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Millionaire Hoarders Season 2 Episode 8
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00:00Behind the doors of our mansions, castles, and houses, lie piles upon piles of forgotten treasures.
00:14I've been looking for that for two years.
00:17I can't get away from them. They are simply everywhere.
00:20Am I a hoarder? Yes.
00:22But when tough times come knocking...
00:25When you're saying movement, what's it doing?
00:27Come and have a look.
00:28How much does this school cost?
00:29I'd try to think.
00:31Do they have a hidden gem that could be their salvation?
00:34Not sure what's in there. Could be anything.
00:37I'd love to think that there was a master painting in here.
00:41They will need the best in the business.
00:43People do call me Mr Miscellaneous. I just love all sorts of objects.
00:49It's all about creating a look. That's what really sells.
00:53Rock stars, A-listers, they're all in my little black book.
00:56Experts determined to track down valuable finds...
00:59The book alone would command an incredible amount of money.
01:04Oh, wow. Okay. Well, that's a big name.
01:07Ooh, this is a bit of money.
01:09...and deliver life-changing sums.
01:11Solve!
01:12Oh, my goodness.
01:14This is the only copy anywhere in the world.
01:18That's unbelievable.
01:25Today, antiques experts Ronnie and Katie are joining forces...
01:29..to take on a hoard that's been building for 50 years.
01:33Here we are in Hertfordshire to seek our self-confessed hoarder.
01:38We've got a job on our hands.
01:41Well, I like lots. I like volume.
01:43Mm-hmm.
01:44I mean, volume means there's going to be something.
01:46That's what we're here for.
01:54My records are my most treasured items.
01:57We're looking at 50 years of collecting vinyl.
02:03There are 8,000 albums here.
02:05And sadly, yes, it's in alphabetical order.
02:09Student mentor Shane happily lives alongside his many collections.
02:14Am I a hoarder?
02:16Yes, I am.
02:18It's an obsession.
02:21It's a world his partner of five years,
02:23Vittoria, has recently been introduced to.
02:25I remember the first time I went to see his flat.
02:29It didn't seem like a hoarding thing or anything like that.
02:32Maybe a few months later,
02:34he went to get something out of the attic,
02:36and I went up the ladder and thought,
02:38well, there's a lot of stuff.
02:41I just thought,
02:42I'll have to introduce her to my other items slowly,
02:47because I figured if I showed her the extent of what I had,
02:50she'd run a mile.
02:52I don't smoke. You don't smoke.
02:54You've got a box full of lighters.
02:55I mean, I would love Shane to deal with it all.
02:59I would love to take it all to the charity shop.
03:01But, you know, it's Shane's thing.
03:04It's Shane's stuff.
03:07But Shane hasn't limited his collecting to the house only.
03:11I have over 70 bicycles.
03:14That's hoarding.
03:16Nor to one garage.
03:17So, in this garage, I have antiques.
03:21I like shiny things.
03:23I've actually got a third garage.
03:28I have trainers.
03:29I have shoes, boxing equipment, martial arts gear, everything.
03:34So I knew at some point I would need a fourth garage.
03:37And before you know it, five garages are full to the brim.
03:40For me, looking at the items that I own, it's just a buzz.
03:45I can probably buy another one of those to make myself happy.
03:47Yeah.
03:52This massive collection had humble beginnings.
03:55I started buying records as a kid.
04:00I got my first record from my mom.
04:03And when I left home, I asked a friend of mine to look after my records for me.
04:08This dear friend of mine, he decided to sell them.
04:12And this seven-inch single, I could cry now, that my mother had bought me was a part of that
04:18record collection.
04:19So I was devastated.
04:20And I think that's what made me go on the rampage of really buying everything I could find to
04:25replace what I didn't have.
04:28And after a while, you start applying that same passion into other things.
04:34And I think that's what made me who I am today.
04:38Shane's hoarding means there's little savings in the bank when they're needed most.
04:45When we first saw the house, we kind of had a vision, be here forever.
04:49But welcome to the building site.
04:52This was completely clear for a while, wasn't it?
04:54And then Shane's been to the garages and brought a few bits and pieces back here.
04:58The garages are going to be the bale of my life.
05:02We just need to release some cash to do the extension and stuff that we need on the house.
05:08I'm going to man up.
05:09So I will let some items go.
05:12Because we need to raise $55,000, $60,000.
05:16It's a high figure to reach.
05:18But if I sell it off on my items, we might get there.
05:21But to find hidden value amongst Shane's collections and fund their forever home, they'll need some help.
05:32Antiques experts Ronnie and Katie have contrasting areas of expertise.
05:36When I started out collecting lighters, wristwatches, records, they were collectible, desirable and profitable.
05:48My passion is interiors and I know everyone in the trade.
05:53Together, they should have this covered.
05:56So how did this all start?
06:13When did it start?
06:14Maybe 50 years ago.
06:15You don't look old enough.
06:17No.
06:17I am.
06:19Obviously, as the collection grew, I needed somewhere to store the items.
