Tiny Treasures Flog It!

Welcome to another special edition of Ten Of The Best from Flog It!

and today I'm at Sherborne Castle in Dorset.

And as befits a castle, the panelled walls are lined with oil paintings

of the family's ancestors, and some of them are so large, they dominate this room, the solarium.

But of course, people that turn up at our valuation days

won't be bringing in something as large as these.

They'll look for the smaller items that have been hiding in a cupboard drawer for a decade or two.

And sometimes the small and the delicate can be just as exquisite,

as you're about to find out as we take a look at some of my favourite notable diminutive items.

Welcome to my world of tiny treasures.

'So let's start in Northampton where in 2004

'Diana brought James Lewis an item associated with fine handiwork.'

Diana, what a sweet lot.

-Are you a dog lover?

-Yes, I am.

Great little thing. Tell me about it.

I inherited it from my mother and she had equally inherited it from her parents,

so it's been in the family for I don't know how many years.

-So you don't collect needlework-related items?

-No, I don't.

Cos that's what it is. I don't know if you know, but it's a needle case or pin case.

And it's a very sweet little thing. Comes into two sections.

This was made around 1850, 1860 I should think, something like that.

And it's made of ivory. Now, you can tell it's ivory

simply because it doesn't have any little blood vessels in there, no little black dots.

When you're looking at something that's made from an animal part

and it's either bone or ivory, the only way you can tell

is ivory has a cross-section like that

and bone has little black flecks all the way through where the blood vessels run.

The eyes at each end are made in glass

with a greyhound's head at that end and probably a spaniel or working dog at that.

-But just look at that expression!

-Yes.

-Isn't it brilliant? It really is a fun thing.

This is going to appeal to needlework collectors,

ivory collectors and people keen on dogs, just for a novelty.

-I think it's going to do really well at auction.

-Oh, good.

-Have you thought about value?

-Not at all.

-It's only a little thing and ivory isn't really that PC.

-I know.

But it's been around a long time and the elephant is long gone.

-I think that's going to make £50 to £60.

-Really? Oh, right!

-It's a really pretty little lot and it'll do jolly well.

-Thanks.

-Is that something you're wanting to sell?

-Yes, fine.

Brilliant. What will you spend the money on?

Oh, well, I've got a daughter's 21st birthday coming up soon.

I think that might help towards it.

-It's not going to go very far for a 21st!

-No, but every penny counts.

-Absolutely.

'Quite right, Diana. Now to Wrexham where Kate found something

'uncharacteristically tiny.'

Marilyn, this might be quite a small little pot

-but I think there's a little bit more to it than meets the eye.

-Right, good.

-Where did it come from?

-It was my grandparents' on my mother's side

so it's just been handed down and I know nothing about it

other than I think it's very pretty.

It's got, I think, lizards or something on the side and what looks like peacock feathers.

-But tell me more, please.

-I think you're right.

Can you see this lovely blue glaze has a slight sheen to it?

And, in fact, it tells us it's part of the lustre ware range

-made by the Pilkington's pottery factory.

-Right. I didn't know that.

Now, Pilkington's really rose to acclaim when a chap called William Burton joined the factory.

He came from the Wedgwood factory and joined Pilkington's about 1897.

But it really was put on the map

-when the factory exhibited at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1900.

-Right.

Now, the unusual thing about this one is that it's so small.

I've seen a lot of Pilkington vases so or even a little bit bigger.

But this is perhaps the smallest piece I've seen.

-Oh!

-So it's quite a diddy thing. A little posy vase, I would suggest.

-You couldn't get many in, though.

-You couldn't get many in, no.

-But also its shape suggests a snuff bottle to me.

-Oh, right.

And you pointed out very cleverly these lizard motifs on the shoulders

which are applied, a raised decoration,

and they hark back to oriental influence.

And the oriental or the chinoiserie as it was known influence

was very prominent at the end of the 19th century.

And this is the influence that we see here.

-And the shape of the snuff bottle is also oriental.

-It's a nice shape.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yes.

So what about value? Well, the condition is lovely. You've obviously looked after it well.

Well, it's been stuck in a cabinet, so it doesn't get handled

and it sits there year in, year out. But it's pretty. I like it.

What do you think it's worth? What would you pay for it?

-I'd probably pay £50 to £100. Yes.

-£50 to £100.

Well, I'm going to say a little bit more than that, actually. £150 to £200.

-Really? Gosh.

-It certainly ought to do £150. I would hope it would make £200 and perhaps a little bit more.

