[ Horn honks ] -[ Laughs ] -We're back on the road in our trusty traveling auction house... -Go, go, go!

-Come on, man!

-...on the hunt for treasures hidden in homes all across Britain.

-Finding value in those overlooked objects... -...Auction supremos Christina Trevanion... -Oh, that's brilliant.

-...and Izzie Balmer.

-Ta da!

-Transforming has-beens into must haves, restorers JJ Chalmers... -I'm delighted with that.

-...and Robin Johnson.

-Look at that.

Doesn't she sing?

-Our mission?

-Huh.

-To give those unloved and forgotten gems a new lease of life.

-And make their owners some much-needed money.

-We've probably got about £1,500 to £2,000.

-Everything we find... -...and fix... -...will go under the gavel in our traveling saleroom.

-Popping up in the most surprising of places... -...we bring the auction to you.

-I've got to start this at £700.

-I can't believe it.

-At £1,500, sold.

-You know what we say -- have gavel, will travel.

♪♪ -And we're off.

-Whoo-hoo!

-This morning, we're in Surrey, on our way to the, oh, so pretty Walton-on-Thames.

-Ohh!

-Someone's chirpy today.

-Well, I'm very excited about where we're off to.

-Guess which star of stage, screen, and all things musical was born here in Walton-on-Thames in 1935.

-Musical?

-Yeah, musical.

-"Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music," Julie Andrews.

-Absolutely right you are.

Oh, that was a good guess.

But do we think a spoonful of sugar could help the antique finding go down today?

-I think it will, and I also think you're gonna find some supercalifragilistic items.

-I hope so!

-In fact, I predict more magic items up for auction than in Mary Poppins' handbag.

As we're on our way to meet collecting enthusiast David and his wife, Sarah.

♪♪ -We've been married since the 18th of March, 1989, so I believe that's 34 years, Sarah.

-Yes, it is.

-And it's been bliss every way through, and... my love has grown like my collection.

-Stop it!

-Ooh, he's a smooth one.

They moved here in 1998 with their children, Matthew and Nicola, and just as his family grew, so too did David's passion for purchasing.

-So over the years, I've collected comics, and that filled a third of the house, Russian boxes, another third, and then I thought, "Well, I've nearly finished.

I'll do cocktail shakers."

And that was really the house complete.

-He loves buying, he's great at buying, great eye, but he's -- he's really not very good at selling.

-I don't believe I've ever sold anything that I've bought.

But every now and then I give away a piece to a friend just as a present.

I always regret it afterwards and think, "That was the best box or silver cocktail shaker in my collection."

-The children have flown the nest, and the time has come for David to rethink his collections.

-We're getting to an age where you start to think, "What will the children have to -- to cope with at any point when you're not -- sadly, not here anymore?"

And there is so many things in this house.

There are so many things.

-And if something happened to me, what would the children know?

What would Sarah know about my collections?

Wouldn't it be better if I sorted out my collections sooner rather than later?

-And David and Sarah have plans for the money raised.

-Firstly, we'd like to give part of it to our two children.

They're both entering the housing market and it's just so expensive at the moment.

The other part we'd like to give to a couple of charities, both of which would deal with mental-health issues.

-Something sadly, David and Sarah have experienced first hand and know only too well its devastating effects.

-When I was younger, I was personally affected by mental-health issues myself.

I was trying to build a career, a new marriage, new house, and whatever and trying to do the best I could in my job.

And I started getting very poorly and started thinking very negative thoughts and not really knowing what was going on.

-When David was ill, it was really frightening for me.

I had a young child, so it was just hard to know what was the best thing to do to -- to help him and -- and to keep the family together.

And you really need the support of -- of the organizations to help you get through that.

So we'd really like to help if we can.

-Which makes our job today all the more important.

-I think it is gonna be quite tricky, persuading David to part with some of his collections today, 'cause he is incredibly passionate about his collections.

-I reckon I can use some of my persuasive charm.

-Oh, and you have it in abundance.

[ Laughs ] I love your positivity, Robin.

-Well, you know -- Oh!

-Oh, I don't love your gear changes.

[ Laughs ] -Luckily, I'm better with people and breathing new life into old and forgotten objects.

Oh, look at that.

-Oh, that is gorgeous.

-It really is picture perfect.

But I wonder what treasures lie within.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Hi.

You must be David.

-I'm David, yes.

-And I am Sarah.

Hi.

-Thank you for having us.

My goodness, what a beautiful home.

-Oh, thank you so much.

-It's gorgeous.

Is there anywhere off limits?

-No, every room's fine to look at, and hopefully you'll find something in most of the rooms.

