Nouveau period.

I had a chat with the auctioneer. Do you know what he says?

It could do between 1,000 and £2,000.

Wow!

Lot 505 now.

A little 20th-century bronze figure.

And you'll start me at 150.

£100, then. 100 I saw.

110, 120, 140.

160. 180.

200?

-£200.

-Slow.

It is.

220.

240.

£240.

260.

280. 280, I'm bid.

At £280. I'll take three anywhere.

-He's going to sell it!

-At £280. Are you bidding there? And selling at 280.

I've built it up for you and now I've let you down!

-That's all right.

-I didn't let you down on the valuation.

-It'll do.

-Nevertheless, 75p turned into £280.

Good enough for me!

What a shame that bronze didn't reach her full potential.

Still, she did make Carl a pretty good profit!

Kate Bliss joined Henry and James to see if that unusual cigar cutter

managed to smoke out a good price.

Are you in two minds about it? Will you be sad to see it go?

I don't think so, really. Although it's been in the family for a long time,

it's been lying around and I've meant to dispose of it.

This is as good a time as any.

James, you've estimated it at 180 to 250. Are you confident?

It's going to sell. I'm sure it is.

It should do. It's a good quality object as well

so there should be plenty of people here today. Hope for the best.

Lot 48 is a 19th-century cigar cutter modelled on a wild boar tusk.

A nice eagle's head on it as well.

£100 already bid. 110 anywhere?

110 in front of me. 120. 130.

140. 150. 160. 170.

180? 170, bid's at 170. 180?

180, new bidder. 190. 200.

And ten. 220. 230.

240. 250.

260?

250. Nearer to me at £250.

Anybody else want to come in? 260 or not.

Your bid at £250. Selling.

-Sold for £250!

-Very good.

-Not bad!

-It's quite surprising, really.

-It's good news.

I'm really pleased. It's a thing that every gentleman would like in his smoking collection.

It's a posh boy's toy, really!

That posh boy's toy made a classy price, hitting the top end of James's estimate.

Now, let's go back to 2002

to see if the corkscrew whet anyone's whistle

at the auction room in Canterbury.

-This is Brian.

-Hi, Brian. Is he vegetarian as well?

He is when he's with me!

Hopefully you're off to Spain with the proceeds of the corkscrew?

We may make it to Victoria on the proceeds of the corkscrew!

A novelty corkscrew. 75. It's with you at 75.

75.

Anybody else in the room at 75?

At 75. 80 I have.

-He's got a bid left in the book.

-95.

100. 110.

120. 130.

-He can keep it going faster cos people get excited.

-170.

170.

-It's with you at 170. Any further bidding?

-Great. Brilliant result.

-Bit further than Victoria!

-Seville.

-Excellent.

A return to Seville for one of you, anyway!

I hope you enjoy the holiday.

Thank you very much! Thank you.

That went well over the top end of the estimate.

That's a result worth toasting!

Off to the sale room now in Sussex, where I met auctioneer Nick Hall

to find out what kind of odds he thought were in store

for Tommy's racing game.

-Now, this is great fun.

-A lot of interest in this in the viewing.

It's Edwardian. I'm sure lots of people would like to play with this,

although the original owners, 100-odd years ago,

didn't play on the board because it's in crisp condition.

Well looked-after.

This was bought by one of John's friends, Tommy, recently,

-at auction.

-At auction?

-For around about £30.

-He's had a flutter of his own!

-He has had a flutter!

We've got odds on this doing 80 to 120.

I'll take those odds and have a fiver myself.

It'll make more than that, I think. Should do.

-He paid how much at auction?

-£30.

-£30.

You'd be disappointed if this only got £30 in your room?

-I think it's worth a couple of hundred.

-Great. That's what I wanted to hear.

-I'd say about the same.

-I hope it will now I've said that!

Promising. Let's see what price it reached when the hammer went down.

I absolutely love this next lot. It's an Edwardian horse-racing game, it belongs to John.

-Not for much longer.

-No, not at all.

We've got a value of 80 to £120 which is an auctioneer's book price cliche for most things!

We had a chat to Nick, our auctioneer,

you know what he said, he said it should do £200 quite easily.

-Really?

-Yes.

-I'd be very pleased.

A friend of yours got this in an auction for 30-odd quid not long ago

so he's got a good eye. I think he'll turn a good profit.

If he turns a profit, he'll spend the money on more bits and pieces.

-At auction?

-Yeah.

-You can buy and sell at auction and make a profit.

-Certainly.

It's going under the hammer now.