-That's very exciting.

-Pilkington's is very commercial at the moment,

-very sought after, so you're selling it at the right time.

-Wonderful.

-I'm very pleased you brought it along.

-Yes, so am I now, because it was spur of the moment.

-Was it?

-"Perhaps I will put it in." So that's good.

-Great!

'Marilyn was very pleased with that estimate. Let's hope Kate was right.

'Now, Charlie Ross spotted something of great quality in Cheltenham

'back in 2007.'

-John, I expect you know what you've got here.

-I think it's a snuff box.

I think it's a snuff box, too. Rather an attractive one. Where did it come from?

Well, it was my grandmother's. So my father gave it to me to bring in today

-to see what it's worth.

-Oh, I see. And then sell it regardless?

-Hopefully.

-Willy-nilly?

-Absolutely.

-If I say it's worth £2, you'll still sell?

-Maybe a little more.

-THEY LAUGH

-Do you know what it's made from?

-I presume it's silver and ivory.

-It is. Absolutely spot on.

It is, as you say, ivory.

It's interesting, that colouring's going, isn't it, on the top there?

-I thought...

-And I've opened it... What did you think?

I thought the inside was wood first of all. I didn't realise.

-I can see why you thought that. It's got a woody grain to it, hasn't it?

-Yes.

But what's happened is that it's become discoloured.

It is ivory, it's one piece of ivory, and it's ivory top to bottom.

And the reason it's gone that colour is because it's been used for snuff.

And then, looking at the inside, it appears to have been gilded at some stage.

-Some of the gilding's gone.

-Why would that be?

For protection of the silver and also for quality purposes,

-just high-quality gilding.

-What sort of person would have a snuff box like this?

Oh, quite a gentry. I mean, this is high quality in silver.

A lot of people had snuff but they would have just wooden snuff boxes, metal snuff boxes.

This is silver. And in terms of its date,

the hallmark is unclear.

We can tell, obviously, that it's silver.

We can tell that it's George III because we've got George III's head on there.

The date stamp is unclear

and I've come up with two possibilities.

1790 or 1810.

-Right.

-So for the purposes of valuation, we'll call it 1800, George III.

-OK.

It's really quite a good size. It's quite a big, big snuff box.

They're more commonly half that size.

-Right.

-Now, it's got a name of the bottom.

-Yes. No idea who that is.

-Robert Hillier.

-No relation.

-Tell me that's a great-great-grandfather.

-No?

-Sorry, no. I don't think so, anyway.

-I'd give a wide estimate of £100 to £200.

-Oh, right!

-I think it's certainly worth £100 and I'd like to see it make nearer £200.

-OK.

So we'll put it in and I think we'll put a discretionary reserve on it of £100.

-OK.

-I think we need to protect it with a reserve.

-This really shouldn't be sold for £50.

-Absolutely.

-And I don't suppose you've got any use for it.

-My father hasn't and I haven't.

-You're not a snuff taker?

-No. Not even a smoker.

So Father's given it to you to bring in today and why does he want to sell it?

Probably to buy more whisky or wine. Or go and see more horse races. I don't know.

Oh, that's splendid!

'Well, people have all sorts of reasons for bringing their items to Flog It!

'And in the same year, Mark Stacey looked at an item for Rob

'which really did make everyone think the world was a small place.'

-Hello, Rob.

-Hi, Mark.

-What a nice little globe you've brought in.

-Where did you get it from?

-It's been in the family,

as far as I know, for about 60, 70 years.

I don't know exactly where it came from originally,

it's just been sitting in the top of a pot basically.

-You inherited it?

-Yes, from my mother and father.

-And it's continued to stay in the pot?

-In the top of the pot.

-I thought it's good to bring along cos it's nice and small.

-It's wonderful.

The only shame about it is, I've looked and I can't find a maker's name.

-Right.

-Which is a shame, because sometimes the maker's name can make a big difference to the value.

-Yes.

-And basically, this is a pocket-sized globe,

something you would've carried around with you.

It would've had either a little hard leather case

-or a little shagreen case, shark-skin case.

-Right. Yes.

Looking round it, we've got all the countries that we recognise now,

but the fascinating thing about these old globes is a lot of countries have changed names

-and the biggest one we've got here is New Holland.

-Yes.

-Which, of course, is now Australia.

-That's why I brought it along,

because I wasn't sure when it changed from New Holland to Australia.

It must be a reasonable age, I suppose.

