0:00:05 > 0:00:07Ever wondered what makes our experts tick?
0:00:07 > 0:00:11You're about to find out as we unlock more secrets from the Roadshow archives.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42In the interests of balance, tonight we're making room
0:00:42 > 0:00:46for both ends of the scale when it comes to antiques.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Two of our longest standing Roadshow experts will reveal
0:00:49 > 0:00:53the finest objects to come their way in 30 years on the show,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55pieces they'd love to own.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00And on the flip side, we'll be finding out why some owners simply can't stand their heirlooms,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03no matter what the specialists say about them.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09And Eric Knowles remembers the first time he stepped in front of the cameras.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Way back in 1981, I was 28 years of age,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18which is remarkable because I'm only 32 now.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22And Katherine Higgins explains why she thinks kitchen collectibles can be a smart buy.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27If the trend continues, yes, I think we're going to see prices going up.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Not too high, I hope, so I can still buy a few things myself!
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Now you may be surprised to learn that if you ask one of our experts
0:01:34 > 0:01:36the day after a roadshow which item they liked best,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39they often can't remember a single thing.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44Perhaps it's not so surprising when thousands of pieces flash before their eyes on as a typical day.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Imagine how special a piece must be
0:01:46 > 0:01:51if they can still picture them with affection, five, ten, even 20 years later.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53They must really be something.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56David Battie from the ceramics team and John Bly from the furniture desk
0:01:56 > 0:01:59now pick out the best of their Roadshow finds.
0:02:01 > 0:02:02Isn't that marvellous?
0:02:02 > 0:02:06This little one is a honey. I think it's sweet.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08The most wonderful piece of furniture I've seen.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11It's a staggeringly good example of its kind.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- Unsurpassable.- I had no idea.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16It doesn't happen very often
0:02:16 > 0:02:19but when something wonderful does appear, it's a great thrill.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23I think probably the first thing that occurs to me
0:02:23 > 0:02:28when something amazing is unwrapped, is, "This has got to be a forgery.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32"No way could this be happening here!"
0:02:32 > 0:02:34There's nothing that can describe adequately
0:02:34 > 0:02:37the thrill when you find something that's really wonderful.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41And although I say it's rare that they do turn up,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43enough times to make it, ah...
0:02:43 > 0:02:47imperative that you do another programme just to find out.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I'm delighted you brought this in.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55For me, this is the most exciting object I've seen on any Roadshow.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57It's absolutely marvellous.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01It's Japanese earthenware, what's called Satsuma ware.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05And it it's a fantastic example of its kind.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08'When a really interesting thing is presented to me,'
0:03:08 > 0:03:13I'm more than happy.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17The body is enamelled and gilt in the most wonderful way,
0:03:17 > 0:03:22with Tokugawa Mon, which are the badges of the princely house of Tokugawa.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I'm glad you brought it in. It's terrific.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'Poole really is'
0:03:27 > 0:03:30one of the programmes which has stuck in my mind,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35largely because of a satsuma ewer that came in,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37a sort of pear shape with a dragon spout.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42This spout and the handle are just one sinuous dragon,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45brilliantly modelled. You can see it's almost alive.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47And I get...
0:03:47 > 0:03:51hopelessly besotted by objects!
0:03:51 > 0:03:53My house is a testament to that.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58- At the moment, I should think this is worth about £600 to £800. - As much as that?
0:03:58 > 0:04:03It's my belief that this particular type of wear
0:04:03 > 0:04:07is going to prove, in the long term, an extraordinarily good investment.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11'The satsuma ewer would have increased in value,'
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and then crashed,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17because it hit another recession.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21'And at the moment, I'd be surprised
0:04:21 > 0:04:24'if that ewer made more than...'
0:04:24 > 0:04:272,500. Quite extraordinary.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29And it's ridiculous.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31It's a really...
0:04:31 > 0:04:34superb object.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'It doesn't make any sense at all.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:41I think the one piece that stands out, erm...
0:04:41 > 0:04:46beyond all others, as far as rarity and quality and, to me, beauty,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49'has to be the commode in the Isle of Man, which,'
0:04:49 > 0:04:52looking back, has to be about 25 years ago.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57It was left to me by an elderly lady who I was very fond of.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02This is probably the most important piece of furniture that has ever been shown on a Roadshow.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- Goodness.- It's quite extraordinary.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09And I would think, without any doubt, the most valuable piece too, but more of that later.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13'It had everything that one would hope for in an important piece of furniture.'
0:05:13 > 0:05:15A fantastic thing!