397, the Victorian horse-racing game.

Together with painted lead named mounts.

Hard to find now.

-150? Thank you, Chris. 150.

-Straight in.

-150. 160.

170. 180.

190. In front at 190. 200.

210.

-They love it!

-At 210 in front.

-Neck and neck!

-Lot of potential.

-They're coming to the last...

-210 over the water!

-Yes!

-That'll do!

-£210.

-Very nice.

-We'll settle for that.

-He'll be very happy at that.

-Give him our regards.

-Will do.

-Tommy, you have an excellent eye.

That racing game certainly trotted up a fine finish in Crawley!

But if you really want to savour the taste of the forbidden,

then follow me back to 2006

to West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire,

the birthplace of England's notorious Hellfire Club!

West Wycombe Park in the heart of Buckinghamshire

may look like a genteel Italianate country mansion house.

But it hides a story of unrivalled passion

for the Arts, food and drink and even the pleasures of the flesh!

The estate has been home to the Dashwood family since 1698.

But it's the story of Sir Francis Dashwood, the second baronet,

that has captured the imagination more than any other.

Sir Francis Dashwood was born into a wealthy family in 1708.

By the age of 21, he was already a well-travelled young man

with a taste for the high life

having been sent on several grand tours of Europe by his family.

And it was on one of these tours that he became obsessed with Italy

and a lifelong fascination and also repulsion

with what he saw as the excesses of the Roman Catholic church,

their sumptuous ceremonies and their extreme devotional practices.

When he returned from his travels from Europe,

he was so fired up with a passion for the arts

that he helped set up The Society of Dilettante.

This was an elite club. On one hand, its aim was to promote classical art and fine taste in England.

On the other hand, it was catering for the wealthy womanising habits

and hard-drinking of other wealthy rakes.

He even got into politics and quickly gained a reputation for being publicly spirited,

helping laws get passed through for the poor and unemployed.

As an escape from his political duties,

Dashwood's flamboyant nature found an outlet with the formation of the infamous Hellfire Club.

The precise activities of the Hellfire Club are to this day shrouded in mystery.

Members took part in mock religious ceremonies

and wore costumes and masks to indulge in varying degrees of debauchery.

It was all pretty racy stuff!

Dashwood's interest in pagan gods and goddesses

was reflected in the decorations for his house at West Wycombe

designed by the famous architect Robert Adam.

The west wing of the building was a replica of a classical temple to Bacchus

complete with a statue of the god of wine himself.

Sir Francis Dashwood continued to make improvements to the house,

heavily influenced by the classical architecture and fine art he'd seen on his travels.

Dashwood was fascinated with the ancient world.

This influence is most clearly seen in this stunning entrance hall

which is among the best preserved and earliest examples of this taste

in Neo-Classical decoration in the country.

The staircase is decorated with murals by Giuseppe Borges

that grow increasingly erotic as they reach the bedroom floor.

Dashwood devoted his energies to a series of extraordinary public works.

In order to create employment for the out-of-work farmers due to some very bad harvests,

he spent three years digging chalk out of the hills above the estate

to help build a road between West Wycombe and High Wycombe.

A series of caves were left behind after the excavations.

They became a centre-piece for his passion for design.

It's thought they were inspired by his many exotic trips abroad.

They also became a focal point for the meetings of the Hellfire Club.

In keeping with the Hellfire tradition,

it is even said that the caves' layout represents part of the female anatomy.

Exactly what went on in these caves is perhaps lost in time.

But what we do know is that members of the Hellfire Club included such noted dignitaries

as the Earl of Sandwich, William Hogarth, the artist,

and Thomas Potter, the son of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

They all took part in all sorts of hanky-panky with ladies of ill repute.

All dressed up as nuns!

Allegedly!

We're back with more of my favourite incorrigible items from the archives.

It's over to Kilmarnock, where in 2009,

James Lewis sniffed out something special with Kate's Georgian snuffbox.

Kate, tell me, are you a great snuff-taker?

-I certainly am not!

-No?

No brown stains on the upper lip that tend to give it away?

I hope not!

So tell me, what are you doing with a snuff box?

Well, this snuff box was passed down to me from my parents.

My memory of it is my mother, who was a very keen floral arranger,

-and making lovely miniature arrangements in it.

-Really?

She used to go to rural competitions and things like that and want to do well, obviously.

But that's my memory of it

and since I've had it it's been sitting in the cabinet doing very little.

-Oh!

-I heard you were here today, so I thought I'd bring it along.

-Tell me about it.

-I love it.