06:23So I rented a garage and then I realised that I probably needed two garages.
06:30How many are we at today?
06:34You keep...
06:34Really, how many?
06:37This is the odd morning thing.
06:38I thought I only had five.
06:40Ah.
06:40But then I actually realised I got six.
06:45Did you know how many garages?
06:47I knew there were three.
06:49So they doubled in volume.
06:52Pretty much.
06:52But that must cost you an arm and a leg.
06:54How much are we talking?
06:57Around 900.
07:00900 pounds a month.
07:01Okay.
07:02Okay.
07:02Are you happy to part with some of the things you've got in those six garages?
07:07Uh, yeah.
07:09Yes.
07:10Yes is the answer.
07:11Yeah, yeah.
07:12We'll see.
07:13We'll see.
07:14We've got to get on with this.
07:15We do.
07:15We do.
07:16There's so much to tackle and I think we need to split up.
07:19I'm going to go that way.
07:21See you soon.
07:21And we'll meet you on the other side.
07:23Thanks.
07:24Great.
07:24Thank you too.
07:27Shane has agreed that Ronnie and Katie can freely roam around his many hordes.
07:32I'm really excited.
07:33I'm sure they will find something that I know nothing about.
07:37It'd be great to have indication of it was worth my effort to store for these things.
07:45So, what's this?
07:47We're looking at part of a chandelier.
07:49French in style, but it's not French.
07:51Vintage rather than antique.
07:53Probably more 1960s, 70s.
07:56It's not particularly valuable.
07:58Crystal, in its essence, has had a real lull.
08:03This is a very large set of Perkenhammer porcelain.
08:07Looks art deco.
08:08They are very beautiful and they're in immaculate condition.
08:11So, on a good day, we could be looking between 700 and 1,000 pounds potentially.
08:17I think we're going to need to find something a little bit bigger.
08:19Hey, Ronnie, how you doing?
08:24I'm in heaven.
08:27As a lifelong vinyl collector, Ronnie's asked Shane to show him his impressive library.
08:33What do you have that you think might be collectible, sought after, rare?
08:39I've got Bobby Bird, Lonnie Lister-Smith I have.
08:42Obviously, I've got James Brown.
08:46There you go.
08:48That's a collectible album.
08:49Is that what you paid for it?
08:51Yeah, I paid the sale price of 50 pounds.
08:53I don't know what that's worth today, but probably about 100 pounds.
08:57You don't want to sell that, do you?
08:59Nah.
09:00Nah.
09:00Nah, sorry, that's not going to happen.
09:03A million pounds?
09:08That's tough.
09:09So, are you finding this difficult?
09:12Yeah.
09:13That you need to stop living in a building site, don't you?
09:16Well, yeah.
09:17I know you know what goes into buying a record, and then to contemplate maybe letting that album
09:24go as it's taking years to find it, it can be a little daunting, to be honest.
09:28It's obvious how much Shane loves his records, and he really doesn't want to give any of
09:36it up.
09:37And he's going to have to sell his whole collection to achieve the amount of money that he wants.
09:43So I'm going to see if there's anything else I can find.
09:46I can see that he's a hoarder because there's such a variety of things.
09:53Eighteen carat.
09:59It's like cigarette lighters.
10:02That's a Dunhill.
10:05That one works.
10:06That's another Dunhill.
10:07You know, you've got these Ronson table lighters.
10:10Overall, there's a few hundred pounds worth in there, and it's not a huge amount, but you
10:15know, you can't expect miracles to start with.
10:20Ooh.
10:21I like this.
10:26Hmm.
10:28That's very interesting, that is.
10:30It feels quite light to hold, but it's a tough hardwood with a fine grain that can take the
10:39tension of this stringing.
10:42I would describe this, without any research, as School of Barbara Hepworth, the most famous
10:48modern sculptor.
10:50And a Hepworth of this quality and size would be hundreds of thousands.
10:57But I know it's not.
10:58This isn't her signature.
11:01But I was looking at this as though it was a W.
11:04I'm looking at the other way around.
11:06That could easily be an M.
11:08I mean, that actually, in this light, could be D-M.
11:15And if that is D-M, oh, dear me.
11:20I've got all funny.
11:22I've got all tingly.
11:23Because Dennis Mitchell was one of Barbara Hepworth's most famous assistants, and a sculptor
11:33in his own right, and his sculptors make tens of thousands.
11:38So if that's Dennis Mitchell, wow, this is the piece.
11:44I am just so excited.
11:47I can't believe it.
11:48I really must tell Shane.
11:50This is overwhelming.
12:04This is chaotic.
12:06In Hertfordshire, Katie and Ronnie are trying to raise £60,000 so Shane and Vittoria can
12:12complete their dream home.
12:14He really can't miss a bargain.
12:19Ronnie's at the house.
12:21Shane, one minute.
12:23And thinks he's on to something.
12:25Um, hi.
12:26I was looking at this beautiful sculpture.
12:30Tell me where you got it.
12:32That was at an antiques fair.