Oh, yes, it is. I'm not 100 percent sure,

but I'm pretty sure that Australia has celebrated its bicentenary.

I think this is probably towards the end of the 18th century, just before it became a British protectorate.

-Yes.

-But it's a fascinating thing. It's such a shame it's not marked.

What they used to do was, every time a new discovery had been made

or Britain had added to its empire,

they would just simply peel off the segments

-and put new segments on.

-Oh, right.

-These are now very collectable.

-Are they?

-Very collectable.

I would probably advise you to put...

How shall we say this? ..a "come and get me" estimate.

-Right, yes. I know what you mean.

-So put a tempting estimate on it.

-I would probably put £200 to £300 on it.

-Good heavens!

-Blimey!

-Does that please you?

-That's amazing, that is!

-Really?

-It really is. I'd never have thought that.

Well, I think if we put £200 to £300 on it, I would hope that it would go past that.

-I think it probably will. We'll put a reserve of £200.

-Yes.

-To protect it.

-Whatever you say.

-Cos we shouldn't give it away for less.

And it just proves that some of the best things come in small packages.

-HE LAUGHS

-I look forward to globe-trotting to the auction with you.

Oh, dear. Thank you, Mark.

'So before we find out how my first selection of tiny treasures did at auction, here's a quick reminder.

'Diana from Northampton brought in that very pretty needle case.

'Did James have it all sewn up?

'Marilyn was delighted with Kate's estimate of £150 to £200

'but I had a feeling that little pot was something special.

'John's silver and ivory snuff box brightened up Charlie's day at Cheltenham

'but did the bidders think the same?

'And did Mark's estimate of £200 to £300 on the pocket globe entice the bidders in?

'Our first sale is in Woburn to see what happened to Diana's ivory needle case

'which had caused a bit of a stir overseas.'

That is the power of the collector. They can find anything in the world anywhere.

And even for £50 or £60, it doesn't really matter, they'll find it via the internet.

-That's fantastic!

-It's incredible.

-And it's going home back to America now.

What do you think of that, James? It's going to sell now.

It's going to fly. It'll do really, really well.

-What's really, really well?

-I think it'll do three times estimate.

So why did you only put £50 to £60 on it?

It's one of these things, if you put a high estimate on something,

it's one of those things that people will feel,

"Well, it's not necessarily worth £150 but I love it."

Typical auctioneer. This is it.

Lot 279 is a charming 19th century carved ivory needle case

and the ends come in the form of dogs' heads.

I have four commission bids

-and I can start at £110.

-Ooh.

-110.

120 now? At 110, the bid's with me.

120. 130.

No. At 130. It's a commission bid.

140 on my left. 150 on the right.

160. 170.

180. 190.

200. 210.

No. Exactly 200 on the left.

-At £200. All done?

-HAMMER BANGS

-Yes!

-200 quid!

-Fantastic!

-That was feel-good factor, wasn't it?

Thank you, too. THEY LAUGH

'Great result! I bet the dog lovers helped that one along.

'Next up it's Marilyn's quality little Pilkington pot which went under the hammer in North Wales.'

I've been joined by Marilyn. We're actually selling a family heirloom,

-Grandma's little Pilkington snuff bottle.

-It is, yes.

-I didn't know it was Pilkington.

-Until Kate told you.

-And did you know the valuation, did you know what it was worth?

-No, not at clue.

-Were you happy?

-Yes, I was.

-Happy with the top end, I bet.

-Yes.

We all want a little more.

-Kate, will we get that top end?

-I'm not sure.

I certainly hope we'll get the 150. But it has got a lot going for it.

It's a very unusual little size. Pilkington's, there isn't a lot of it about, actually.

So to have a little snuff bottle is quite fun.

-I think people are going to like this.

-I hope so.

We're going to find out right now. Good luck. It's going under the hammer.

305, this is another nice little lot.

Miniature studio pottery vase, the Pilkington one.

£150. Thank you. £150.

£175. £200.

225. £300.

325. 325. 350.

375. 400.

-425.

-425!

-425.

-Amazing.

-Anybody else?

-425. It's here at 425.

-HAMMER BANGS

-Bang! The gavel has gone down. That is sold.

-Wow! Result!

-£425!

-That's brilliant.

-I'm tingling.

-Me, too.

-That was special.

OK, there's a little bit of commission, but what are we going to put that money towards?

Well, I say we! What are you going to put that money towards?

We could do with a holiday and we've got friends in Holland,

so we'll probably put it towards that and go out for a really nice meal.