One of the main reasons I love it is because it's so plain.

So simple.

It's engine-turned in bands.

Very plain, simple designs.

We've got this engine-turning on the sides, all the way round,

and underneath.

What's slightly unusual is that you'd normally find a cartouche,

a plain area, where the owner can engrave their initials

or their crest or family coat of arms.

-This one, there's nowhere for that to happen.

-No.

So if we open it up...lovely.

Silver gilt inside to prevent the acid in the snuff

attacking the silver and reacting and making the silver turn green.

A nice clear set of hallmarks. WT for the maker,

a lion passant, the mark for English silver,

the leopard's head with the crown, the mark for London,

the head of George III, which means the duty or the tax has been paid on the silver,

-and a date letter, which is an R, for 1811, 1812.

-Right.

-A nice early one.

-I didn't realise it was as old as that. Nearly 200 years old!

What do you think it's worth?

I haven't a clue, to be quite honest.

Obviously it's silver, so would it be about £100?

Shall we swap seats?

-You're spot on.

-Really?

Am I?

-Yeah.

-I hadn't a clue. Is that right?

-Oh, well.

-It's a predictably boring auctioneer's estimate. 80 to £120.

-Is it?

-£100 is spot on.

-£100.

Well, that sounds very good.

-Yeah? Is that all right?

-Absolutely.

Protect it with a reserve. £80 as a reserve?

-Sounds fine!

-If it doesn't make that, take it home and do flower arrangements.

I can't really!

Back to 2006

and to Belfast where Anita Manning had something to celebrate

when Jo brought in an item close to Anita's heart!

Ah!

Being a Scot,

and coming from Glasgow,

I should know all about whisky!

What we have is Irish whisky here.

It was distilled by Bushmills, one of the oldest licensed distillers

in the world. So it's a famous old whisky.

-Are you a whisky drinker, Jo?

-I'm afraid not!

-Why did you buy this?

-I didn't buy it. I won it in a raffle in a charity auction.

-Were you never tempted?

-Never tempted.

-Not my tipple, I'm afraid!

-What's your tipple?

-I like white wine.

-Ah, yes.

Now, Jo, this is called Bushmills Millennium Malt.

It was made in 1975,

-specially for celebrations in the Millennium.

-Correct, yes.

The cask number of bottles was 300. So it's what we call a limited edition.

-If we look on the label we see it was selected for UTV, Ulster Television.

-Correct.

So this would have perhaps been donated by Ulster Television

-to your charity.

-Yes, for the auction to raise funds.

Price-wise, how much is a bottle of Bushmills? How much would you pay?

I think you'd probably pay £25 for a bottle of malt whisky.

I think we have to pitch our estimate not too high above that.

It will find its own level.

But if we put it maybe 40 to £50, would you feel happy enough at that?

I think someone else can get some pleasure out of it.

-Uh-huh. If you sell it, you can buy a good few bottles of wine with that!

-Very nice!

-Let's go for it. Let's put the estimate at 40 to £50 with a reserve of 55.

-OK.

-See you on the day, Jo.

-Absolutely.

-Sober.

-Absolutely!

See how that whisky did at auction in a little bit.

But first, I must delight you with these two extravagant items!

Thomas Plant loved Jill's Victorian drinks cabinet

in Watford, back in 2006.

-Have you ever used it?

-No.

-You've done the right thing.

Once you put your booze in there, it gets all sticky. They seize up.

-Right.

-They get bloomed. What I mean by that is cloudy.

At auction, the result was crystal clear.

Going for a satisfying £420.

Will Axon weighed up the value on John and Peggy's cigarette case in 2009.

I bought it off a bloke that was hard up.

-Oh, dear. So he needed a bit of cash.

-Yes.

Sometimes, I'm afraid, it's all about scrap value.

I think you knew what you were buying, didn't you?

And it lit up the sale room, making £640!

I've an even more spectacular cigarette case now

if I take you to Exeter where in 2006

Jane's risque item got me hot under the collar!

This puts a smile on my face. It's a little bit naughty.

-Yes.

-Tell me all about it.

Well, it came from my ex father-in-law who lived in Birmingham.

He died in 1983.

His elder brother had also had a jeweller's shop.

When he died, they were clearing out his shop. There were various items.

Somehow, we acquired this.

I don't know how!

You can't help but laugh when you see it.

It's a lovely silver cigarette case.

The key there, as you said, Birmingham.

I've looked through the glass and you can see the assay mark for Birmingham, the anchor.

We've got the silver lion passant moving to the left, so it's sterling silver.