12:35They didn't know much about it.
12:36They just said it's by an artist who works with Barbara Hepworth.
12:39And I just thought, okay, it sounds interesting.
12:44That's exactly what I thought.
12:46Oh, wow.
12:46Did they give you any names?
12:50No.
12:50They just said his signature was, uh, it's on the bottom of it, HW.
12:54It's definitely not HW.
12:56Oh.
12:57That's the small letter.
12:58Yeah.
12:58Which looks like a D.
13:00Okay.
13:01And the next letter looks like an M.
13:04No idea who that is.
13:05One of her most famous assistants was a chap called Dennis Mitchell.
13:13And his sculptures make thousands, tens of thousands.
13:19Can you remember what you paid for this?
13:2380-something, 85 pounds.
13:25Oh, you are joking.
13:27You know, I thought it was expensive.
13:28Because I thought it was an unusual piece of sculpture.
13:31Well, I don't want to get you too excited, because we don't know for sure.
13:35But this is very like the work of Dennis Mitchell.
13:39I don't want to say.
13:40Nor do I.
13:41But would you be happy to part with this?
13:50Yeah.
13:52Yeah.
13:53I'm sure.
13:54That sounded like a very big yes to me.
13:56Yeah.
13:57Well.
13:59I didn't expect that.
14:00That's for sure.
14:01Wow.
14:04Ronnie will need to investigate the sculpture if he's to prove it's by the hand of Dennis Mitchell.
14:12Meanwhile in Berkshire.
14:15Curio's expert Ed is on his way to meet a collector with a singular passion.
14:19So, I came here today to look at a key collection.
14:23That's very unusual.
14:24You don't get many of them.
14:25It's going to be interesting to get in there and have a look.
14:30Knightsbridge sales assistant Luigi keeps his collection under lock and key.
14:37And here we are.
14:39My happy place.
14:41I'm a key hoarder.
14:46I can't stop buying them.
14:48I can't stop accumulating them.
14:51Last time I counted, there was over 600.
14:55And I have spent well over 100,000 pounds in buying them.
15:00And it's just, I want to be buried with my keys.
15:03Like, this is really, I want to take them to my grave.
15:06Luigi's fascination with keys began when he was a child.
15:12My earliest memory was in my grandfather's house where he had the habit of locking meticulously all his doors.
15:22I used to always look through the keyhole trying to see what secrets or treasures he was hiding.
15:28This memory left its mark and awakened in his adult life.
15:31I remember going to a car boot and almost by chance I found a very simple key.
15:39It didn't cost me much, but the joy I had in holding it, it was truly amazing.
15:46And I believe this is when I started buying them until today where I'm obsessed with them.
15:52So this is the room where time doesn't exist and I just stay with my keys.
15:59I like researching them, restoring them, cleaning them, and just looking at them.
16:07I particularly like keys with the history attached to them.
16:11It's like a window, a glimpse of that era that is now gone.
16:16So large is Luigi's key collection, he's finally decided to buy his first house.
16:23My flatmate can't wait for me to move because I leave keys everywhere.
16:29And he's planning to create a dedicated key room, but he needs to find money from his collection to fund it.
16:36And for that, he needs help.
16:39For Curio's expert Ed, this is the perfect job.
16:43It's all about digging deep, learning about an item and finding that provenance.
16:47That's what really makes it pay.
16:50If there's value to be found, he will seek it out.
17:00Ed, Luigi.
17:01Welcome.
17:04Well, Luigi, I can already see why I'm here, I think.
17:08There's keys everywhere.
17:09You've even got keys on your bedding.
17:11It's an obsession.
17:13So, why do you want to part with them?
17:15I will hate departing from any of these keys, but I have just purchased my new place,
17:21and I'm in desperately need of £10,000 to £15,000 for the renovations of a few rooms.
17:28So, are these renovations, are they going to be renovations for your keys?
17:32Part of it, yes, is to allow my new key room to be fantastic, and to do that, I have to transform some of the keys into money.
17:42So, we need to go through some of your collection, I think.
17:45Yes, there's so much to look at.
17:47Please give me a shout if you see anything.
17:49I'm sure I am going to see something.
17:51Thanks, Luigi.
17:52With at least £10,000 to raise, Ed has his work cut out.
17:58I love the way he's displayed his keys.
18:02So, you've got magnets, and they all stand, which is great.
18:05OK, so, straight away, Roman artefacts always command a bit of money.
18:12You've got hundreds of pounds already.
18:14Then you've got medieval.
18:16You're also talking in the sort of hundreds of pounds for each key,
18:20but don't think Luigi's going to let me take a load of each one.
18:24So, it's probably taking one or two for the more higher value items.
18:30There is evidence that ancient civilisations were using wooden keys up to 6,000 years ago.
18:35The Romans adopted the idea and began making them in metals.
18:40In the 16th century, keys had become status symbols.
18:44They were ornate and worn to show power and wealth.
18:47In 2016, a rare locker key for the Titanic sold at auction for £85,000.
18:54Oh, these are superb.