-Great. What a result!

-Yeah.

-They loved it.

Well, I knew I hadn't seen many of those little snuff bottles.

-It just goes to show that the rarer it is, they really go for it.

-Small is good.

And quality. You can't beat quality.

'What a lovely moment! I knew it was special.

'Now off to Gloucestershire where John had changed his plans for any proceeds.'

Next up, the Georgian snuff box with the ivory top belonging to John,

-who is on his way to the dentist, aren't you?

-Thank you, Paul.

-He's going to have a couple of crowns fitted.

-I needed that.

-Well, you need the money to pay for it, that's for sure.

-I do indeed!

£100 to £200 for this snuff box. I hope we get the top end.

-It's quality.

-It's a nice thing. And I would've thought a very collectable thing.

-Fingers crossed.

-Yes. We're going to find out right now. This is it.

414 is the Georgian silver oval snuff box.

Can I start the bidding at 100? At 100.

-At 110. 120.

-Ooh!

-130.

-That's good. We've sold it.

At 130. 140. At 140. 150.

160. 170. 180.

190. 200. 210.

-John!

-210 commission bid.

220. At 220 in the room now.

240. 260. 280.

-At 280. 300.

-A serious case of under-valuation.

-Was that a "come and buy me"?

-Yes.

-At 300.

-At 300, then. We're all done, then, at £300.

-Wow!

-They loved it! £300. The hammer's gone down.

-Charlie, thank you.

-That will make going to the dentist a little less painful.

-It will.

Cos the annoying thing about the dentist is,

-you've got to pay to have all that pain done.

-I know! That's the annoying thing about it!

-It really is!

-Yeah, it hurts so much and then you've got to pay for it.

At that price, they'll be platinum teeth.

'Brilliant! I think we really made John's day.

'And now for something we all had great expectations for, Rob's pocket globe.'

Well, they say the world's a big place, but this globe you could hold in the palm of your hand.

It belongs to Rob. It's going under the hammer.

-We've got £200 to £300 on this.

-Absolutely.

It is a lovely little item, something I'd like to own.

-It's come and get me again.

-We're going to find out what happens right now. Good luck.

-Thank you.

The 19th century miniature pocket globe, lot 316.

Start me at £150. Any interest? 160 I'm bid. Even better.

170. 180. 190. 200.

And 10. 210.

220. Anybody at 220?

220. 230. 240. 250.

-260. 270.

-This is good.

-It's getting there.

280. 290.

300. And 20.

340. 360.

Anybody at 360? The bid is standing at 340. 360.

380. 400.

-420.

-It's finding its right level now.

-Wow!

460. 480.

I can't believe the grandchildren rolled it around the lounge floor.

500. 520.

540. 560.

580. 600.

-This is great.

-Good heavens.

Anybody at 600?

Bid is standing at £580 now and selling at 580 if we're all done.

-Back in at 600.

-Oh, yes!

-620.

-Oh, it's off again!

-Fresh legs.

No? £620 then it is in the room. Are we all done?

-Yes!

-Well done! Thank you very much!

-£620!

-Thank you.

-Not bad, was it?

-That is brilliant!

It found its right level and I think you're right, it was 18th century

-to command that sort of money.

-But no name and no case,

otherwise it would've just pushed over the 1,000.

What are you going to put the money towards? Less a bit of commission.

I'll put it towards a winter holiday and take the kids and the grandkids away.

-Fantastic. Anywhere in the world!

-THEY LAUGH

'Amazing. Even in that condition, it soared way over Mark's estimate.

Well, I really do think that proves small is beautiful.

Now, here at Sherborne Castle they have a very important collection of miniatures

and miniature oil paintings have been popular for centuries.

The Digby collection has been commissioned over several generations

and this is just a small proportion, if you like, of that collection.

And when I look at the detail, you just see how exquisite it is.

Painting these miniature portraits takes a great deal of skill

from a trained eye and a lot of patience,

as I found out when I visited artist Elizabeth Meek

at her studio on the Isle of Wight back in 2009.

The story of miniature paintings dates right back to the 1500s

but their popularity really flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries

when they became fashionable with the monarchy.

They were the photographs of the day

and traditionally a king would receive these small, portable paintings from far and wide

in order to choose a prospective wife.

'Rumour has it that King Henry VIII was very pleased by a miniature of Anne of Cleves.

'But when he met his fourth bride in the flesh,

'the king felt that the royal artist had flattered Anne a little too much.