-Is everything for sale?

-I probably have 2 or 3 favorite things at the moment.

-Okay.

-When we look further, I'm sure I'll find more stuff.

-Okay.

-Come in.

-Brilliant.

Right, where should we start?

-I'm gonna start in the garden.

-You're always starting in the garden.

-I know, especially on a day like today.

-Yeah.

-The sun is definitely shining on us.

But with just one day to find items for auction and over 30 years of David's collections to go through, we really have our work cut out.

Hmm.

Okay.

Oh, these look nice.

-So I'm heading straight out back... -Buddha.

-...to start my search for items in need of a little TLC.

-I'm with you.

-While I'm working my way through David's vast, vast collection.

-Look at these!

These are so cool!

Cheese server mice.

[ Laughs ] -And downstairs in the study, something's caught my eye.

-What have we got here?

Ah.

Looking at this little shelving display unit over here, we've got some really interesting pieces of silver and some plated ware as well.

We've got a pair of silver posy vases.

We've got some silver candlesticks.

We've got some silver cigarette cases.

But my favorite amongst the silver collections are silver salad servers.

How decadent are they?

Can you imagine having that with your iceberg lettuce?

"I'm just gonna get my silver salad servers out."

Very cool.

I like those very much.

I think the salad servers alone would be worth £40 to £60 at auction.

But silver is incredibly popular, and there are many more items in this collection, which, as 3 or 4 different lots, could fetch between £200 and £300.

This is a great start, but there's still more searching to be done.

-So I'm off to the shed to have a good, old rummage.

-Look at this.

That's a nice-looking chair.

It's sprung.

It's like a sprung rocker, very contemporary.

It's a lovely bit of leather, a little bit cracked and a bit tired, but I think it will clean up really nicely.

-Ha ha!

Surprise, surprise, I found you in the shed.

-Well, I'm -- I'm rocking out.

-You are rocking out.

-I like this.

-Ooh.

-That is a nice chair.

-Yeah.

-It's called an American rocker.

-Oh, really?

Oh.

-Yeah.

Yeah, because of that movement.

It rocks on its base.

You know how, when people walk towards you, when you're sitting on a rocking chair and you end up crushing their feet with the rockers?

Well, this was kind of designed to avoid that.

Exactly, because it rocks on its base like that on the springs.

What are you gonna do with it?

-A little bit of a polish, and the springs... -[Laughing] Ohh!

Just you be careful.

-The springs did work.

-[ Laughs ] -This could be an even bigger job than I first thought.

-[ Groans ] Oh, that's quite light, actually.

-Or you're just incredibly strong, Robin.

-This old chair is really quite beautiful, and with a little bit of love, could raise a pretty penny at auction... which means it's time to open up the van and get cracking.

♪♪ -The traveling auctioneers are open for business.

♪♪ -I've got my work cut out for me here.

-This is quite a unique rocking chair.

It's seen better days, that is for sure.

The leather is perished and cracked.

I can do something about it, but I can't really fix the cracks.

But I can stop it getting any worse and then make it look a lot fresher.

-But before I attempt to tackle the leather, I need to take the chair apart and find out why it isn't rocking anymore.

-So the first thing I've noticed is the casting that holds the spring on is broken, so that's obviously been broken for a little while.

The good news is I should be able to glue that back together, but also when I glue it back together, it will be held in place by the screws anyway.

-I'm going to use a two-part epoxy resin for a really strong bond.

-Mix the parts equally.

1-to-1 ratio.

This is the quick-set stuff -- goes off in about five minutes.

So now I'm gonna generously apply some along the break.

And that should... should hold.

-Next up, the springs themselves.

-I think, with a little cleanup, I can bring them up nice and black again.

♪♪ -And while I'm grafting outside in the hot sun, I'm sure Christine is working up a sweat searching for stuff, too.

-Oh, now, these are rather lovely and very different -- very, very different.

And when we open it up, we've got -- Oh, and now, that might be a clue, mightn't it?

That's a pear, so it potentially could be pear wood.

Oh, that's cute.

So we've got this lovely compartmented interior here, which would have been potentially for sewing implements or threads.

Great.

And what's this one?

Oh, beautiful!

Look at that!

That's actually more modern on the interior than I thought it was going to be.

They are sought after at auction.

Really interesting that you've got the two different methods of inlay here -- really interesting.

What we have here is a box which is inlaid with parquetry.

Parquetry, as in parquet flooring, I guess.

Basically, using this wonderful wooden design here to create a geometric-pattern design on the cover with using all these different specimens of wood.