18:56Oh, these are the ones I love.
18:58These early German keys are highly collectible.
19:01They're usually linked with Nuremberg steel in the 17th century.
19:06They were the craftsmen of keys, locks, strong boxes.
19:12I mean, this key is huge.
19:15And, I mean, size does matter, you know.
19:17So, this serpentine detail was all hand done, hand filed.
19:23And this could be a real winner.
19:25So, I'm definitely going to speak to Luigi about this one.
19:29Luigi, I found something.
19:32Oh, my God.
19:33Okay.
19:35No doubt why you have picked that, because it's one of the rarest.
19:39And the biggest.
19:40And the biggest.
19:41What it makes it so special is the colour of the patina, because it's untouched.
19:47It's just, to me, a perfect key.
19:50Is this something that you would let go of?
19:53Because I realise it's a centrepiece.
19:55That's why it was in the centre, yes.
19:57It's the most special I've got.
19:59But, um, I purchased these for 1,800 euros about five years ago.
20:06And I believe, though, it's worth way more.
20:09So, yeah.
20:11For the project I have in mind, I need to let something go.
20:17With a tentative yes, Ed can resume the search.
20:20Well, this one's even more full than the other one.
20:31Back in Hertfordshire, Katie's exploring Shane's hoard
20:34that he has spread across six garages.
20:37She's trying to find anything of value to help him raise £60,000.
20:42There's a cassette player there.
20:44There's lots of amps.
20:46I can see about 30 to 40 shoeboxes back there.
20:50But two garages in, it's not looking good.
20:54There's car parts.
20:56There's a home gym.
20:58There's old cameras.
21:00Ordments.
21:01Buddhas.
21:03This is like, find the needle in the haystack kind of situation going on here.
21:07Something new will always trigger my interest.
21:10At the moment, I quite often answer the door to the postman
21:14and it will be a very big box.
21:17And I'll be, OK, that's another bicycle.
21:20I mean, we must be looking at 30, 40 bikes in here.
21:25It's rammed.
21:28These bikes can go for multiples of thousands.
21:31I mean, they don't need to be constructed.
21:33We can be selling parts, which is good because there are many.
21:36I mean, I can see already over here, there's something incredibly unusual.
21:40These zip bikes can be up to £15,000.
21:43So this piece alone to the right buyer, this is where the money's at.
21:48And we are well on our way to finding them their extension.
21:52Katie thinks she's hit the jackpot.
21:56But to get the sort of cash Shane needs, she must find someone willing to buy the lot.
22:01Meanwhile, in Slough, Ed's found one key he thinks is worth investigating.
22:08But he's hoping there's more to uncover.
22:10This one I love.
22:13And there's a little trick.
22:15There you go.
22:17So this one is a carriage key.
22:20You would have put that into the door of the carriage and opened it.
22:22But I'm also seeing some other very interesting ones.
22:28You've got vaults, you've got gate keys.
22:32I also love these catacomb ones.
22:34They all have something special about them.
22:36Another one here, this one.
22:38I noticed this because you could see the royal stamp on there.
22:43It says Victoria and it's St James' Park.
22:47And look at this.
22:48A royal highlands, the Princess Augusta.
22:50And Queen Victoria was actually a niece of Princess Augusta.
22:54She lived at Clarence's house.
22:56She would have then used this key to visit the gardens at St James' Park.
23:01To be a key that a princess would have used is just something special.
23:06This sort of key could be seriously valuable.
23:09And that could be a big lump to what Luigi needs.
23:13Luigi?
23:15Yes, sir?
23:16So, found this one.
23:21I just couldn't believe it when I started reading it.
23:24You know, with the royal link.
23:26You know, St James' Park.
23:28It's incredible and very, very special.
23:31Is it something that you're going to be looking to sell?
23:35I would love to explore the opportunity,
23:42but it will have to be significant for me to think about letting it go.
23:48Could a key with a royal connection unlock the money Luigi desperately needs?
23:54Antiques expert, Ronnie, is trying to help Shane raise £60,000 to finally finish his forever home.
24:12Today, he's following up on an intricate sculpture he discovered that he believes could be an incredible find.
24:18We've got a possible undiscovered Dennis Mitchell, assistant of Barbara Hepworth.
24:24And this is the Barbara Hepworth Wakefield.
24:27They have a lot of experience of looking at anything connected with Barbara Hepworth.
24:32And I'm dying to see what they think here about my opinion.
24:36Ronnie's meeting Eleanor Clayton, a specialist on Hepworth,
24:42to see if he can find out any more about Shane's sculpture.
24:45Hello, Eleanor.
24:45Lovely to meet you.
24:47I feel like a kid in a sweet shop here.
24:49I don't know where to look first as I'm walking through here with you.
24:51Look at all these things I've never seen before.
24:55Eleanor has agreed to take a closer look at the work
24:58to see if she can help credit it to Dennis Mitchell.
25:02There it is.
25:03There it is.
25:03It clearly isn't Hepworth.
25:07Mm.