'Painting miniatures is by no means a dying art.

'I'm here today to meet Elizabeth Meek.'

-Hi, Elizabeth!

-Hi, Paul.

-Great to see you!

-Nice to meet you.

'President of the Royal Miniature Society, she's been painting miniatures for over 20 years.

'But her career as an artist very nearly didn't happen.'

So did you go to art school? What made you become an artist?

As a child, I was just passionate about drawing all the time

and spent most of my childhood drawing, to the detriment of my school work.

And I had said I wanted to go to art college but it was just not possible

so I went to be a nurse in London.

But I still had that need to draw

and I spent all my off-duty days making my colleagues sit for me

so I could sketch them.

And finally, after about six years of nursing, I decided that I really did want to be an artist,

that was what was inside me, although I'd loved being a nurse.

So that's what I did and just taught myself and worked doggedly.

What attracted you to becoming a miniature portrait artist?

My drawings were always larger

and it just happened that I was in a bookshop one day and I saw a book on sale,

it was reduced from £45 to £5, and I just bought it and thought it would be a bargain

and as I was flicking through it, it was all about miniatures. I'd never heard of miniatures,

I knew nothing about the history, and from that moment I thought,

-"Gosh, I'd love to have a go at these."

-Talk me through some of these. You've travelled a lot.

I've travelled a fair bit. This was the first miniature I ever did.

-Oh, really?

-Yes. I was in Rhodes

and she was sitting right at the back of this sort of cafe place selling old table cloths

-and I just thought she had the most wonderful little old apple face.

-She has.

-So round but it's just so happy.

-It's just a really happy face

and I just thought she was absolutely stunning. These two were my first miniatures.

-He was a swimming pool attendant where I used to go swimming.

-Incredible.

This was a very interesting man. When I lived in London, he always dressed in the most extraordinary clothes

-and he was a great character.

-Eccentric.

-I asked if I could do his portrait.

-You capture the essence of the moment.

-That is the most important thing for me.

I don't want a photograph, I want to capture the personality and character.

And when I'm doing my commissions, that, for me, is absolutely imperative,

that I spend a bit of time with people just discovering who they are and what they're about.

So let's start the process off. Where does it all start with a miniature?

I start by going in my studio, which is my sacrosanct place which I don't really like people going in,

and I put my classical music on,

which gets me calm and relaxed,

and sit down at my easel and take my ivorine

and a very small brush, I use tiny, tiny brushes, four noughts,

and lay out my paints

and have my magnifying glass. I've only just started using a magnifying glass all the time.

With old age, the eyesight's going a bit.

I'm very, very careful in my studio not to create any dust

cos that is one of the things that is most detrimental to a miniature.

I would probably just make somebody sit for an hour and a half maximum,

cos they've got to sit absolutely dead still

and that's quite hard.

My portraits take about 90 hours.

When a client comes to you for a commission, what do they ask you for?

They want, obviously, a very good likeness,

but sometimes they want to be flattered a little, too.

-Softened, shall we say?

-Can I have a look at the studio?

Yes, of course.

-Very light space.

-Yes. I pinched the dining room.

That was the best room for me.

-Well, it's got good natural light.

-It has.

-What's on the easel?

-Erm, that's one of my favourites.

-OK.

-And it's won me awards.

This one was a guy I saw in Tunisia and it's just never worked for me.

It's very flat, the colour's not right. I struggled with that one and it shows.

I've never exhibited that anywhere. I mean, you can't create a fantastic one every time.

-It just doesn't happen. But as long as you're relatively happy with it.

-Consistent.

-Yes.

-HE LAUGHS

-Have you had any famous clients lately?

I've done work for the Prince of Wales and Princess Michael of Kent.

-Were you nervous when you were painting Prince Charles?

-I was excessively nervous.

But he was very, very nice. He was very reassuring and he understood.

-And happy, was he?

-He was very happy. Yes, he was.

-Good for you.

I would be, as well, I think. I think you're a remarkable talent. You really are.

Thank you so much for showing me around your house and studio.

-It's been a real pleasure and an eye-opener.

-Thank you.

Elizabeth's incredible skill and patience

has enabled her to capture the most exquisite miniatures,

a technique that dates back some 500 years,

and hopefully that legacy is now going to last another 500 years.

'So, back to the Flog It! blue tables and another little gem

'which was brought along to Chelmsford in 2007.'

Connor, I'm very disappointed in you

because you're letting your dad sell this wonderful piece. Why?