And then we have marquetry, and marquetry is the terms we use when it's floral inlay, just like this.

-These would make a lovely addition to our auction and potentially reach up to £60 each.

So not a bad little find.

And how are you getting on with that chair, Robyn?

-Good.

Thanks, Christina.

With a little clean and some moisturizer, the leather is coming up great.

-Next up, it's time to polish.

-The tricky bit, though, will be matching up the colors.

I've got a neutral and a brown polish that I'm hoping will tie in with the natural shades of the leather.

-Oh, yeah, that seems to be the right one.

Now, this is just normal shoe polish.

Shoe polish is probably the easiest thing to get hold of to make leather look good again.

-That really is starting to come together, and whilst Robyn has been hard at it outside... -Ooh!

-...I've also come across some rather special items.

Anyone for a cocktail?

-Oh, hello!

You found the cocktail shakers.

-I have found the cocktail shakers.

Is it always cocktail time in this house?

-It always is.

As long as you can find a cocktail shaker, you can have a cocktail.

-[ Laughs ] Now, talk to me about this, 'cause we found them around the house.

-Cocktail shakers is one of the first things I collected.

I went to an antique emporium and bought this one, and I liked it so much, I researched it, found out more about it, and then started buying more.

Maybe 2 or 3 a year till where we are today.

-What is that one?

-It's probably my best one.

It's made by Napier in the 1930's, who was an American company, and it's called Dial-a-Cocktail.

-The Napier company started in 1875 as jewelry manufacturers.

They ceased production of jewelry during World War I to help with the war effort, but from the mid 1920's, they started to produce a line of barware, including cocktail shakers, which were inspired by designs that they'd seen at an international exhibition in Paris.

This is a great item and could reach between £100 and £150.

-So David, tell me about this one, because normally I would expect to see a cover on the top of a cocktail shaker.

-When I first saw it, I thought it was broken.

And then about 2 or 3 years later, I was watching an antiques program, and this person said, "Okay, what you have to do to these is lift the lid like this."

-Oh, it's extendable neck!

-And then that will allow, then, you to pour it.

-Yeah.

-And I thought, "Well, wouldn't it be funny if it was Tiffany's?"

I looked, and it was Tiffany's.

-[ Gasps ] -So I thought, "That's the best £10 I've ever spent.

-What a bargain.

You know, they're really quite fun things to give someone for -- as a gift.

-I'd estimate this Tiffany cocktail shaker would sell for between £120 and £180 at auction.

-The Tiffany example, I think, will be very sought after.

So why do you want to sell the cocktail shakers?

-I think I've had my enjoyment out of these, you know, real enjoyment, real fun.

I'll be a bit sad about giving them away, but someone else can enjoy them.

-David's carefully curated collection of cocktail shakers are his pride and joy, so I can completely understand why it's so hard for him to let them go.

-When I was a young boy, I used to collect American comics and keep them in a big chest hidden away in the garage.

-Not hidden well enough though, as they were discovered by his mother, who, not realizing their importance, gave them away.

-Losing something that I'd actually built up as my own personal collection that meant something to me, and so that's why I started, but after that, I actually found a great fun in investigating things.

-I love David's inquisitive mind, and I don't mind admitting that I'm having a wonderful time exploring his incredible collections, but I can't help wondering how Robin's getting on outside.

-Still hard at it, working on my rocking chair.

-So far, I've given the metal work a bit of attention, I've polished the leather.

Now it's time to get on to the wood.

I'm gonna start with the base.

-I'm using wire wool dipped in methylated spirits to get rid of the remainder of the original polish.

-What's really nice is that you get to see the original color of the wood below.

-Robin, I brought you a glass of water.

It's so hot this afternoon.

-It is.

Thank you very much.

Do you recognize this?

-I do.

It's my nursing chair that I used for both my children, actually.

-So, have you got any memories that are attached to this chair?

-It does have nice memories.

When that really quiet time at night where you're just on your own with your new baby, it's just the two of you, and it rocks to and fro really nicely, and it was just such a lovely, lovely, precious time, really.

-But it was also at this time that David first began to struggle with his mental health.

-I think having gone through the experiences we went through in our early marriage, it does make you really passionate about wanting to just make sure there's as much help as possible.

-It's such a horrid illness, so it is very important to actually recognize that there are ways to get better -- counseling, talking about it.

-For us, we've seen first hand the amazing work that some of these charities do, and so anything we can do to help those services be available to other families would be fabulous if we can do that.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-While this chair might not have been part of David's collection, it certainly played an important role in the family and hopefully will do the same for someone else once I'm finished with it.

My final job is to get the springs back in.