0:05:15 > 0:05:18It stood as if it could have walked off the stage.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22'It was just so full of life and movement,'
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and then it was covered with marquetry,
0:05:25 > 0:05:30'and this beautiful marquetry was, again, foliate, but they were'
0:05:30 > 0:05:33flowers that you could have picked off the surface. Oh!
0:05:33 > 0:05:37The leaves on here would be green, the rosebuds pink,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and there, you'd have a bright blue ribbon.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42All these bright, sparkling colours...
0:05:42 > 0:05:44'Once you've seen that,'
0:05:44 > 0:05:46look at that, isn't that great!
0:05:46 > 0:05:52It's a piece of furniture that's of national importance and even on an international scale.
0:05:52 > 0:05:58It was made by one of three or four people, possibly a man called Pierre Langoire.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'It was made by a cabinet maker who had'
0:06:01 > 0:06:05a workshop in Paris and a workshop in London.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08And in Paris, he was known as Pierre Langoire,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and in London, he was known as Peter Langley, which is wonderful history.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Having said all that, I must tell you
0:06:15 > 0:06:21that it's a piece of furniture which could realise £35,000 - £40,000.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- No wonder you asked me to sit down! - SHE LAUGHS
0:06:23 > 0:06:25'I've had two or three things'
0:06:25 > 0:06:28of that, sort of, combined construction and look,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32but nothing ever as important and as beautiful as that.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34No, it was lovely. Oh, I'd love another one!
0:06:37 > 0:06:42'Occasionally, we get items so good even the experts are queuing up to share the limelight.'
0:06:42 > 0:06:48We have here what looks to Me like a piece of Oriental porcelain with a Western, Victorian mount.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51'Skegness, that was the Burgess bottle.'
0:06:51 > 0:06:53It was just...
0:06:53 > 0:06:57- Do you know who William Burgess is? - No, apart from his name on the bottle.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- That doesn't mean anything to you? - Not a lot, no.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Where do we begin(?) We could be here for hours!
0:07:02 > 0:07:06One of the most important Victorian designers.
0:07:06 > 0:07:12'William Burgess was this extraordinary designer and he did do small objects.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16'What he usually did was to take something that already existed,'
0:07:16 > 0:07:19and then build round it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:25'This was a little Chinese bottle which he had netted in gold.'
0:07:25 > 0:07:30- This particular piece, he made for himself.- How do you know he made it for himself?- Right...
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Two reasons, one is he bothered to put his name on the bottom.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39He's not just saying, "I made it," he put the names on things that were for the owner.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Therefore, we know that he made it for himself.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43'The money, to me,'
0:07:43 > 0:07:47is not the important thing. What's important to me is the object.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52'Objects are not inanimate.'
0:07:52 > 0:07:55They will...tell you a story.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00There's a set of photographs of his house taken in the 19th century taken by Francis Bedford,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05- the album is in the V&A in London, and this bottle is illustrated in that book.- No!
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- Is it really? - And it hasn't been seen since.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- No!- It's a discovery.
0:08:11 > 0:08:17And that story is really the drama and excitement of the Roadshow.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- Let's come up with a price. What do we think?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- Where do we begin?- Ten...
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Pounds(?) SHE LAUGHS
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- Thousand?- £1,000?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28No, £10,000.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30- No...- I'll raise you on that.
0:08:30 > 0:08:3320?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I have to consult my client(!) Erm...
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- 25.- I think, somewhere around £20,000 - £30,000.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Do you really?- Absolute top, yes.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46- How amazing!- Yep. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing.- Never seen before.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48We won't see it again.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52'One sold, some time later,'
0:08:52 > 0:08:57for, I think, 20,000 or 25,000, so we were in the right kind of area.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Thank you. - I'm so pleased I brought it!
0:09:01 > 0:09:03'I remember at Wisely,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07'this very charming lady had brought in this great cupboard.'
0:09:07 > 0:09:10It was one of those things that you'd see across the room
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and you'd know it's going to be good. This was of its type.
0:09:13 > 0:09:19This is magnificent English furniture from the third quarter
0:09:19 > 0:09:23of the 19th century, between 1860 and 1880.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25'19th-century furniture'
0:09:25 > 0:09:29is not my first love,
0:09:29 > 0:09:30but quality is.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33'I mean, it was incredible.'