I don't know. It's just got no use to us or anything. It's quite boring, as well.

No, it is. It's a bit girly, as well.

-A bit girly. Is that why you're selling it?

-Yeah. I don't like it that much.

-Oh, right. And you wouldn't want to keep it as a collectors item for future?

-No, not really.

-I'd probably keep it and then just...

-You'd come here and flog it.

-Yeah.

-Paul, obviously you don't like it otherwise you wouldn't have brought it along.

-No, it's not to my taste.

What's the history behind it? Where did it come from?

It comes from my step-granddad. He died.

And it's just something that turned up.

We found it with other bits and pieces.

This would have been worn either as a pendant on a young lady or maybe as a fob on a watch chain.

I love it immensely. I'll tell you why I like it.

Because this is a crown coin which has then been enamelled.

And this enamelling technique was done to the actual coin in Birmingham,

not too far from where I come from.

So this is why I have an interest in this particular piece.

The other interest I have is this. Look at the actual design.

Now, it's a male head with a wreath, so who does that remind you of?

-He looks Roman.

-Exactly. It looks Roman.

At this particular time, and we're talking the early part of the 19th century,

it was a great revival for Classicism.

On this side we have George IV's head portrayed as a Roman emperor.

I'm just going to turn it round because this is on a gimbal.

On the other side, we have George and the dragon and then the date, 1821.

There's a slight bit of damage to the enamel. That can be corrected.

But there are collectors out there who will collect enamelled coins.

It is also very attractive to have in a purpose-made gimbal.

This would not have been the only one produced.

They would have done let's say 500 enamelled coins, all mounted on a gimbal like that,

to sell to people who would wear them as a pendant or a fob.

With that little bit of damage, it does affect the value.

Normally it would've been about £80 to £120.

-With the damage, you're going to look for something in the region of £40 to £60.

-Mm-hm.

-That sort of price range.

-Yeah.

-Cool.

But it's better than leaving it in a drawer.

That's right, yeah. It was just gathering dust and doing nothing.

It's not a lot of money. What will you do? Go to Connor?

Erm, not all of it. Don't shake your head.

No, not all of it. I'm sure the rest of the family will profit from it.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

'We'll find out later if David's price was right.

'But first, let's take a quick look at some of my other favourite pocket-sized treasures.

'Jean's little pin cushion was found in the bottom of a box.'

There are no splits or little solder repairs. That's really quite a rare one.

And it will be sought after at auction.

So I think we should put that into auction for no less than £250 to £350.

'She was totally surprised with Michael's valuation,

'and even more so when it sold for £420.

'Way back in 2003, Charlie came across this wonderful collection of miniature oil paintings

'which he valued at the old Flog It! favourite of £80 to £120.'

-What can you tell me about them?

-I bought them about 20 years ago

from a little antiques shop in Bayswater.

-In London.

-Paid very little for them.

-Any idea how much?

-I would certainly only be a few pounds.

-A few pounds, yes.

-About £5 or £6, I suppose.

'They sold for £150 in Cardiff.

'And in 2007, Will spotted this very interesting little Russian napkin ring.'

It's typically Russian, and if we look inside,

we can see there's a maker's mark, I think Cheblenkov.

I would say value-wise it's not going to be hugely valuable.

'Can you believe one napkin ring sold for £150?

'It's my turn next, and on a visit to Torquay back in 2008,

'I met Rose who brought in the most exquisite picture.

'I was really struggling with my voice that day.

'But I wasn't going to let this one slip by.'

It's beautiful. Stunning, it really is.

I wish I had the talent to paint something like that.

-Yes.

-It's definitely a religious scene.

-Yes.

Tell me a little about its history.

I inherited it approximately 30 years ago from an elderly lady.

And she was a housekeeper,

must have been in quite a nice house,

and she was given, obviously, certain items from the house.

-And I think this has got to be one of them because she wouldn't have had this herself.

-No.

What have you done with it? Was it on the wall?

-It's been on the wall. I took it off this morning.

-I'm pleased you did.

-I'll take a closer look, actually.

-Yes.

-Just turn it around.

If you look right in the crack there,

where the frame meets the image,

you can see there's a slight curve on it.

-You can tell instantly that's a porcelain plaque.

-Yeah.

The beautiful thing about painting on porcelain plaques is the fact that

it's not like a canvas or a paper, there's no grain.

So the brushstroke almost vanishes.

So you can see hardly any brushstroke. Can you see that?

-Yes.