♪♪ -Right.

Done.

Then... ♪♪ ...that rocking chair is rocking once again.

♪♪ -That looks amazing and could make between £20 and £30 at auction.

I'm looking forward to giving it a go later, but for now, there's still more to find inside.

I love these babushka dolls or matryoshka dolls, and they just keep going.

This is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and then your tiny, weeny one at the bottom there.

-The first Russian nested doll set was created in 1890 as folk art by woodcarver Vasily Zvyozdochkin, but subsequently grew in popularity.

"Matryoshka" broadly translates as "little matron," and they normally represent Russian women in beautiful attire.

-These are quite different because they seem to be quite religious.

We've got Mary here, we've got Jesus, and then various Russian saints going down in size there.

So it's quite unusual.

I had one as a child.

I love them -- takes me back to my youth.

Right.

Let's start putting them back together.

One, two.

-I think bidders will be drawn to them through their own childhood memories.

They're also a bit different and could make up to £50 in our auction.

♪♪ -That is a nice little earner for the kitty.

And whilst Christina's been playing with dolls, I'm on the hunt for more forgotten treasures to fix up and sell at auction.

And don't judge me, but I'm heading back to the shed where something else caught my eye earlier.

-A good shed is always worth a second visit.

♪♪ Hmm.

It's quite a cute doll's house.

What I have seen, though, underneath is the table.

This is either gonna sit here and go rotten, or it's gonna get chucked away.

If I can give that a little bit of love, a little bit of elbow grease, that could be a useful desk in someone's home.

-Now, this is a great example of something that just needs a little bit of love.

-This table top is really scratched.

Not just scratched, though.

A part of it has cracked, and that's quite a big crack.

I'm hoping that if I squirt a bit of wood glue in there and leave it clamped for a little while, that might hold it together enough so that I can sand this top and hopefully hide that repair.

-Using some heavy-duty wood glue, I'm squeezing as much into the crack as possible... -All the way around and on the end grain as well.

Oh, yeah.

That's good.

-...and using a clamp to seal it shut.

♪♪ Time for the heavy-duty tools to come out.

-Once the glue is dry, it's time to sand down the wood with my electric sander, which not only cleans and smooths the surface, but also gets rid of all the scratches and most importantly, the big crack.

-Table top is now sanded, and pretty much all the imperfections are gone.

Now I think a colored wax would be the ideal finish for this.

-Applying wax can not only add color, but also extra depth and dimension to the finish.

-When I apply wax to anything, I like to get a bit of rag or cloth and get it into a ball, almost like a rubber that I'd use for French polishing, just 'cause that gives a nice, smooth finish.

It also gives me something that I can physically push into the wax tin to get absolutely covered in wax.

The wood has soaked that wax up, and the wax, in turn, is gonna help preserve and protect that wood, as well as making it look at least twice as good.

I mean, that looks brilliant.

Lovely.

-Amazing job, Robin.

I'd say that's got to be worth a tenner of anyone's money, hasn't it?

And it can join the silver, cocktail shakers, your lovely rocking chair, and the Russian dolls, as well as a beautiful Art Nouveau bureau I found tucked away in the study.

♪♪ -Look at that.

Isn't that beautiful?

♪♪ -But we've still got a way to go, so daughter Nicola has arrived to help with our mission to help her dad clear out.

-David even seems to be getting over his instinct to hold on to his prize collections, and he and Sarah are heading up to the loft to recover the treasures hoarded up there.

And whilst I'm scouring the garage... -I'm taking on the bedrooms.

-Mm!

Spoons.

Enamel spoons.

These are beautiful.

-This is Nicola's old bedroom, so I'm hoping that she can shed some light on what they're doing here.

-Hi, Nicola.

Hello.

-Hi.

[ Laughs ] -Now, I found these spoons over on the bookcase over there.

-Yes.

-Into the spare rooms as well, isn't it?

-I mean, we are becoming a sort of antique shop all round this house, yes.

-It's just extraordinary because he's gone, "Right, spoons."

-Yes.

-So he's gonna collect lots of different spoons.

-Yes.

-Because we've got British ones here, and then we've got sort of Norwegian and Danish examples here as well.

-Yeah.

-But then we've got these extraordinary enameled spoons.

Now, I love enameled things.

Do you know what enamel is?

-I can't say I would be able to describe it, no.

-It's essentially molten glass.

-Right, okay.

Interesting.

-A very, very thin layer of molten glass.

-They just look like sweeties, don't they?

All rainbows.

They're just gorgeous, aren't they?

-Yeah.

Really stunning.

-But unfortunately, we have got quite a lot of damage on these ones here, which sadly will affect the value.