The maker's name is EML. I've looked in the book and can't find him.

But I can tell you the lower case r, set against the entry for Birmingham

-this was made in 1891.

-1891?

You had to have a bit of money to afford something like this.

The enamel work is absolutely divine.

There's only a bit of damage just there on the corner.

But it's got the wear and it's got the touch.

It's got the silver marks. It's got everything. And a gorgeous lady.

Who, let's say, is riding topless on a pushbike!

Someone had a sense of humour!

I absolutely adore this.

-It's not too naughty, is it?

-No.

It's titillation, if you pardon the pun, not pornography.

-I don't know what's she's holding.

-It looks like a cap.

-Maybe people are putting coins in it. She says, "It's a bet!"

-Yes.

You never know, do you. You've got to use your imagination.

If it was pornography, which they did depict a lot,

-it would be on the inside.

-Right.

Slightly more discreet.

I've not seen anything so charming, so witty and funny

-and I know this is going to sell well.

-Excellent.

Are you sure you want to sell it?

-Yes.

-Why do you want to sell it?

It's just been in a bag in the bathroom. I spoke to my ex-husband

and we agreed that as it wasn't of any sentimental value particularly

that we'd sell it and split the money between the children.

-So they can get some use of it.

-That's a good call.

Yeah.

I'm going to put a value - I'm going to be quite bold - and say 300 to £400.

Not bad! Not bad at all.

Not bad at all.

We'll put a reserve, a fixed reserve, of £275.

We mustn't sell it any less than that.

That's the wrong day and the wrong auction room. There's no bidders there.

-OK.

-It's worth 300 to 400.

-Not bad.

-I think it's charming. Absolutely charming.

I can't wait to see this one go under the hammer.

To Southend-on-Sea where, in 2009,

Jenny and Susan hooked Thomas Plant in with their aquarium-themed lighter.

Jenny and Susan, thank you for coming here.

I want to know all about this Dunhill lighter.

Why and when and who owned it, et cetera. And why did you bring it?

We found it in a drawer. It's my uncle's lighter.

We just came across it.

I noticed the Dunhill name. I asked him about it.

He couldn't remember how it got there, why it was there.

He said, "If you like it, take it." So I said, "I will, and find out more about it."

-Which is why we're here.

-Why you're here.

You've brought it today. Susan, how old is your uncle?

Uncle is 86. He's always telling me

-repeatedly, that he gave up smoking 30 years ago.

-Right.

So probably the lighter found its way into the drawer 30 years ago and hasn't emerged since.

It's a rather nice thing. It's a Dunhill aquarium lighter,

made in about the 1950s.

This is a good large-sized one. We've got two tropical fish on one side

and then the one tropical fish swimming upwards. It's in very nice condition.

We can see the Dunhill mark here.

These are very popular in today's market. There are a lot of collectors for them.

It's good that it's got the three fish.

Are they real fish?

-No!

-It looks plastic.

-It is. It's acrylic.

It's a polished acrylic.

Like something that's been tucked in there.

It's like they've been reverse painted into the acrylic then foiled, decorated and painted.

That's what you've got. You've got a brief idea of what you want for it.

I think we can achieve that. If we put it in at 800 to 1,200

with a fixed reserve of 800. That's what you were thinking?

-Yes.

-But I've got a feeling that it could surpass that.

But let's keep it at 800 to 1,200

with the reserve at £800.

Let's see what happens. The auctioneer will work his socks off for us. I know that.

It will be well publicised, well marketed, on the internet.

-I think we'll have some interesting people out there.

-Good.

Before I reveal how these objects did at auction,

let me refresh your memory.

We saw how much Thomas enjoyed playing with fire with Jenny and Susan's lighter.

But did it deliver a red-hot result?

James Lewis thought Kate's silver snuff box

had the whiff of success.

I absolutely adored Jane's saucy cigarette case.

And Anita was totally intoxicated by Jo's special edition of malt whisky.

And that's first under the hammer at auction in Belfast.

-You won this in a charity auction?

-Yes.

It cost nothing. It's a good investment, worth at least 90 quid. It's going under the hammer now.

The Bushmills malt whisky.

Can we say £50 for the Bushmills?

With the porter at 50.

At £50. Five. 60.

Five. 70.

-Yes!

-Please don't let me down.

Bid at 80 for the whisky.

-That's a good result.

-Bottle of Bushmills at £80.

Selling now at £80.

-Yes.

-There we are, Jo.

-80 quid.

The auctioneer and I were musing over this bottle before the auction,

talking about the valuation.