-It's just so fine. And look at the folds in the linen. You see the shadows?

-Yes.

Around the head scarf, where it's coming around, that's just incredible.

You can see very, very closely, look, right in the middle there,

an O and that's an Otto, so he's Otto Wustlich, or something like that,

if you'll pardon the bad pronunciation of German.

And it's dated 1843.

You think, how can he paint his name so small?

But of course he can, because he's painted those beautiful lips and the eyes and the little eyebrows.

Even the darkness under the eyes. It's very... The eyes have got tremendous expression.

Because this is a small one and it's got a religious connection, which slightly devalues it...

-It's not everybody's...

-It puts a lot of the market off.

I still think it's worth...

..£400, £500. I really do.

But I would like to ask if we could put it into auction...

-Yes, by all means.

-..with a valuation of £200 to £400.

Erm, I don't want to start the bidding at 400.

I want it to do more than 400. But I need it to start a bit lower

so people feel they're in with a chance of buying this.

Good. I look forward to the sale.

'And finally we head back to Herne Bay

'where in 2010 Mark Stacey found a beautiful small piece of glass.'

-Hello, Olive.

-Hello.

-Well, you know, sometimes they say the best things come in small packages, don't they?

-Yes.

-I'm talking about this lovely little vase you brought in. Tell me about it.

-I bought it in a charity shop.

-No!

-Yes.

-When?

-I know I bought it after my mother died and that was '97.

-How much did you pay for it?

-50p, I think it was.

-Gosh.

And you were just attracted by the colour, I guess.

-It was the poppies.

-Yes.

-Because my grandmother loved poppies.

-And she always used to wear the Californian poppy perfume.

-Oh, lovely.

-I saw the poppies and I thought, "Aww".

-Gosh. I think it's absolutely delicious.

-Thank you.

-It's an absolutely wonderful little object. It's just a little small vase.

And you've got the little rim here

which is decorated in coloured enamels and gilt.

-And then as you turn the item around it's got an iridescent background to it.

-Yes.

It has that sort of slight oily on water look to it.

And then you've got these lovely trailing poppies. This one is nice and open.

And then you have another little one that's just about to come up.

-Then this one is almost finished, it's seeded, really.

-Yeah.

And it screams quality.

But quality that isn't English. It's French.

-Now, what did you think it said underneath here?

-I thought it said Dawn Nancy.

Well, it's actually Daum, and it's got the mark there Daum with a cross of Lorraine and Nancy.

This was made probably around about 1900, 1910.

-Really? Oh.

-And it's Art Nouveau-ish.

And there were three factories in France at that time which really strike out for glass.

That's Daum, Galle which also produced this type of cameo glass, and Lalique.

And it just is lovely. There's a slight problem or two here.

There's a couple of little flea bites around the inner rim.

I mean, they are terribly small but they're there and I think we have to take account of them.

-OK.

-But I think it's just a charming little thing, actually. What are you hoping for?

I have no idea. I didn't think it was worth anything.

-Really?

-Mm.

-Well, I think if we put this in at £50 to £80.

-Oh!

-Hopefully, even with the little flea bites, if two people like it, it could well go over 100.

-Lovely!

-But I just think it's a charming little object.

-Are you happy to put it in at that?

-Yes.

-We'll put a 50 reserve on it with discretion, that OK?

-Thank you. Yes.

-But I do absolutely adore it. I could easily walk home with this.

-Could you?

'Now, was that a "come and buy me" estimate, Mark?

'Well, we're about to find out how those tiny treasures fared in the saleroom,

'but first let me refresh your memory on my little selection.

'David loved Connor and Paul's crown enamel coin, but they weren't quite so keen,

'so did David get the royal seal of approval with his estimate?

'I thought Rose's miniature painting was divine. But what did the bidders think?

'And finally, we have Olive's beautiful little vase.

'I had a feeling about this one. So let's find out.

'First we travel to Colchester to see Connor and Paul's enamelled coin go under the hammer.'

200. Are you all done?

We've got something for a Regency dandy if any of you are out there, this is for you.

It belongs to Paul and Connor, his son.

It's a little fob. It's quite nice. It's a coin that flips around.

-It's been in your family a long time.

-Yes, it has.

-It's your inheritance. Dad's flogging it.

-Yep.

-Don't you want it at all?

-Erm, not really.

-Don't fancy yourself as a Regency dandy, then?

-Not really.

-I don't think he'd know what one is.

-Yeah.

-It's a bit girly.