-That said, they still could make £60 to £80 at auction, and the other spoons could tally up to over £250.

-That's a lovely little find, Christina.

Having exhausted the house, and with my desk now complete, I'm heading back outside in search of another forgotten gem.

-Hello.

What's under here, then?

Aha.

What have we got here?

Oh, croquet.

Well, this looks in good condition, other than the menagerie of insects living in there, or dead in there now, by the looks of things.

Well, one has never actually played croquet, but I think this set could be cleaned up quite nicely.

-Well, I hope one looks out for the creepy crawlies.

♪♪ Thankfully, inside, it's an auctioneer's dream.

-Now, what have we got in here?

This looks like one of David's collections.

I think that we've got... Wedgwood.

Keith Murray for Wedgwood.

Wedgwood Moonstone.

Yeah.

Moonstone glaze.

Oh, that's a nice piece.

That's unusual.

Keith Murray.

-A New Zealand-born British architect and industrial designer, Keith Murray was known for his ceramic, silver, and glass designs for Wedgwood, Mappin & Webb, and Stevens & Williams in the 1930's and '40s.

He is considered to be one of the most influential designers of the Art Deco and Modern ages, and today his designs are much sought after by collectors.

We've got a moonstone glaze, which is this lovely white glaze.

We've got matte straw, which is this obviously yellowy color.

And then there should be a green.

Yes.

It was a green that he did as well -- Keith Murray for Wedgwood.

Sarah Lou?

-David has an enormous collection here, but I just want to make sure that this is something he'd be happy to part with.

-Now, I'm assuming that this is a David collection.

-Am I right?

-It is one of David's collections, yes.

-So why did he go for Keith Murray for Wedgwood?

-He started off with a silver cocktail shaker, actually, and then when he started to look into who had designed it, he saw that he did all this beautiful pottery as well, and so then he started collecting the pottery.

-And how do you feel about the collecting?

-I like a lot of the collections that David has amassed.

I think my only issue probably is just at what point do you stop collecting whatever it is?

There needs to be an end point.

And -- And sometimes we haven't seemed to have reached that.

-There is no end point.

The end point is a very, very, very tiny dot on the horizon.

-I think he's ready to let it go.

-Ready to let it go.

Okay.

-Great news.

That clears a lot of items from the house.

David's Keith Murray collection encompasses not only ceramics, but silverwares, and sold together in one auction will attract keen collectors.

-That's a great find, Christina.

And I'm not resting on my laurels, as I've got a serious clean-up job to do on my croquet set.

-Look at that.

Oh.

It is filthy.

It's like an insect graveyard.

It's horrible.

Ugh!

Ugh!

-And after a quick check for any rotten wood, thankfully it all seems to be sound.

-It's cleaned up rather nicely, and I've just got a few little maintenance jobs to do before it's ready for auction.

-First up, a bit of oil on the old hinges.

-What I'm hoping is that oil will penetrate in there and loosen that up.

-During which time I'm going to replace the old rope handles.

-I've got this really nice contemporary rope.

It's a bit more in keeping with the -- the croquet theme.

Get it there.

-And with both hinges now working, all that's left to do is to screw the top back into its original position.

-Screw, screw.

Good as new.

That's great.

Cleaned up nicely.

Hinges working, and the whole set is clean.

This is gonna go to a fantastic new home, hopefully.

-Not bad at all, Robin.

That will make a lovely little item at auction and could make around £40 to £60.

-And there's more good news.

Inspired by our enthusiasm for his collections, and with Sarah's encouragement, David has been digging out some of his most prized items from the loft.

Lots of wooden boxes.

-Wow.

Ooh.

-And his box label wasn't lying.

-That was a harder job than I thought.

-[ Laughs ] David, this is quite an extraordinary collection.

-I was very proud of it, 'cause I haven't seen anyone have a collection like this.

I don't know what it's worth.

It's just very exciting.

-This is obviously a collection that you have built up over quite a period of time.

-Yes, about 30 years ago, I bought these three... -Yeah.

-...in a boot fair for about £10, if that.

-Right.. -And then it just took off.

-Every time I see -- saw a new one, I bought it and bought it, bought it, and before I knew it, the room was full.

-[ Laughs ] -These boxes were made in the first half of the 20th century and were designed to hold cigarets, jewelry, and other such trinkets.

They were made by Russian peasant farmers to sell to tourists.

The process used is called poker or pyrograph work, where a hot poker is used to detail the outline of the picture before being hand-colored.

-Talk to me about why they are so fascinating to you.