0:09:33 > 0:09:38It was given to me 10 years ago as a wedding present from a great-aunt.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41She had emigrated to South Africa some 20 or 30 years before
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and it had been in storage in Edinburgh for all that time.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- It just arrived?- Well, yes!- Wow! LAUGHTER
0:09:49 > 0:09:51I was trying to think of intelligent questions to ask,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and not doing very well, as he obviously knows a lot
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and I know very little indeed.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59If we can trace it to a maker,
0:09:59 > 0:10:05then this piece of furniture would be in excess of £100,000.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Gosh...!
0:10:06 > 0:10:09CROWD GASPS
0:10:09 > 0:10:11'I nearly burst into tears, because I was so...'
0:10:11 > 0:10:16It was such an intense experience that it was quite shocking at the time.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19But don't worry, we haven't found him yet!
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- LAUGHTER - Good!
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'And her reaction was one of'
0:10:23 > 0:10:27total joy and disbelief, and then more joy.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31If we can't, if we can't...
0:10:31 > 0:10:33then I'm afraid it would only be worth about £50,000.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35LAUGHTER
0:10:35 > 0:10:42But what I was so thrilled about was that, we discussed the matter afterwards, and she and I
0:10:42 > 0:10:46'have been doing research on the cabinet since then.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:51'When John said if I can prove the provenance, it was potentially worth £100,000,
0:10:51 > 0:10:56'and if I couldn't it was worth half of that, I was very inspired to find out more.'
0:10:56 > 0:11:00There's a monetary value, but it was never that. We never intended to sell it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04I just wanted to find out more about it, because it was unique and it was made for somebody.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12'We traced it to a family called the Baird family, George Alexander Baird,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15'and his wife Cecelia which is the intertwined monogram on the front.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18'They lived in a place called Stitch Hill Mansion,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22'which no longer exists, but we found the local post mistress, Mary Thomson,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'who had been there for 30 years. She was a local historian.'
0:11:25 > 0:11:29A few years later, we travelled to Edinburgh, went to Stitch Hill,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33met with Mary and she lives in one of the lodge houses of the original mansion house,
0:11:33 > 0:11:40and as we drove up, we could see on the lodge gates the intertwined C and G Baird
0:11:40 > 0:11:44'and on the reverse side was the griffin which is on the front of the gradenza.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46'We felt immediately we had found its home.'
0:11:46 > 0:11:49'It has to be my best of the best,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51'because it has everything.'
0:11:51 > 0:11:54A - a marvellous piece of furniture, good provenance,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58a lovely owner and continuing discovery.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Absolute quality antiques there.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07One man who knows quality when he sees it is the Roadshow's Art Deco man, Eric Knowles.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10He's been on the show for 28 years, man and boy.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15Normally he's never stuck for words, but there was one day when he struggled -
0:12:15 > 0:12:17the first time he stepped in front of a camera.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22Stand by to flashback to the '80s for the first recorded glimpse of our Eric.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26I was as nervous as...
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I did really well to mask the shaking.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Can you tell me anything about them? Where have they come from?
0:12:33 > 0:12:39When we purchased the house, the small chair was under the stairs and the big one was in the hall.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43They've been left by the previous tenants. Is that right?
0:12:43 > 0:12:47'Way back in 1981, I was
0:12:47 > 0:12:5128 years of age, which is remarkable because I'm only 32 now.
0:12:51 > 0:12:59These date from round about 1900 and it really is very, very individual in style.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03To look at the chairs, you might think they're Indian, but in actual fact,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05they're from nowhere near India....
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'I had been brought on the programme just to work on the front counter,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12but the producer came up to me after about half an hour and said,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15"You see those chairs over there, do you recognise who they're by?"
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I said, "Well, yeah, they're by Bugatti."
0:13:18 > 0:13:20He said, "Do you know about...?"
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I said, "I know a few things." He said, "Go up there and do a record."
0:13:23 > 0:13:27When you think of Bugatti, you automatically think of the racing cars.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32Well Carlo was the father of Vittori, who was the designer of racing cars.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36If not for the show's veterans preferring more traditional furniture,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Eric might never have got the chance to step in front of the cameras.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43The whole effect of this cabinet is magnificent.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45It's a glorious bit of furniture.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48'My relationship with Arthur Negus, what can I say?
0:13:48 > 0:13:52'Certainly, if anything 20th century came onto the programme,'
0:13:52 > 0:13:55he'd look at it in disdain and say,
0:13:55 > 0:14:00"I haven't got a clue, show it the lad, he'll probably know what it is."