25:08But is this by Dennis Mitchell?
25:11His forms are different from Hepworth in that they are more angular.
25:16But I don't know of any stringed works that Mitchell did.
25:21Even though there's no known sculptures by Dennis Mitchell with strings,
25:25I find it hard to believe he never tried it.
25:29And then we turn it over.
25:31Yes.
25:31And the initials look like DM scratched into the wood.
25:39Don't you think the DMs are coincidence?
25:41I think the DM is a bit of a, yeah, it's a bit of a conundrum.
25:45Do you have any Dennis Mitchell in your collection here?
25:48We do actually have a Dennis Mitchell in the collection.
25:51And is it signed on the base?
25:53It is signed on the base.
25:53With a monogram?
25:54With a monogram.
25:55Wow.
25:56Would you like to see it?
25:57I'd love to.
25:59Dennis Mitchell moved to St. Ives in Cornwall in the 1930s
26:03and would become principal assistant to Barbara Hepworth.
26:07He went on to produce many important works of his own in wood and bronze.
26:11Today, his sculptures can reach tens of thousands at auction.
26:18This is the sculpture in Wakefield's collection by Dennis Mitchell called Trevaric,
26:22which is named after a place in Cornwall.
26:24Can I show you the bottom?
26:25I'd love to see the bottom.
26:28Oh, look at that.
26:31Completely different.
26:33This D-A-M is the most common signature I've seen on his sculptures.
26:38Yeah.
26:39But interestingly, it's scratched in.
26:42Yes.
26:43And it's not a stamp or...
26:44No.
26:45It doesn't put me off.
26:46No.
26:47Because it's actually reminded me of the work of Dennis Mitchell.
26:53There's a piece called the Oracle.
26:56You've got these pierced elements with the dome,
26:59and the Oracle is tapered like that.
27:01Oracle was carved by Mitchell in 1955,
27:04and I do see what you mean about the forms.
27:07And the colour of the wood of Oracle is very similar colour.
27:11Well, Oracle was made from Guerrero wood,
27:14which is a Nigerian hardwood,
27:16which has likely been a gift from Hepworth.
27:19She, in St. Ives, was the only person
27:21who had this sort of massive shipment of Guerrero wood,
27:23so if you were to find out that this was made from Guerrero wood,
27:28I think that makes it a lot more compelling.
27:31Ooh.
27:32More and more intriguing.
27:35That's exciting.
27:35It really is.
27:37To start with, it was like, no.
27:39Towards the end, it was, maybe.
27:42There are many compelling elements
27:44that point towards Dennis Mitchell.
27:46It's just a matter of concluding it, getting more.
27:51So I'm really looking forward
27:53to finding out what the timber is
27:55that Shane's sculpture is made from.
28:03Over in Hertfordshire,
28:05Katie's launching her own plan
28:07to try and raise the money Shane needs.
28:09Since I've been here last,
28:12I've been putting my feelers out,
28:14I've been working out who we can talk to
28:15to maybe get a deal done
28:16to shift this huge amount of bikes.
28:23Today, she's invited Josh Hobbs,
28:25the head of sales for a cycle retailer,
28:27to take a look.
28:30Although he can only offer trade prices,
28:32if he's interested in Shane's entire stock,
28:34it could be worth his while.
28:37Hello!
28:37Hey!
28:39Hi!
28:40So, look!
28:42Lots of bikes.
28:42There's a few bikes.
28:44Where do we start?
28:45Have you spotted anything?
28:46I've spotted some pretty serious bits of kit.
28:48There's the three bikes in front of us here,
28:50which all of them have got electronic gears on them.
28:53That's the sort of stuff we can definitely resell.
28:56A promising start,
28:58and after a chance to look around,
29:00Josh is keen to talk money.
29:04Had a look,
29:05and there's probably around seven or eight bikes
29:08that you can potentially make an offer on.
29:10Okay.
29:11So, yeah,
29:11so for the eight bikes,
29:12you're looking at £6,050.
29:19Thoughts?
29:22Is that a little shy of where you wanted to be?
29:24Yeah, sorry to say.
29:26No, it's not a problem.
29:27You know, I suppose this is it.
29:28We're talking about trade prices here, aren't we?
29:30Yeah, exactly.
29:31So, obviously, you're looking to make your margin on things,
29:33which is...
29:34Exactly.
29:34Yeah, it does hit.
29:35Yeah, it makes sense.
29:36I appreciate that,
29:37but I just know I can sell them for more.
29:39Yeah.
29:39This is not the outcome I wanted.
29:43And this was always going to be the problem
29:44with selling to trade.
29:47So, the search isn't over yet.
29:50With Josh unwilling to buy in bulk,
29:53Katie will need to rethink her strategy.
30:00Over in Lincoln,
30:02Ed's trying to raise £10,000 for Luigi
30:04to fund the renovations to his first-ever home.
30:08John.
30:08Ed!
30:09He's meeting antique dealer
30:10and metalware specialist John Hansard
30:13to get a value on the two keys he selected.