-It is a bit girly, isn't it? Rather have the £60. Well, good luck. This is it.

Lot 275 now, it's the George IV enamelled silver crown dated 1821.

And I start the bidding at £55.

-Ooh!

-£55 with me. At 55.

60. 65. 70.

75. 80. Are you 85? 85. 90.

At 90. At £90. 95. 100.

At £100. At £100 bid.

Against you. At £100 at the back. 110.

-120.

-Yes!

-Keep going!

-Whoa, whoa, whoa!

-120. 130.

140. At 140. 150. 160.

-That is good.

-I thought it was only going to get about £50.

170 on the telephone now. 170 against you all. All out, 170.

-Bang! £170!

-Yes, a result!

-Unbelievable.

-That is cracking good news, isn't it?

-Great!

-It really is.

'What a great result for something so small.

'Now, I didn't want to let Rose down when we went to the saleroom in Plymouth.

'I loved this portrait but I was certainly feeling the pressure.'

Rose, I think this little plaque is wonderfully decorated, beautifully painted.

-It's quality.

-Good. It's very pretty.

-It is.

-Yes.

-It is.

We can't really talk any more. We can't speculate. It's now down to this lot in the room.

-And hopefully, fingers crossed...

-Somebody wants it.

-Yeah.

There's a phone line booked for it. That's what I'm hoping.

Next is a 19th century German porcelain plaque.

It is signed and it is dated, 1840-ish,

and £180 starts that, at 180. 190. 200.

210. 220. 230. 240. 250.

-260. 270.

-It's gone.

-280. 290. 300.

310. 320.

330. 340. 350.

-360. 370.

-I can't believe it.

370 then, at the very back.

-At £370.

-HAMMER BANGS

-I'm ever so pleased with that.

-That's good.

-370.

-Yeah.

-Quality always sells, simple as that.

-And that was perfect, absolutely perfect.

-I'm really pleased.

'Thankfully Rose was happy with that result.

'Lastly we travelled to Canterbury to see what the bidders thought of Olive's dainty vase.'

-Now, that lovely little French vase with the poppy on it which is just incredible, isn't it?

-Lovely.

-That caught your eye.

-Yes.

-How much did you pay for it?

-50p.

-You see, it is out there, isn't it?

-Yes.

And I think we can recycle this 50p into easily £100.

-No!

-That's my gut feeling.

It's a tiny little thing and you can overlook it,

-but it just screams at you...

-Quality, quality, quality.

-I saw it from a distance and just...

-Zoomed in.

-..zoomed in on it. I love it.

-You had wings. You were like that.

-You gave me quite a fright.

-I've been told that before.

-When he comes charging towards you...

We can't talk about it any more. It's going under the hammer now

-and it's all down to this lot. Good luck.

-Thank you.

181, the Daum Nancy cranberry-tinted glass vase. Several bids.

-We'll start at...

-340.

-..£340.

-340 I'm bid.

-I knew it had quality but not that much!

-360.

360. 380. 400.

-Can you hold my hand, please?

-I'll prop you up. Don't worry.

-460. Anybody at 460?

-460.

460. 480.

500. 520.

-It was a "come and buy me," wasn't it?

-Wasn't it just?

-540.

560.

580. 600.

-Oh, my God.

-620.

-Oh!

640.

Hang on in there.

640. 660.

680? Any interest at 680 in the room or anywhere else?

If not, I'll sell at £660.

The bid is on the phone at 660, if we're all done at 660.

-HAMMER BANGS

-Yes! £660!

Oh! Olive!

-It's only this big.

-I know! I know! But small is beautiful.

It was that poppy, it was just divine, wasn't it?

-I have good taste.

-You have very good taste.

-I had a sneaky suspicion about this, didn't I?

-You did.

-I did. I think Olive is going to live that moment for a long, long time, aren't you?

-My glasses have steamed up.

-£660.

-THEY LAUGH

'Well, that was a real little treasure. What an emotional moment for Olive.'

Well, I think you'll have to agree, there's something about the quality of the French glassmakers

which is really quite special and it certainly puts a smile on our experts' faces

when they see a good piece of Lalique, Galle or Daum at our valuation days.

And if you've got anything like that and you want to sell it, then we would love to see you.

Bring it along to a valuation day.

Up and coming dates and details can be found on our Flog It! website.

Well, sadly, that brings us to the end

of another little trip down memory lane.

I hope you have enjoyed it. Join me again soon.

But until then, from Sherborne Castle, it's goodbye.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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