0:14:00 > 0:14:02I don't think he ever really knew me name.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06This use of metal or copper banding is again typical of Bugatti.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08'I had explained about the copper obliques'
0:14:08 > 0:14:13and when the cameras stopped rolling, this chap started talking
0:14:13 > 0:14:17and he said, "This copper, in my back garden, I keep digging up lots of these,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20"I mean, they're in an area of charred wood."
0:14:20 > 0:14:23And it dawned on me what had happened,
0:14:23 > 0:14:29that basically the previous owner of the house who had left these behind under the stairwell
0:14:29 > 0:14:34had taken a Bugati dining room suite and put it on the bonfire!
0:14:34 > 0:14:40Saleroom value would probably be in the region of £800 to £1,000.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43What a crime! And talking of crimes...
0:14:43 > 0:14:47'When it comes to the suit, the main reason I bought that size'
0:14:47 > 0:14:49is that it also fitted my dad.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Like it or not, you can't ignore it.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It really is very, very individual. As I said...
0:14:54 > 0:14:59I used to send it up to him on the Red Star parcel post
0:14:59 > 0:15:02for him to go to job interviews in.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05And it worked on three occasions.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- Is that really true? - Of course it's not! LAUGHTER
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Eric Knowles, who claims he was barely out of shorts when that recording was made.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19A lot of the items we see at the Antiques Roadshow
0:15:19 > 0:15:23are carefully repacked after their visit, and inevitably they will return
0:15:23 > 0:15:26to glass cabinets and mantelpieces, but one of our specialists,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Katherine Higgins, believes that the pieces you use every day
0:15:30 > 0:15:32can end up the collectables of the future.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38# Get outta that bed Wash your face and hands
0:15:40 > 0:15:42# ..Well, you get in that kitchen
0:15:42 > 0:15:45# Make some noise With the pots and pans... #
0:15:45 > 0:15:48I am a great fan of vintage kitchenalia,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50and all things to do with home wares. I love the '50s
0:15:50 > 0:15:53as it was a really exciting time to be in the kitchen.
0:15:53 > 0:15:59It was a time when things were both functional and good looking, and I think the combination of the two
0:15:59 > 0:16:02meant that a housewife got these great new gadgets that she could use.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07And that's why it's very exciting to bring them to life again.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09And I really enjoy doing that.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- # ..De-oo-wee-ooh, sh-boom, sh-boom - Life could be a dream, sweetheart
0:16:12 > 0:16:15# De-oo-wee-ooh Sh-boom, sh-boom... #
0:16:15 > 0:16:18This is the place I come for my shopping fix.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22I love burrowing around and seeing if I can find my favourite things.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25# De-oo-wee-ooh Sh-boom, sh-boom... #
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Even the most perfect '50s housewife wouldn't have had this level of choice.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33It's like a sort of real time-warp experience here, and I love it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38I think certainly there are a band of collectors who love to buy 1950s things,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42and these really set off other pieces that they might have bought, the grander pieces.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46You know, the really nice armchair or the sofa, something like that.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50I think there are a number of people like me who buy to use,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55and if the trend continues, I think we're going to see prices going up.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Not too high, I hope, so that I can still buy a few things myself!
0:16:59 > 0:17:03# ..Sweetheart! #
0:17:03 > 0:17:09The new materials and new kitchen wares that came out in the 1950s were very revolutionary.
0:17:09 > 0:17:15Firms like Pyrex had already existed pre-war, but post-war, they go in a new direction.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17They're restyled for a younger audience,
0:17:17 > 0:17:22and it was the first time really they could actually afford modern design.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27I think I love these things, because they're a lot of the things I actually grew up with.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33For instance, this was my porridge bowl. Not this particular one,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36but a bowl exactly like this was my porridge bowl when I was about...
0:17:36 > 0:17:39My first memories of using it were about three of four.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43And I don't want to spend fortunes on antiques.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48I think it's great to spend as much as your small purse can afford, really.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51This sort of stuff at £10 or £12 is the perfect buy.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56# ..Home cookin', home cookin'... #
0:17:59 > 0:18:03I love the original recipe books and leaflets, which are great.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07They kind of just showed how perfect you had to be as a housewife.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10You had to prepare everything so it looked amazing,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14and then you had to move to do some sewing for the children.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16And then you had to be able to do knitting.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20So you were a sort of multi-tasking machine that just sort of managed to
0:18:20 > 0:18:25make it all perfect, and produce the smile at the end of the day.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28# ..We love to bake A sunshine cake
0:18:28 > 0:18:32# It does more good Than a big, big steak
0:18:32 > 0:18:35# We'll start With a tablespoon of trouble
0:18:35 > 0:18:39# Then add a smile And let it bubble... #
0:18:39 > 0:18:42I think until 1954, things were pretty hard,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and the recipe I'm doing today is quite interesting because
0:18:45 > 0:18:48it's sheer extravagance, in terms of what there was.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52I'm using sausages, which were so rarely seen.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55You almost had to bribe the butcher to get a sausage.