30:16Now, I would guess that was what we would call
30:17a Nuremberg strongbox key.
30:19Exactly what I said was Nuremberg strongbox, yes.
30:22Pretty much given away with this lovely curved shape here,
30:26designed to put a bar through
30:27to allow you to twist and turn it.
30:30And you've actually got a strongbox, haven't you?
30:32I have. Here, I can show you through that one.
30:34OK, let's have a look inside.
30:42Look at that.
30:43Just listen to the release on the spring on this.
30:46The tension is incredible.
30:48I mean, and that was locked in so many places.
30:50Yes, and once these have gone under the rim,
30:52there's no opening.
30:54But the box would probably be a lot bigger
30:56for this one, wouldn't it?
30:58They varied in size, absolutely.
31:00Is this the biggest one you've seen?
31:02Because it's the biggest one I've seen.
31:03Absolutely it is.
31:04It's enormous.
31:06I mean, as an object, it's fascinating.
31:08But what's it worth?
31:11I mean, a good armada chest, Nuremberg,
31:15that would have gone with that key,
31:18wonderful examples make 20 or 30,000.
31:20So to someone that's got a box as big as that that may want to display a key with it,
31:26then it's worth thousands to the right person.
31:29I'll talk you through the next one, John,
31:31and this is definitely my favourite.
31:33Her Royal Highness, the Princess Augusta.
31:35It's a Princess's key.
31:37Fabulous.
31:39It is a piece of history.
31:40It's fantastic.
31:41They went to the best locksmith in London to have their keys made.
31:45That one's really hard to value.
31:47I've seen park ones without the Royal Provenance make three to five hundred.
31:53Now, you put the Royal Connection with this one.
31:55I'm guessing to the right person, you can times that by ten.
31:58I mean, I think they're beautiful objects.
32:00I think they're too specialised for me to buy.
32:03OK.
32:03But I think maybe in a specialist auction,
32:06it might be that it takes off and flies.
32:08Well, that's amazing, John.
32:10Thanks for helping me out with these.
32:11Oh, you're welcome.
32:12Very nice to see you again.
32:13Thanks, Ed.
32:21It's a beautiful, crisp morning here at Kew Gardens.
32:24And I'm over-brimmy with excited anticipation.
32:28On his quest to find out if Shane has an authentic piece by Dennis Mitchell,
32:34Ronnie has sent the sculpture to be analysed by Kew Gardens,
32:37the world-leading plant science institute.
32:41And if it turns out to be the Guarillo wood,
32:45Hepworth gifted Dennis Mitchell.
32:48Boom.
32:49That's it.
32:50It's certainly a Dennis Mitchell.
32:56Hello.
32:58You must be Dr Peter Gasson.
33:01That's right, yes.
33:02Wood anatomist Peter Gasson regularly receive samples to identify,
33:07from customs and police to archaeologists and antique dealers.
33:12So when we look at unknown samples, we use a hand lens first of all.
33:17I've just gone out of my pocket.
33:18Oh, you...
33:19This is a times four.
33:21Yeah, this is a times ten.
33:22I've got a times ten as well in my pocket.
33:24And then you can look very closely.
33:27And you can clearly see there's a lot of growth rings.
33:33Yes, you can.
33:34So, um, you suggested it might be Guarillo.
33:38Yeah, I hoped it would be Guarillo.
33:40Well, it's definitely not Guarillo, because Guarillo doesn't have growth rings.
33:44Sorry about that.
33:45Mm.
33:47It's disappointing news.
33:50But the wood could still be a material Mitchell worked with.
33:54And is that little speck there from the actual sculpture?
33:57Yeah.
33:58And Peter has identified a wood sample he thinks is a match.
34:03So if we put a reference slide under the microscope,
34:06you can compare what you have on your inquiry slides...
34:12Yeah.
34:12..and the reference slide.
34:16It's identical.
34:17It is.
34:18So, um, that particular species is native to Burma and India,
34:25like a lot of other hardwoods, but it's teak.
34:29Oh, interesting.
34:31Very interesting.
34:33Because the sculptor, I think, made that, worked in teak.
34:39It's a shame that it wasn't Guarillo wood, which I hoped it would be,
34:44because that would have been almost the end of the research.
34:47It's just now we've prolonged the research.
34:50So, onwards and upwards.
34:55Ronnie isn't giving up.
34:57He has one final lead in his hunt to identify the mystery sculpture
35:00and raise the money Shane desperately needs.
35:10In Norfolk, Ed has the two keys he's hoping can help raise £10,000
35:15for Luigi to renovate his first home.
35:18Hi, Oliver.
35:19Hi, Ed.
35:21Nice to meet you.
35:22Good to meet you as well.
35:23Auctioneer Oliver Miller has been valuing antique metalware for over 20 years.
35:28I'm going to start with the biggest one.
35:31Wow.
35:31That's wonderful, that one, isn't it?
35:35Everyone knows the Nuremberg Strombox with these fabulous, intricate locks.