-I didn't know what they were, researched them, and suddenly it was a passion like, "Oh, this is quite interesting."

-Do you know, David, I love that about you.

You just never stop wanting to learn.

-Now, why I love them is because it shows you things about Russia and native things you didn't know about before -- shoe mending, leather tanning, fishing.

-These Russian boxes are exquisite -- real miniature masterpieces.

I think there could be up to 40 lots here, with a total estimate of between £2,000 and £3,000.

-They've been in the loft.

They're not looked at anymore.

What do you want to do with them?

-Well, actually, I'm very happy to call it quits at the top.

It takes up a lot of room.

I'd like other people to enjoy them.

-Well, thank you for showing me your incredible collection.

I'm really looking forward to cataloging it.

-I hope it does very well, but it gave me a lot of joy anyway.

-David's love of learning and of antiques has been a joy to be a part of, and I can't wait to do my own research into these Russian folk-art boxes.

-David's been a real champ, letting go of things he's so passionate about -- his cocktail shaker, spoon, and box collections.

-And Robin uncovered and restored some things the family barely remembered, including the beautiful, old rocking chair from the shed.

♪♪ -It's time for us to say goodbye.

But thank you so much for having us in your home today.

It's been really lovely.

-We really enjoyed it.

Thank you.

-Oh, absolute pleasure, and, David, I've learned so much from you.

-Oh, it's been mutual.

I've learned so much from you as well and from Robin.

-Well, hopefully, we can raise a little bit of money for you at auction.

-That'd be great.

-Talking of which... -We'll see you there.

-Time to go.

Take care.

Bye.

-...see you there.

-See you later.

-Bye.

♪♪ -There's collectors, and then there's collectors on another level, and I think David has ticked that box.

My goodness, he had a lot for us to look at today.

-We certainly had our work cut out for us, hey?

And I was doing it in the baking sunshine outside.

-Yeah, you were.

Aw!

I was in the air conditioning.

[ Laughs ] ♪♪ -Seven weeks later, and auction day is upon us.

David's items have been sorted and cataloged, so we're hotfooting it up to Luton.

-Today's auction is taking place at Stockwood Discovery Centre.

And where better to hold an auction for a collector than in a collection itself -- this time of incredible carriages?

-I love it.

This is awesome.

It's like a walled garden, isn't it?

-I know.

I might have to carry you, though, 'cause I noticed you're in heels.

-I am in heels on the grass.

-And the grass looks a little wet.

-Yeah, well, we need to get the rostrum out, don't we?

♪♪ Right here we go.

-As we set up shop, the pressure's on to raise as much money as we can for David's chosen mental-health charities and his children, who've come along to support him and Sarah today.

-Hey, guys.

How are you?

-Hi.

-Hello, Robin.

Nice to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

-What do you think?

-It's miraculous, the change you made.

-Breathed a little bit of life into it.

So, David, tell me, how does it feel, slimming down your collection?

-No, it's been great, actually.

I've used the opportunity to trim things down, as you said, and also clear out other stuff that I don't want.

-Wonderful.

Now, I know Christina is chomping at the bit to get started, so I'll follow you in and carry this chair.

-All right.

Thank you.

-See you there.

-Oh, I'll carry it on my own.

-Let's get cracking.

There's a whopping 76 lots up for auction, although that's not surprising given the extent of David's collection.

And some of his cocktail shakers are already creating quite a stir online.

-I know that we've had a lot of pre-sale interest in the Dial-a-Cocktail, this example, and also, whilst we haven't got much pre-sale interest, this is one of the most watched lots that's gonna be in our auction today.

So it's potentially going to be a very exciting auction for David.

-Today's auction is being run by Hanson Ross Auctioneers, with Sonia and Barry in the hot seats.

As well as the room filling up, we have two online bidding platforms opening up our items to buyers from around the world.

-Have a seat.

Front row.

-I know.

-So as we settle in, the lines are opening, and Christina is ready to spring into action.

-Welcome, David and Sarah.

Lovely to see you today.

Shall we get going?

All right.

-We're kicking off today's auction with David's gilt-enameled spoon collection.

-Have those spoons ever been out of the box, do you think?

-No.

-I have £30, £35, £40 on platform two.

£45 I have.

I've got £50 and £55 is bid now.

£65.

£60 is bid.

On platform one at £60.

At £65.

Thank you.

I'm selling at £65.

-They served up a nice little sum.

-Pretty good.

-And next up, we have a Mappin & Webb silver collection, consisting of a cigarette case with ashtray and an engraved christening mug.

-I have interest here at £80 £90, £100, £110, £120, £130.

-Ooh, look at that.