0:18:55 > 0:19:01So things changed enormously when rationing ended, and you can see that.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05By 1958 we've got recipes that use goodness knows, four or five eggs,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and the weekly ration was only one egg, if you were really lucky.
0:19:09 > 0:19:16So the whole culture surrounding food changed as the decade progressed, really.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Design on tableware was really influenced by what was going on in cookery.
0:19:20 > 0:19:26As more exotic food came to the market, factories like Midwinter began decorating their pottery
0:19:26 > 0:19:30with garlic and red peppers, and even asparagus.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33These were things that many families had never seen before.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37These days, salad-ware designed by Terence Conran commands really high prices,
0:19:37 > 0:19:42but personally I prefer to collect more humble and affordable home-wares,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45by the likes of designers like Jessie Tait.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49An average Red Domino plate would be maybe £8 or £9,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52but if you're talking about the same plate in salad-ware,
0:19:52 > 0:19:57you're talking certainly £20, £30 or so, something like that.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01I would love to be able to buy perhaps a really great piece of salad ware,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05but I'm going to have to save up quite hard.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09# ..Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps... #
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I think the '50s values are very much in our minds.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17It's quite interesting, really, in the times of, I guess, credit crunch,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21we all thinking about how much things cost, and how to save money.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Well, you can be a 1950s girl and save money quite nicely,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27because the ingredients were very fresh.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31You were using products that didn't have additives or any real E-numbers
0:20:31 > 0:20:34to talk about, and it was a time when you could make things yourself.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38As a housewife you would do much more yourself than we do now,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and if you can do all of that, it's a tremendous money-saver.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And I think, let's apply those values today.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51My friends, I think, think I'm slightly mad.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55They don't necessarily share my obsession with the 1950s and 1950s food,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57but they enjoy sharing the results.
0:20:57 > 0:21:04And I'm generally known as the Nigella Lawson of the antiques world amongst my friends.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I don't know why!
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Now I'm going to put my sausage and egg tart, 1950s-style, in the oven.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16And luckily, here's one I made earlier.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21It looks... I must say, it smells delicious and it looks delicious.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24There we go. Teatime, anyone?
0:21:27 > 0:21:33Even I might consider spending a bit longer in the kitchen if I could have some of Katherine's collection.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35But taste can be a funny thing.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40What's a prized possession to one person can be an absolute monstrosity to another.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42We see it time and again on the Roadshow,
0:21:42 > 0:21:48as the expert gets excited, the owner's far from convinced.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52These next few owners just can't stand their antiques.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55I'm going to conduct an experiment.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Do you like it? - Not a lot, no.- Do you like it?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- No.- It's horrible. - No, I've never liked it hugely.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05The fact other people said they didn't like it didn't surprise me.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06Didn't offend me either.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11It's a little Martin Brothers bird made out of stoneware.
0:22:11 > 0:22:17In theory, they were tobacco jars, but I think that one's too small to get any serious amount of tobacco in.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22And today, it's probably worth £10,000.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27My daughter's standing behind you, and my granddaughter, and they're both salivating.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29It's mine, not yours! It's mine!
0:22:29 > 0:22:32My opinion after the filming had probably changed a little,
0:22:32 > 0:22:37but it's nice to know one has something that is potentially worth a bit of money.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And the end of my experiment is now. Do you like it?
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Isn't it amazing how money can change taste?
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Ah, but there are some people who hate their antiques so much,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53they won't change their minds, no matter what you say.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55At Penshurst Place I got a family delegation.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58They'd come to bring along their Moorcroft bowl.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Is this one of your prized possessions?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- I think it's very ugly.- You do?- Yes.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08You don't have to agree with your wife, I've always found it safer to do so.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Yes, I think it is after all these years. But she loves all the bright colours.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14It's a bit too sombre.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17'Now, I'm very fond of Moorcroft pottery, it goes without saying.'
0:23:17 > 0:23:24Much as I might eulogise about the thing, there was no way I was going to make any impression on her.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27- You're quite sure about that? - I'm positive.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Where does it stand in your home at the moment?
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Top of the wardrobe, covered up.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38There were so many thousands of people looking at this thing on screen thinking, "I'd love that."