35:39And when you're making such a Strombox, you really need to shelf with your key,
35:42because what's the point of having a hidden lock if you can't shelf a little bit?
35:44So this is a wonderful, wonderful piece.
35:47Super decorative.
35:48Probably an early 17th century piece.
35:50And big is obviously worth more money.
35:52Oh, definitely, in every case, yeah.
35:56So this is a royal one, and it's actually Princess Augusta.
36:00That is truly wonderful.
36:03And this one, for me, is the special one, because it's literally unique.
36:07Keys are very, very popular at auction.
36:09You get all these different bidders, key collectors, metalware collectors,
36:12and then you've got the royalty interest as well.
36:14So this falls into so many little categories.
36:17And then you get the people who just love history.
36:19I just want a princess key.
36:20It doesn't matter what it is, but I want that object that that princess has held.
36:23So I think he would do absolutely fine with offering some at auction.
36:26That's something I need to speak to Luigi about.
36:29Make sure that he's happy for you to take them and try and get the best price.
36:33Excellent.
36:37In Hertfordshire,
36:40Ronnie has been trying to help raise £60,000 for Shane's dream home
36:44by investigating a potential Dennis Mitchell piece.
36:47I've done so much research on his sculpture,
36:51and the more I look into it, the more I discover.
36:55Hi, Shane.
36:56Hey, how you doing?
36:57I'm good, thanks.
36:58Let's come to you.
36:59And he's ready to reveal his report.
37:02When I was at the Wakefield Hepworth Museum,
37:06they have one Dennis Mitchell sculpture there.
37:09And I thought, have a look and see how he signs.
37:12But we look underneath, and it's got a monogram.
37:16D-A-M.
37:18Completely straight, block capitals scratched into the bottom.
37:23So there's yours.
37:24You look at that and say, oh, that's not his signature.
37:27But I found loads of images online,
37:29and I find an M with curbsides.
37:33And that is that.
37:34Can you see?
37:36Yeah, you can.
37:38They look so similar, don't they?
37:41They do.
37:41They do.
37:42And then, when I looked at the monogram closely,
37:45can you see how A forms part of the M there?
37:49Yeah.
37:50Oh, wow.
37:51Dennis A. Mitchell.
37:54And also, it's a shape that Dennis Mitchell is known to do.
37:59These tapering forms, they're everywhere.
38:02There's another one.
38:04There's so many connections.
38:07And I'd love to submit it to the Dennis Mitchell Foundation
38:11to see if they agree.
38:14Yeah.
38:14Because once it's got their seal of approval,
38:17I really think in auction,
38:19I think it's between three and four, maybe 5,000 pounds.
38:24But I actually think it could rise in the right auction
38:28to about 20,000 pounds.
38:31Sweetest.
38:3385 pounds is a big return.
38:35For me, it's one of my favorite discoveries of all time.
38:39No, really, it is, yeah.
38:41This is what I live for,
38:43to find things like this that have been lost to the world
38:46and bring them back to life.
38:48Wow.
38:50It could be a future windfall for Shane,
38:52but it will take time for the sculpture to be assessed.
38:56So the challenge to find the money Shane needs right now
38:59is left to Katie.
39:00Back at the auction house,
39:05with Oliver impressed with the keys and keen to sell them,
39:08Ed needs to talk numbers.
39:10So, Luigi, the prices...
39:14We can explore that, yes.
39:16So you've just got to think of that money at the end
39:18that's going to help with the...
39:20With my house renovation.
39:21Yes, and the move.
39:22OK, we'll start with the German strong box.
39:25So I would like 2,800 for that key.
39:29OK, and then we've got the Princess Augusta one.
39:31That alone cost me 2,200 euros when I purchase it.
39:36And maybe, you know, if we find out
39:38that it's really worth an incredible amount,
39:41then maybe I would consider selling it.
39:44So you're happy for me to go in there, have a word,
39:47see what sort of deal we can get,
39:48and then I'll get back to you with what I find out.
39:51Fantastic. Thank you so much.
39:52The decision for Luigi to go to auction
39:57will depend on these figures.
39:59Now Ed needs to know what Oliver is thinking.
40:03So, for this big strong box key,
40:05what would you put as an estimate going into the auction?
40:09You'd probably put a low estimate on it,
40:11sort of £200 to £400.
40:13OK.
40:14But I strongly suspect this will fly beyond the top end of the estimate.
40:18And I think this would probably make in the region of £700.
40:22OK.
40:24Are you ready for what Luigi wants for?
40:27How much is he hoping?
40:29£2,800.
40:31OK.
40:31He's hoping to get.
40:32I think that's probably pushing a bit much.
40:34It's just too high.
40:37OK.
40:37Moving on to this princess key,
40:40what would be a value for that, Oliver?
40:42So, I would say we're looking at £1,000 to £2,000 at auction.
40:46OK.
40:46But I would like to think it would really take off.
40:49So, again, we're a little way off from what Luigi wants.
40:57Our job as auctioneers is to try and maximise the price.
41:00If you go lower, you draw the crowds in, get the bidding going,
41:03because once they've made that effort into attending or logging online,
41:07they're more likely to get carried away with themselves,
41:09and before they know it, they bid once, twice, three times.
41:11When you go really high, you may just get lucky with one bidder,
41:15and that's it, you're done.
41:17But you've got to be happy with the reserve price,
41:18because that's what we will sell it for,
41:20and if you're not happy, you don't put it in the auction.
41:23With the auction house and Luigi miles apart,
41:26Ed is meeting up with him to find out if he is prepared to proceed.
41:31Well, let's talk keys.
41:33They were a long way off what you, I think, wanted.
41:37It was more the sort of hundreds than the thousands.
41:41Yes.
41:45I understand that the low estimate is to encourage, you know, bidders.
41:50Well, that's it as well.
41:51As a buyer, it's good. As a seller, it's good.
41:54Yeah, not so good.
41:55It is a bit of a gamble, because you can see the value,
41:58and it's finding another two or three people
42:01willing to pay that money as well.
42:03Be there at the right moment, with the right money, ready to buy that.
42:06We need all the stars to align.
42:08Yes.
42:10Luigi.
42:11We need to really think about what we're going to do.
42:17I know there is a very niche market already, so it's difficult.
42:21I can't take that risk, to be honest, because I know really how much they cost me.
42:28But maybe I have to figure out a different way to make this money somehow, yes.
42:33Because you need this money for your house.
42:35Yes, I do.
42:36With no guarantee of the money he needs, for now, Luigi's key collection is staying together.
42:42I feel that I've let Luigi down a little bit, but the thing is, he works so hard to get
42:49these keys, and to risk losing them for less money is something he's not willing to take.
42:54I've tried my hardest, but they mean a lot to him.
42:58Back in Hertfordshire, it's Katie's last chance to try and raise the £60,000 Shane needs to finish his dream home.
43:11She's worked all her contacts and brought together cycle enthusiast David Butterworth and auctioneer Adam Partridge, who've agreed to look at Shane's hoard.
43:22Over 80 bikes, 100 wheels and countless parts and accessories.
43:26I've got all my fingers crossed that they can raise the money for Shane.
43:31As long as Adam and David like what they see, Shane's entire collection could go in one big bespoke auction.
43:40Come on in. I mean, have you ever seen so many beautiful bikes in one place?
43:46No.
43:47Come on, look. Come and look.
43:49The plan today is to give an auction estimate, a figure Shane will need to be happy with.
43:54Swiss.
43:55I know that, yeah.
43:56Really excited. Really excited.
43:59I'm looking at six figures because some of the bikes are previously owned by professional cyclists.
44:03It'd be a nice surprise for them as well.
44:05Oh my God, that is even lighter.
44:07That's lighter than that.
44:09Where's your eye leading you?
44:11Well, I like this one.
44:13Yeah.
44:13Zip bikes are one of those things that have become iconic.
44:16Yeah.
44:16From an enthusiast point of view, this is very collectible.
44:20For something like this, you should be achieving £5,000, £6,000.
44:25Great.
44:25And if we get the right people, I think that's conservative.
44:29This is sounding really positive.
44:31They're making all the right noises.
44:33Just break some of them.
44:34But let's see what they come up with in terms of a figure.
44:39Shane really does know what he's doing.
44:40So he also does know the value of the things he's got here.
44:45So he is going to be wanting to get the best prices.
44:49All right, Shane.
44:49You guys, not too bad yourselves.
44:50Have an amazing job, yeah.
44:52Really have, yeah.
44:52So have you got a figure in mind?
44:56Based on speaking to Adam, obviously he's an experienced auctioneer.
45:00I think at auction we'd be looking at raising in excess of £150,000.
45:04Yeah, that sounds about right.
45:09Is that a yes then?
45:11I really will.
45:13Deal.
45:14I didn't expect that.
45:16It really was a relief.
45:17And obviously the price of it is just brilliant.
45:20I'm actually getting back what I paid.
45:23So, yeah, relief for that.
45:25It wasn't money wasted.
45:28So I can half my carriage content, which is kind of like money in the pocket, really.
45:32So, win-win.
45:35It's great news.
45:37And there's one final surprise.
45:39I would like to buy a bike for the sun.
45:42So if we can agree a price, we can probably sell the first one for you now.
45:46Because I'll buy it.
45:48That would be nice.
45:49So I could potentially sell that bike for around a £4,000 mark.
45:54I was thinking more about two and a half.
45:58Three.
45:59Go on, let's do a deal at three.
46:01Oh, yes.
46:02Happy day.
46:04I'm just so excited.
46:06I've got tingles all over.
46:07I love being able to facilitate a deal.
46:09I mean, we even did a deal today.
46:12We've smashed the target we were set.
46:15What more can I ask for?
46:16I'm asking you, are you going to use the £150 to buy more bikes?
46:21Wait and see.
46:21Well, you can't put a price on Popmaster TV.
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46:43Next here on Channel 4 tonight, it's Celebrity Gogglebox.
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