-We're online at £140.

[ Gavel bangs ] -And that's more than I thought they would go for.

-Same here.

-Good job, Christina.

-Now a favorite.

Surely, like me, everyone loves matryoshka dolls.

-Looking for £50 now.

It's against you on platform two.

-£1 for each doll.

-I've got £28, £30 here.

Looking for £35.

£35, £38.

Looking for £40 now.

£40 I have, thank you, on platform two.

Looking for £45 now.

At £45 is bid on platform one at £45.

Looking for £50 now.

But I will sell, if you're all settled, at £45.

[ Gavel bangs ] -Lovely.

-Wow, brilliant.

-Thanks, Christina.

-Brilliant.

-And I'd say I think that's 4.5 times what David paid for them.

The next lot is Robin's gorgeous American-style rocking chair.

-It wasn't working when we found it.

-Was it not rocking?

-No, it was not rocking.

I refixed the springs, and -- and I treated the leather as well.

-It's a super, super smart chair.

And I am looking for only £20 for it.

We will even help you carry it to your car if you would like the rocking chair.

I will carry it to your -- Well, I'll get Robin to carry it to your car.

Anybody interested at £20?

I have an online bidder of £10.

It's against you all in the room at £10.

They think you're worth £10.

At £10.

Now I'm looking for £12.

Or I will sell to my online bidder on platform two at £10.

[ Gavel bangs ] -Well done, Robin.

Thank you.

-It looks great as well.

You've done an amazing job with it.

-Thanks very much.

Thank you.

-Now something I was particularly excited by of David's -- his Keith Murray collection, starting with the silver-plated tea and coffee set.

-£300 is bid.

£340 I have.

£360 I have.

£380 is bid.

Selling, if we're all settled, at £380.

[ Gavel bangs ] -Wow.

Well done, Christina.

She's doing a brilliant job out there, isn't she?

Really good.

-Goodness me.

-And as predicted, the Keith Murray Collection is flying off the rostrum with sale after sale, bringing a total of nearly £600.

[ Gavel banging ] -Robin's side table didn't find a buyer, so will be going into a furniture auction.

But I still have high hopes for his croquet set.

-Lot 123 is the 20th-century Jake's of London pine-cased croquet set.

-Good as new almost.

-Well, I have interest here at £35 and £40.

It's selling, if we're all settled, at £40.

[ Gavel bangs ] -Good.

That's good.

-Brilliant.

-Bravo.

Well done.

-Well done, Christina.

-Not bad.

I'm delighted something that was home to all manner of creepy-crawlies now has a new home of its own.

-And that was someone online who bought that.

-And over the next half hour, the bids just keep coming in online and in the room.

-£55, £35, £40 is bid.

-With more silverware... [ Gavel bangs ] ...an Art Deco bureau... -Selling at £40.

-Lovely.

[ Applause ] -...Christina is on fire today.

-And we've still got more to go.

I really hope the next lot sell well, as I know it's one of David's biggest and dearest collections -- the Russian boxes.

-How does it feel letting them go?

-Gonna have to sell them sometime.

-And first of the collection is three early-to-mid-century Russian Kustar style boxes.

-The one with a lovely geese on.

I love these.

£60 I have.

£65.

£70 I have.

Thank you.

Selling, if we're all settled, at £70.

-One lot down, 39 to go.

And the boxes are proving incredibly popular today... -If we're all settled £35.

[ Gavel banging ] -...tallying up to over £1,200.

-David, I'm sorry to report that you're not taking many of these home.

-No, I'm sort of torn in two directions.

-And I have high hopes for our last box.

Dated 1914, this box is exquisite, and I have to confess, my favorite.

-I love this.

I've got £60 here, I'm afraid.

Looking for £65 from your saleroom.

At £60 I've got.

£65.

Thank you.

£70's here.

Looking for £75.

£75.

Thank you.

Looking for £80 now.

£80 is bid.

Looking for £85 now.

-It looks like a bidding war has started between two internet rivals.

-£170 is bid.

£180.

Thank you.

Looking for £190 from you now.

Platform two.

And I will sell, fair warning, if you're out on platform two, at £180.

You're out on platform two, and selling at £180.

[ Gavel bangs ] -That's fantastic.

Well done, Christina.

-Thank you.

-Great.

-Bull's-eye.

Sold for £180.

A nice way for David to let go of one of his collections.

-Moving on to our quite extraordinary cocktail shaker collection assembled by David over a number of years and beautifully researched.

-These are David's pride and joy, so I really hope Christina gets a good price for them.

-You and me both.

First up, it's the Tiffany shaker with the sliding metal cover.