0:23:38 > 0:23:44But no, and no matter what I said about it, it didn't make any difference.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47It's an unusual shape is this.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52The combination of the shape and the decoration add to the value.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58Somebody could well easily offer you £2,500 for this.
0:23:58 > 0:24:04Even when I told the lady in question that it was worth £2,500, "Don't make any difference to me."
0:24:04 > 0:24:09- No, no.- Can I ask your daughter? - Yes, ask her.- What do you think?
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Well, I don't really like it, but I think I'd keep it.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16It's a little bit like saying, "What a wonderful E-type."
0:24:16 > 0:24:20"Don't care, stays in the garage." You know, same thing.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24OK, but promise me you won't put any apples and oranges in it.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27No, I shall put it back where I got it from.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29LAUGHTER
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Well, it was... very nice meeting you all.
0:24:32 > 0:24:40Some antiques are so detested, they've been the cause of trouble and strife in the marital home.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45One of the most memorable recordings I did was at Althorp.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Two lovely, lovely dolls. Now, tell me...
0:24:48 > 0:24:52'If I'm valuing something and the owner tells me they hate it,'
0:24:52 > 0:24:59it gives me the leeway to say, "Thank God you said that, I couldn't agree with you more!"
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Did you buy them for your wife?
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- I did, yes.- You did? - I did, yes.- What a lucky wife.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Do you know what she said?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- No.- "I don't want them awful things."
0:25:10 > 0:25:11LAUGHTER
0:25:11 > 0:25:17When Bernard bought the dolls, I said, "I don't really like those.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- "They're a bit dirty, aren't they?" - That's a terrible thing to say.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24How can you say that's tatty? Look at that!
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It's wonderful.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- Would you mind telling me what you paid?- £150.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Maybe that's why you didn't like them so much.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38And I said, "If I say that you put an 0 on for each one..."
0:25:38 > 0:25:40she said, "Could you say that again?"
0:25:40 > 0:25:43No. Would you like them a bit better?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Well, I'll have them back now.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It was a bit of a shock, I don't know about a surprise.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54Can you say that again?
0:25:54 > 0:25:59- £1,000 to £1,500 each.- Each?
0:25:59 > 0:26:06I did ask the wife afterwards, "Come on, seriously, are you going to sell those?"
0:26:06 > 0:26:12So she said, "Well, I thought I might do, to go on a cruise."
0:26:12 > 0:26:14We're still looking at the cruises.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19We haven't gone on it yet, but we are thinking about it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Eric encountered yet another hated item.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25This one almost caused a family feud.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31Not many years ago we were in Wigan, and a couple brought in their family cabinet,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34which the lady described as being "the family monstrosity".
0:26:34 > 0:26:38It has been christened "the monstrosity" by the family.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42It's known affectionately as "the monstrosity".
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Do you know, I dream of being a member of a family like yours,
0:26:46 > 0:26:50because if they all hate it, it means that eventually it might come my way.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55My parents-in-law were buying a table from an auction.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00The people that were selling the table said, "You can't have the table unless you buy the cabinet."
0:27:00 > 0:27:04- Right, so it was forced on her? - Virtually, yes.
0:27:04 > 0:27:11OK, I've got to say 40 years ago this type of furniture was not particularly desirable.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14It was definitely not really wanted on the day it arrived.
0:27:14 > 0:27:20But over the years, yes, it's become very, very much part of the family.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22If I wanted to go out and buy that today,
0:27:22 > 0:27:28- I would have to go out with £6,000 in my pocket.- Gosh.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I don't think there would be any problems in that department.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36But it just goes to show how one man's meat is another man's poison.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Well, you like it, I like it, and at this moment in time that's all that matters.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45So next time you may be thinking of ditching that hated piece,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48remember it may be worth bringing along to a Roadshow to double check.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50That's just about it for another edition,
0:27:50 > 0:27:56more priceless moments tomorrow when some of our most eloquent experts reveal a few tricks of the trade.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Furniture expert Orlando Rock shows us what life is like living above the shop.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05So Burley plays this dual role between being a very public house
0:28:05 > 0:28:11that's opened to a lot of visitors during the year, and also very much our very fortunate family house.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Houses like this must evolve.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16You've always got to keep pushing the boundaries.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21And we reveal some of the sauciest moments ever seen on the Roadshow.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23I've been called the Queen of saucy objects.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27I have no idea where this comes from. It makes me feel like a bottle of ketchup!
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- Good Lord!- Cheeky!
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Until next time, bye-bye.