Express & Star

Flog It! in the Black Country: Fans descend on auction showroom - with PICTURES

A quirky bicycle and selection of Beatles autographs were among the items to be auctioned off when Flog It! hit the Black Country.

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Host Paul Martin with Eithne Johnston from Kingswood, near Albrighton, at Aston's Auctioneers in Dudley for BBC Flog It!

The plastic concept bike was designed in the early 1980s and sold off by Robert Berry from Walsall – while the Fab Four’s signatures netted one seller £1,500 more than expected.

Keen buyers and eager sellers packed Aston’s Auctioneers & Valuers in Tower Street, Dudley to the rafters for the event, which was filmed by the BBC.

Mr Berry’s unusual plastic bike was one of the day’s most interesting items.

Robert Berry from Walsall was selling his plastic bike at Aston's Auctioneers with BBC Flog It!

It was made as a concept idea between 1980 and 1982 and went for £190.

Meanwhile a postcard signed by each member of The Beatles went to a buyer for £3,500, after being valued at around £2,000.

Patricia Holland, from Rhyl, who had kept the autographs in her family since the 1960s, said she was going to put the money towards a holiday.

Host Paul Martin with George Cooper from Oswestry and specialist Jonathan Pratt
Bidding at Aston's Auctioneers in Dudley

The touring BBC One show was at the family-run auction house, owned by father and son Phil and Chris Aston.

The most expensive lot to go was a £9,800 diamond ring.

Presenter Paul Martin was there to guide residents who had travelled from all over the West Midlands and beyond.

He said: “So far so good. We’ve had some good results.

“One of the best we had early on in the day were two vases shaped like herons that have gone for £200 to £300.

“But what I was really enthusiastic about and one of the most exciting items of the day was a Beatles autograph.”

The auction followed valuations at the RAF Cosford Museum earlier this month, which was the first time the programme had been to Shropshire in five years.

More treasures unearthed on the day included a Chopard Millie Miglia wristwatch that went for £4,700 and a Rolex watch from the police lot that was sold for £4,100, again more than £1,000 over the estimated price.

Owner, Chris Aston, at Aston's Auctioneers for BBC Flog It!

Local sellers also benefited from the event including Eithne Johnston, aged 65 from Kingswood, near Albrighton, who auctioned off a plate that has been passed down through her family’s generations from her grandmother.

She said: “It is one of many and they have been in the cellar at home for six years since we cleared out my mum’s home and we didn’t think we would get rid of them. It is something different to do. I’ve been to auctions before in Penkridge but only

out of curiosity, and that is mainly furniture.

“This was the first time I was selling something so I wanted so see what I could dig up and to sell it for £25 was just fine.

“I might keep auctioning, it all depends on what I can dig up from the cellar.”

Flog It! has been broadcast since 2009 and the concept behind the programme is to give the public the chance to bring their antiques to be valued for an estimated price by a team of experts. If it is worth anything, they then have the option to sell it on at an auction. Owner Chris Aston said: “We were delighted with the auction, it’s the first time we have had Flog It! film with us.

“It was a brilliant experience for myself and all of the staff and clients.

“I can’t wait to see the episodes on TV when they air next year. The auction made around £100,000 and it was the last auction of our financial year. It was great to end the year on a high as it’s also our record year to date after 13 years of trading in Dudley Town Centre.

“This year we sold more than £1.5 million of antiques and collectables.”

Following the valuation day at Cosford, Flog It! moved on to Aberystwyth.

The event will be held at London International Cruise Terminal, Ferry Road, Tilbury, Essex, on Thursday NOV 2 before moving to Blackburn Cathedral in January.