-I've got £120, £130, £140, £150, £160, £170, £180, £190, £200.

-Wow!

-£220 is bid.

-Wow.

Here we go.

-£230, £240 is bid.

£250, £260.

Thank you.

At £260, £270, £280 is bid.

£290, £300 is bid.

-This is incredible.

-£320, £340, £360 with my absentee bidder.

Looking for £380.

£380 on a different platform here at £380.

Come back to me at £400.

-£400.

Maybe.

-Come back to me at £400.

-£450.

-I've got £380.

I will sell at £380.

[ Gavel bangs ] -Whoo-whoo!

-Well done, Christina.

[ Applause ] -Well done.

-I think that definitely deserves a cheers.

But how will David's favorite shaker do -- The silver Napier Dial-a-Cocktail.

-£60, £70, £80, £90, £100, £110, £120, £130, £140, £150 £160, £200 is bid.

£220, £240, £250.

I can't keep up!

£260.

I'm looking for £280 now from you.

£280 is bid.

£300 is bid.

£340.

Thank you.

£360.

£360, £380, £400 is bid.

£440 on platform two.

£460.

-£460!

£460!

Could it -- Could it hit £500?

-I will sell -- fair warning.

£480, £500 is bid.

-Told you.

-At £500 I have.

Now looking for £520.

-Unbelievable.

-At £500.

The bid is on platform two, selling at £500.

[ Gavel bangs ] -Shaken or stirred, that's an incredible amount, and what a wonderful tribute to David's amazing collection.

-Wowee!

Oh, David, all this money to start your new collection!

[ Laughter ] What are you gonna do?

-I'm gonna buy some more now.

-Yeah.

Sarah, he was murmuring about collecting carriages.

You do realize that, don't you?

-I know, I know.

-I don't think those will fit in your shed, David.

-Well, that was a good one to end on, wasn't it?

-Yeah.

-And that concludes the bidding... and a momentous day for David and his family.

-That was quite an exciting auction, wasn't it?

-It was so much fun.

Really enjoyed it.

♪♪ -I can't imagine how tough it must have been for David today, because he absolutely puts his heart and soul into all of his collections, and there are many.

And I just couldn't look at him because I thought, "Oh, God, I'm not quite sure what to do and whether I'm doing a good job or a bad job."

So it was really nice to see him at the end of the auction and to see him just glowing.

It was just gorgeous.

-Let's hope it's cocktails all round, as it's time to let Sarah and David know just how much we've made.

-So how are you feeling, team?

-I'm very happy, very happy.

-Oh, good!

Oh!

-That was quite exciting, wasn't it?

-It exceeded my expectations.

-Did it, David?

-It exceeded my expectations.

-Oh, good.

Was it a little bit bittersweet at times?

-A bit with the cocktail shakers, and once I'd got through that, I was good for anything.

-Ohh!

[ Laughter ] -That's what happens to me at cocktail parties.

[ Laughter ] -Anyway, let's talk money.

-I actually lost count.

I couldn't keep up with all the boxes.

I had to confer afterwards, but actually, I can reveal that, after fees and commission, you are going home with the grand total of £3,068.

-Wow.

That's amazing.

Thank you.

-Oh, David.

That's incredible.

-£1 for every box.

[ Laughter ] -I don't think we could have done so well without your help.

-Oh, well, it's been an honor, a privilege, and an absolute pleasure to have you all with us on this journey.

-Yeah, it really has, yeah.

-Hasn't it?

Talking of journeying, we need to get going.

-Okay.

-Been a lovely day, and then to come out with that amount of money has just been wonderful.

-I think it's been a really good day all round.

-No, for sure.

I mean, you were vindicated in everything you've collected.

-We maybe weren't as confident going in.

-And, no, it was fantastic... -And we were proved wrong.

-...and exhilarating.

when it was just climbing, climbing, climbing, and not seeing where it was gonna stop, so congratulations.

-Well, the one that thanks me the most gets the most money at the end.

[ Laughter ] -I'm really pleased that we've got -- got enough money that we can actually give a decent amount of money, particularly to the mental-health charities, which is, you know, very close to our hearts, so we're thrilled about that.

-If I had to sum up now how I feel, I would say ecstatic.

-[ Laughs ] -A wonderful amount for a wonderful cause.

-I couldn't agree more.

-Good work, Robin.

Now, who's driving?

-You?

[ Chuckles ] Me.

-[ Laughs ] Thank you.

-Come on then.

-All right.

Onward we go.

♪♪ -Another wonderful auction, Christina.

Well done.

Off we trot.

-Yippee!

Whee!

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