Fortunes made as Cotswolders raid their attics for TV’s Paul Martin

IF Cirencester’s champagne bars were doing a roaring trade on Friday night, it may have been due to the extra cash sloshing about in the local economy thanks to the BBC’s antiques show Flog It.

Back in February antiques expert Paul Martin encouraged people to rush to their cupboards and dig out their treasures when BBC’s Flog It called at Cirencester’s Corn Hall.

Some of those treasures went under the hammer at the Cirencester saleroom of Moore Allen & Innocent on Friday, March 17, with six of the top ten selling lots – including the top three – coming from the show.

The top price of the day was achieved by a brooch in the Belle Epoch taste with five large diamonds, dating from around 1920, which achieved £2,300 – smack in the middle of auctioneer Philip Allwood’s £2,000 - £2,500 estimate.

A Victorian diamond dragonfly brooch with ruby eyes, aquamarine wings and gold clasp sold for £2,000 – which the auctioneer said it would – to achieve the second highest price of the day.

Coming in third was a Fijian carved wooden tribal club with all over geometric decoration, which was snapped up for £1,150.

A pair of diamond encrusted ear clips of leaf design shared the sixth spot, at £700, with an 18th century George III silver teapot and matching tea stand by the renowned silversmiths Peter and Ann Bateman.

The biggest surprise of the day was caused by another Flog It lot – a late 19th century Cantonese ivory hanging calling card holder with carved and pierced floral bird, beast and figural decoration, which carried an estimate of £50 to £80 but had reached £1,050 before the hammer fell.

Meanwhile, a Christian Dior pink costume jewellery bracelet, bearing the inscription ‘1958 C HR Dior’ caused a stir when the hammer fell at £440 against an estimate of £80 to £100.

The auctioneers were delighted with the sale, with £63,000 worth of antiques being sold to over 400 registered bidders, while locals attending to see their treasures go under the hammer caused a queue at the door.

Paul Martin was equally thrilled, as the prices on the day meant the crew had enough quality material for not one, but five TV shows.

A Victorian diamond dragonfly brooch with ruby eyes, aquamarine wings and gold clasp	A George III silver teapot and matching tea stand by Peter and Ann Bateman
A Christian Dior pink costume jewellery bracelet, bearing the inscription ‘1958 C HR Dior’	A late 19th century Cantonese ivory hanging calling card holder with carved and pierced floral bird, beast and figural decoration
A pair of diamond earrings shaped as leaves, circa 1920	A brooch with five large diamonds, in the Belle Epoch manner, dating from around 1920
Auctioneer Philip Allwood is filmed as he brings the gavel down on another successful sale	TV’s Paul Martin and Moore Allen & Innocent auctioneer Philip Allwood with a Fijian carved wooden tribal club, which sold for £1,150