We thought really, to do a proper valuation,

you've got to have a little taste!

-Did you?

-No, we couldn't let Jo down.

What will you do with the £80?

Anita suggested I buy something I like to drink, which is white wine.

-There you go. A couple of cases.

-I think so.

Hearty cheers for Jo.

And it's Anita again, this time on the other side of the gavel,

as we go to Glasgow to see how Kate's snuff box did

when it went up for sale.

This next lot should be a pinch at 80 to £120.

-Kate's solid silver snuff box.

-Yes.

Why are you selling this?

This snuff box was sitting in my cabinet in the lounge for many years.

It was gathering dust, basically.

So I think it's time to sell it.

We need top money because as we discussed the proceeds of the sale are going towards a painting.

-Yes.

-So, what's this painting? Is it something you're buying at auction?

No, it's a local artist, James Harrigan.

He does lovely paintings of the west coast of Scotland, Aran, so I'm hoping to put it towards that.

Now, it's George III, a silver snuff box,

with engine-turned decoration.

It's London, 1812. Georgian snuff box in mint condition.

Start me at £100.

100. 50, then?

50 bid. 50. 60.

70. 80.

-90. 100.

-We're getting there.

110. 120.

120 on the floor for the Georgian snuff box.

Any advance on £120? All done at 120? 120.

-That's great news. There's commission to pay.

-Right.

-But it's something towards the painting.

-It certainly is. I'm delighted.

-My first experience of an auction, so I'm thrilled.

-Is it?

£120. A decent result for Kate.

Now to Rayleigh to see if the bidders were ecstatic for the aquatic Dunhill lighter.

We've seen one on Flog It before, a few years ago

and it sold for £800. Fingers crossed this will do the same.

-Hopefully more.

-Yes.

-I love the story. It was your uncle's.

-Yes.

-He gave up smoking for 30 years.

-Yes.

Put it in a drawer and hadn't seen it for 30 years.

-Isn't that a great story?

-Wonderful.

It's like when you have jeans in a wardrobe you haven't worn for months

and there's a £20 note in the pocket!

You put your hands in your pocket and then, "Ooh, look at that!"

-Yes!

-But £800 in a drawer, we've got.

-Brilliant. And he's going to split it with you two?

-Oh, yes!

The nieces have to have something.

We'll take him to the pub!

-Surely he'll have most of it?

-He has it then shares it with us.

Tough cookies!

Lots of interest here, ladies and gentlemen. Straight in at £800.

At £800. And advance on 800? 820.

850. 880. 900.

At £900 now. The bid's on the book against you all in the room.

The hammer's up at £900.

920. 950.

Come on!

-980. 1,000.

-Ooh!

-Yes!

Four figures now!

At £1,000 now.

The bid's on the book. Make no mistake. I'm selling at £1,000.

Yes, fantastic. That's mid-estimate. Well done, Thomas.

-You've got to be pleased with that.

-Excellent.

-Good news.

Take him down the pub. Buy him a pint and a pie

I guess the clothes are coming your way, are they?

They might!

Someone certainly held a flame for that lovely lighter!

Finally, let's see if Jane's cheeky cigarette case

managed to light up the sale room in Exeter.

No need to ask for your full attention now for the enamelled silver cigarette case.

It belongs to Jane and is about to go under the hammer.

We've got a fixed reserve. I'm sure we'll get my valuation of 300 to 400.

-We've got a packed room. It's the first of the silver. Ready?

-Yep.

-Confident?

-I am.

-It's going under the hammer now.

We now move on to this George V silver cigarette case.

I think the jokes have been exhausted. Let's launch into it.

The bidding's with me. There is interest. We're away at 300. 320. 340.

360. 380 is bid.

400. And 20.

440.

460. 480.

500. And 20.

550. 580.

-600. And 20.

-They absolutely love it.

700. And 20. 750. 780.

-800. And 50.

-Wow!

-900.

And 50. 1,000. And 50.

That's the ball out of the room.

£1,050. Are we all done?

The book is out. I'm selling at £1,050.

-£1,050!

-Brilliant!

-What are you going to do with that?

-Give it to my children.

-All three of them.

-Three kids.

-Split it between them.

-One of your daughters is here? What's her name?

-Lucy.

Lucky kids, that's all I can say. Thank you so much for coming in.

That racy item flew out of the sale room doors in Exeter. What a cracking result!

Sadly, that's all the risque business we have time for today.

It's the end of the show. I hope you've enjoyed looking through the archives.

I hope you can join me again soon. For now, from Syon House, it's goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd