On all new Salvage Hunters,
with almost 60 years combined experience,
three leading antique and salvage dealers are joining forces.
From West Wales, country house connoisseur Alister Dryburgh
loves the traditional. It's all right, that, isn't it?
Nice. It's handsome. Welsh. Pine. Tavern settle.
- Don't try to sell it to me. - No, I'm not trying to sell it to you.
Edinburgh-based dealer Viki Knott
has an incredible eye for interiors.
I just think, Ever-Ezee,
I just think that's brilliant.
In London, Serkan Yumakci
is a devotee of retro design and industrial salvage
sourced from all over Europe...
These were made by Gents of Leicester
and it's a General Post Office one.
...while his brother Jay restores items back to life.
There's nothing to rust, nothing to go wrong
and that's why these last forever.
Together, they're travelling the country
on the hunt for the very best antiques and decorative salvage.
This time... DINO: Hello.
...in West Sussex, Serkan and Jay finally meet their match...
That's a very nice bead you've got there, Dino. And Geoff.
Hello. So, it's in honour - of you guys, obviously. - Yeah.
...in Wales, Al and Serkan discover a historic maritime warehouse
where the past is etched into the fabric of the building.
There are beautiful pencil drawings of tall ships all over the walls, yeah.
- It's mind blowing, isn't it? - Yeah.
Er, it's part of the history of the place.
...and at a Cardiff flea market,
things take an unexpected twist.
Are these old, though? - I mean, these two. - Yeah.
- We're in a tangle, mate. - Oh, right.
- Okay. - You're making it worse.
Based in North London,
dealer, Serkan, and restorer brother, Jay,
specialise in industrial salvage,
vintage lighting and bold design.
When sourcing new stock,
they like to visit hoarders and collectors of salvage
or rare vintage pieces,
potential treasure troves where there are hundreds of items under one roof.
In our trade, one of the most exciting places to visit
are avid collectors
and passionate salvagers.
Those type of people, they've put in a lot of hours,
they've gone all over the place and they've built up this massive collection.
We have to visit people like this,
you know, and you don't mind paying that little bit extra
because it saves you having to go all over the place to find these items.
Nine times out of ten, when you visit those places,
you come leaving there with some amazing treasures.
Today, the brothers are heading to Horsham in West Sussex,
where they're visiting two collectors turned dealers
who have spent years salvaging rare neon lights, vintage Americana
and automobile memorabilia.
Right, we're gonna pop in and see Dino and Geoff.
We've known them both for quite... I mean, Dino...
Dino we've known for... Over ten years, known him.
Known him for a while. We've known him for so long.
And, you know, Dino has always been our go to guy
when it comes to automobiles and anything that we wanna know,
automobile related.
Dino and Geoff, you know, they're really clued up.
So, I reckon today we're going to be coming back
with some automobile memorabilia.
And Dino's always got some nice neons.
Yeah, he does a lot of neons, doesn't he.
Erm... And the knowledge is like...
Yeah. And you know they've got the knowledge of it.
They've got the stories behind everything they collect.
They're characters, both of them.
Horsham has thrived as a market town since the 13th century
and still retains its historic charm,
with cobbled streets and centuries old buildings.
This leafy location is the unlikely home
to a huge hall of colourful vintage rarities,
the result of the shared collecting passion
of Dino Nicolaou and Geoff Hall,
who trade under the name of Retro Heist.
We met at London Car Boot.
I'd taken a wacky van
and electric milk float up for display
and I wandered around the market and found this young man.
I was selling there, and you were annoying me
and came to have a little chat for five minutes and stayed all day.
Yeah, and we just gelled, and...
he had some really cool stuff. So that was it.
I been collecting since I was about 18.
I was totally into the American cars and things like that,
and it just grew and grew
and went to this sort of level now, you know.
The level of madness. The level of madness.
Yes. Dislike.
I know Serkan and Jay.
They've never seen my place, though.
They've only seen a little taste of what I take to market.
So... ...this may blow them away. Who knows?
I've met the guys as well. I met them a little while ago.
I think the only issue we've got today
is probably beard envy, really... Yeah... I think that's the problem.
We could do something about that. We might do something about that.
Yeah, we work on that.
Ah, hello?
No introductions necessary. How you doing?
- Mate. - That's a very nice beard you got there, Dino. And Geoff.
In honour of your visit... So... So... It hon -
It's in the honour of you guys, - obviously, you know. - Yes.
We're not gonna be out bearded - this time, you know? - You know...
It suits you, you know? They're coming.
- Grow a beard. - Come on, let's have - a look inside. - Come inside.
You guys have packed this place out, haven't you?
- Well, some say. - Dino's diner.
Was that an actual thing or did you have that...
- You didn't have that made. - No. That's from a 1970s theatre show.
It's a good find for you.
It has a little connection to me. - Yes. - Yeah. Your name.
And then we have the only Forrest Gump Neon in the world.
- Bubba Gump. - Although they have these restaurants in America...
Oh, okay....erm, none of them have a neon.
That's the only one in the world.
There is an actual Bubba Gump restaurant.
There was. In London. It shut down a couple of years ago,
and they were going to throw that in the skip.
And just by luck... Yeah. ...we were passing by
when the builders were there and said, "Oh, no, please,
"please don't throw that away."
It's always exciting to see Dino and Geoff.
Erm, you never, ever know what they'll have.
What you do know is whatever they've got
is going to be out of this world.
Weird. Fabulous.
Dino and Geoff, both of them very specialist collectors.
They collect and accumulate
some really crazy stuff.
The roller coaster neon.
Yeah, that's an original fairground one.
Erm, you can tell by the fact that all the letters are not even.
- Yeah. - They're sort of different sizes.
It was very, very handmade.
The fairgrounds would have all gone over to LEDs
and bulb lights a long time ago.
So neon is very, very unusual.
You can tell, this has got some age to it.
And it's just fantastic subject matter and very, very saleable.
Dino tells me it's actually from a fairground.
So it's, you know, it was in situ. It was...
It was used for purpose.
Quanta costa?
What's the best? For a friend that you've known for a decade.
- Maybe more. - Well...
probably about two and a half.
Two and a half grand? - Hundred. - Oh, hundred.
Look at that. He can't believe the value. Bloody hell.
When he said two and a half... - Yeah. - All right.
Two fifty is the very best.
- Pretty much. - Jay.
That one. What do you think of it? I quite like it.
-It is nice. - Yeah.
- Thank you, sir. - Two fifty - on that one. Fantastic. - Pleasure.
So, a lot of times you find the Neon.
It's always a punt whether it's going to work or not.
You could buy, you could spend a good bit of money on it,
go back and the gas has been released.
You need to have it re-gassed, and that can cost you a lot of money.
This one's already working. All plugged in and everything,
and the price is great.
- Oh. Whoa. -Hey, you didn't like the weight of him.
- Yeah. - That's...
That's the old Volvo... the Volvo man.
Very much like the Michelin man... Yeah.
...but ultra, ultra rare version that they made for Volvo.
But that one does look like it's never been used.
It's in good condition, - isn't it? - Yeah.
This one is Jakob. He's the Volvo emblem.
So these used to be on the old big Volvo trucks.
They'd have these at the top.
It's in very good condition.
No cracks, no breakages.
The holes ready for the light.
What's your best on that?
Best. A hundred and eighty.
What? Excuse me.
Bloody hell. Got a heart condition. Erm, 200.
It would be the absolute death on it. Thank you.
- There you go. - Thank you. Fantastic.
Geoff, the best he can take on is 200.
I know it sounds a lot,
but with this kind of automobile subject matter
and you've got character like that, they can sell very, very well.
Come through here. There's lots more.
A few of these bus direction things. Who's got Peckham?
Oh, Peckham. Peckham Rye.
Bought these a long time ago,
before everybody got into cutting them to pieces.
- Yeah. - Probably the '80s, that one. - - Did they... On the sign? - Yeah. - Yeah.
The old bus blinds. So, it will tell you where the bus is going.
Now, these have become really quite fashionable,
where people will cut them out and they'll frame them,
because every kind of stop on there means something different to someone else.
They're mainly South London, and they've got Peckham and you've got Peckham Rye.
You've got elephant and castle. Perfect.
What you got on that one? What do you reckon, Geoff?
I just want to know - what you go on it. - One-eighty.
Brothers Serkan and Jay are in West Sussex,
visiting a treasure trove of retro lighting
and vintage automobilia,
collected over years by dealers Dino and Geoff.
You guys have packed this place out.
And they've found a vintage London bus sign that's just the ticket.
But they're not sure if the price is right.
What you got on that one? What do you reckon, Geoff?
I just want to know - what you go on it. - One-eighty.
Hm.
Shake the man's hand. - Is that the best, 180? - It is, yeah.
- It's really good. - I mean, - there's loads left in that. - Yeah.
So these will either go to someone who deals in prints
and they'll do all the mounting and the framing,
leave it to them, sell it to them as a lot.
Or I'll get them cut up, I'll get them mounted and framed,
and I'll make a lot more profit on them that way.
Have you seen some of this artwork here? Which is...
This is original artwork, So we love all this.
Erm, if you look in detail... Oh, yeah... that's,
it's just something quite special.
These were done for Autocar - magazine. - The motorbikes...
- Oh, yeah, yeah. - Yeah, they're all by different artists,
but they were pulled out of the skip.
They're all hand drawn... Yeah.
...not computer generated or anything like that.
They're done by a really famous artist called Brian Hatton,
who was famous for doing these, erm, car diagrams.
He used to do them for some really famous motoring magazines in the 1960s,
but these ones, they're like the actual hand-drawn ones.
They're signed by him.
They're perfect. They're really, really good things.
Best known for his cutaway drawings of cars,
Brian Hatton was an illustrator for Motor magazine
in the 1960s and '70s.
Expertly capturing the mechanical workings
of everything from formula cars to small family vehicles,
Hatton's work is highly collectible today,
and these original examples,
rendered in pen and ink on artboard,
could be worth around £225 each.
What kind of money are these ones? I'd need to see £100 each back on them.
But they represent a certain era before obviously, computers,
you're never gonna see the likes of this again.
Exactly. Geoff, I'm gonna take a punt on that one?
- Okay. - Yeah.
They're just so nice.
I think that's, uh, which one's that.
That should say on the back of it. - Vauxhall Victor. - Oh.
So, that's another Vauxhall. Sixty-five.
- Look at that one. - Yeah.
Yeah, I'm going to take that one - as well. - Thank you,
- thank you. - Fantastic.
I pick out two and they're 1960s Vauxhalls.
One's a Vauxhall Victor and the other one's a Vauxhall Viva.
Never sold anything like this. And this is why we come to places like this.
Now I know they're there, you know,
there's a chance you can sell them. But who knows?
As long as I can sell these ones fast enough,
I could be back for more.
I think that's it. Have we seen everything?
I think you've pretty much - seen everything. - All right.
So, let's get in the office...
Kettle on... cup of tea - and then we'll sort some cash. - Cash.
- Cash! - Get some readies out. - Cash man. - All right.
- All right. Let's go. - Lovely.
So, today's been a really good day.
I mean, you see their collection.
I mean, this, this has come from all over.
You know, these guys, they're hard workers,
and it shows.
You know, from something really little,
like a little car lamp, to a massive fire engine,
you know, what they've got...
in between, it's absolutely crazy.
I think the most interesting thing I bought today is the Jakob, the Volvo Viking.
I'm really happy about that.
I don't think many people have seen that.
That's going to be very, very new to the market.
Erm, and hopefully it will sell very, very quickly.
Lads, thank you very much for today. It's been a pleasure.
Nice to see you both. Always a pleasure, Dino.
- Geoff, thank you. - Thanks. Sure we're going to do you again.
- Yeah. - You may get it, yeah.
Until the next time, my friends. There you go, man.
-Take care. - We'll be back.
It's been a very nice day with the boys. Yes, it's...
it's nice catching up with them again?
Definitely great to see them and nice guys, and, you know,
just really easy to get on with. Erm, knowledgeable...
and passionate about the stuff that we like as well.
And you can see in their eyes it's exciting them.
And that's what we want. We want to see people excited by the... Yeah.
...you know, the stuff we've got.
Stuff? Stuff? Is it stuff? - I don't know. - Stuff.
A lot of stuff, mate.
We need a bigger shed. Yeah. You can calm down a little bit now.
That was fun, man. That was good.
Yeah, they've got a good collection of stuff there.
I really liked that Volvo man - - we bought. - Oh, yeah. - That was nice.
Yeah, I've never seen one of those.
I mean, I've seen the actual Volvo man...
Yeah... like, but I've never seen one available before.
And Dino and Geoff, always a laugh.
What about them coming out with them beards?
- Still not good enough. - Listen, man, if you can't grow your own beard,
don't come with a fake beard, innit?
If you're gonna come to us, come with,
grow your beard and then come back.
No. It was funny, though. It was funny.
It's been a successful trip,
with a haul of colourful items for the brothers to add to their stock.
While Jay heads back to north London with their finds,
Serkan is continuing his buying trip.
He's travelling five hours west, to Wales,
where he's joining up with local dealer Alister Dryburgh,
who's gained access to a historic location
close to his patch,
filled to the brim with an array of salvaged treasures.
Right, then, Serkan, today, mate,
we're going to my second home.
- Nice. - We're going to Aberteifi.
- Aberteifi. - Aberteifi, mate. - All right. Where is that? - Cardigan.
We're going to see James Lynch, - right? - Okay.
He owns a hotel called The Albion. Okay, nice.
- Right on the waterside. - Oh.
And he's got a garage,
and he's got a warehouse across the water
full of surplus furniture,
lighting and various other items.
- Okay. - And you'll love Cardigan. - Okay. - It's beautiful.
It's got a castle. I love it,
and I'm excited about taking you there. Is it very picturesque?
Yes, it's lovely, mate. That's what we call lovely. That's what we like.
The town of Cardigan is known in Welsh as Aberteifi,
meaning mouth of the River Teifi.
In the early 1800s, it was Wales's second busiest port
and a centre for shipbuilding and transatlantic trade.
Today, it's known for coastal wildlife watching
and its many independent shops and businesses,
including Albion Aberteifi,
a former warehouse that's been transformed into a hotel
by owner James Lynch.
Over the years, I've been buying properties
like the hotel which I actually bought in
something like 2003.
At the time I bought it, it had been used just for tyre storage.
It was in a pretty sad state.
Structurally, it was quite poor inside.
Historically, though, it's very important.
It's a maritime warehouse, being used as a grain store,
as a bonded warehouse,
as a sail loft.
I collect lots of materials
and I collect objects and furniture.
There's bits that I've used now in this building
or in other buildings that I've probably had for 40 years.
And finally, I find...
I can find a use for them.
But actually converting buildings, it's a project.
So you set about doing something
that you've got a passion for.
It's nice if it makes money as well.
That's the tricky bit.
But it's satisfaction, I guess, in doing the job.
- Good morning, James. - Hello, - both. - How are you doing? - Very good. - I'm Alister.
- Hi, Alister. - Hello, James, Serkan. Hello, Serkan, great to meet you.
You too. Welcome to the Cardigan... Thank you.
...and The Albion Aberteifi. What a place.
So, how long have you had this? We had the building for about...
25 years. But we restored it to The Albion during lockdown.
Brilliant. It's a beautiful building. Absolutely beautiful.
Can I show you inside? - Have a look around. - Yeah, - please. - Yes, please.
I love a stone building, Alister. - Do you? - I do.
I come to Cardigan a lot.
There's a good vibe here.
And I can't wait to look inside The Albion
because he's transformed an old, pretty much derelict building
into this fantastic hotel,
and it's just caked in history,
so I can't wait to get in there.
There's something up here that I'd like you to see
that's quite important - about the building. - Okay.
We realised that on this floor in particular,
there are beautiful pencil drawings of tall ships
all over the walls, - you know. - Oh, wow.
And there's calculations there for lengths of rope or sailcloth.
Bloomin' 'eck. So having discovered that,
you know, one drawing at a time and then realising...
Yeah, yeah... the whole floor was covered in them,
I thought, this is just so valuable.
This is a gift. It's mind blowing, isn't it?
- Yeah. - It's part of the history of this place.
Yeah. They're all... Yeah. ...from about 1850, 1860.
- Okay. - So it was a particular period.
And to be able to retell the story is important to the essence of,
- you know, what we do. - Definitely.
To go upstairs and to see all those drawings
that past employees have done, sailors have done on the walls.
It's amazing, you know. That took time to
discover that wall, but it was worth it.
After taking in the history of the hotel,
Alister and Serkan are keen to see the storerooms
filled with architectural salvage and furniture
that James has collected over the years.
And so this is one of several stores... Okay... we've got.
An old garage? There's an old garage.
- Pioneer garage. - Okay.
I've always wondered what was in here.
Right. So...
here we are. Now, this store is part store,
part salvaged materials... Dumping ground.
Yeah, dumping ground. There's all sorts of stuff here.
Canoes. Lots of doors.
You like your old paint too, - don't you? - I do, yeah.
- Yeah. - Yeah, I don't get rid of that.
- No. - Really good that, - - isn't it? - Yeah. Lovely. - The colour.
- - Did you see these? - Trestles? - Yeah.
So amazingly, they were actually workmen's trestles. Cast iron.
Are you selling these? I could sell those.
How much do you want for them?
Well, I know how much they're worth,
but I go probably...
140 for the pair.
You wouldn't do 120. I know it's cheeky.
- I'll do 120. - All right.
- I'll take those. - Yeah. And I'll shake your hand at 120.
- That's your last bargain. - Fantastic.
- Lovely. Those are really nice. - Yeah.
Trellis top on that, desks.
In London they love them. - There you go. - Happy.
- I am happy. - Good, good.
I've got a garage full of wood.
My brother's gonna put some of that wood together.
It's going to make a lovely tabletop for... for that.
Erm, and probably three, £350.
All right, so this is the coal yard.
It actually was a coal yard.
- - A coal yard. - Yeah. - Okay. Ronnie Reese's coal yard.
What about that, James?
It looks like it's been maybe cut, doesn't it, because...?
It's odd proportion, isn't it? But these are right at the back.
- Yeah. - Should we pull it out - into the light a bit? - Yeah, yeah.
It's a pine tavern settle of really nice, small proportions.
You know, these tavern settles,
they're all over the pubs in Wales, years and years ago.
And if they didn't quite fit in a corner,
they'd chop it down.
May have been cut down, but that doesn't matter.
It's a nice thing. It's pine,
it's raw...
and it's a box settle.
So, storage.
From the late 18th century,
pine was imported in huge quantities from North America
to ports like Cardigan.
Cheap and abundant supplies of soft wood
were used for shipbuilding, chapel interiors
and functional furniture for taverns and cottages across Wales.
With its distinctive high back to protect against draughts,
this 19th century settle
is a classic example of Welsh country furniture,
and with some restoration,
Alister thinks it could be worth around £600.
I've got a feeling it's been cut down.
Yeah, that panelling... Yeah. ...asymmetric panelling - is a bit odd, isn't it? - Yeah.
- - But it's a handy size. - Yeah. - Yeah.
Probably from a pub or something. A tavern settle, isn't it?
That's what it looks like. - - Those arms. - Nice hallway piece. - Uh?
It'd be a nice hallway piece, - wouldn't it? - Yeah.
So, would that be for sale, - James? - Yeah.
- Yeah? - I can't see us using that anywhere soon.
Two hundred and forty.
Alister and Serkan are in Cardigan, Wales,
visiting a former shipping warehouse
with storerooms filled with salvaged treasure.
There's all sorts of stuff here.
Canoes. Lots of doors.
And Al has set his sights on an antique Welsh settle.
But he still needs to secure the deal.
I just like the proportions of it. Two hundred and forty.
- Well, I'll be happy with that. - Yeah? Good, that was easy.
Excellent. Thank you. It's all right, that, innit?
- Nice... It's nice. - Welsh. - Handsome. - Pine tavern settle.
- You like it? - I do like it.
- Don't try to sell it to me. - No, I'm not trying to sell it to you.
They're useful in two ways. You can sit on them,
and you can also store things in these box settles.
Yeah, they're always a good seller.
I always try and have them in the shop.
And this one, I can't see it staying around for long.
It's just a nice small thing.
We've got to stacks more stuff - - - upstairs. - Okay. - Brilliant. - So...
Can we have a look up there? - Take you up there, yeah. - Cool.
- Wow. - Okay, so this is,
as I was saying, there's more furniture up here.
Yeah, just a bit, isn't it? - Of all sorts. - Yeah.
Right. So just have a good rummage, then, is it?
Are you selling the gallery heads?
Yeah. I mean, we do have a lot of those opal church lights...
Yeah... that we use. You know, we've got them over in the pub.
- Yeah. - But, yeah, I mean, I'd let those go because
once the glass is gone, you're left - - with the gallery. - Yeah. - Hm.
It's 'cause I've got, like, shelves of... Spears, yeah... spears.
- - Yeah. - I always need them. - Yeah. I mean, I pay, like,
50 quid for the pair. Go 60 and I'll accept that.
- - I'll take that. - Good. - Fantastic.
The copper or brass part at the top,
which is called the gallery, holds the light,
and the chain then holds that to the ceiling.
Those galleries are about 1930s. They're pre-World War II.
They have a white opaline diffuser,
which is kind of like an acorn shaped shade.
There are different types that will fit that gallery.
When I'm going through car boots or when I go to antique fairs,
if I ever see just galleries on their own, I always buy them.
And there's one other thing I saw on the side.
Could you reach that? There's a tulip,
erm... Where are you? ...opaline there.
- This one? - Yeah. Is that - are those for sale,
or do you need to use those? Yeah, we had six of those.
We used the other five. - Mm-hm. - So, that's, uh...
You haven't got the...? That's an orphan.
No... I think these are the... I think these were made by GEC.
I think I've got... I've got fittings for these.
Yeah, it's a sort of flat metal cap. - Yeah, and it goes in. - Yeah. Yeah.
Again that, 30 quid.
We'll say a hundred for the three. Do 100 for the three. Fantastic.
With the tulip-shaped GEC
opaline as well, I've got an original fitting for that.
They take a monk's cap gallery.
I've just paid £40 for that now.
Now, a little secret.
I'm always collecting parts,
like when I find galleries without the glass
or if I find the glass without the galleries,
because when it's incomplete,
the person selling it to you will always sell it to you cheaper.
There's a much bigger margin
when you can find the pieces separately.
Erm, so that's... that's a bit of a trick.
- I think we're done. - I think we are. Well, thanks very much.
Shall we get the man paid? Let's get him paid,
do some paperwork. Okay, James, let's get you sorted.
I had a really good day with James today.
Nice to finally meet the man.
You know, I've heard a lot about him over the years,
and he's a good businessman, but he's also got an eye.
He's got an eye for salvage.
He knows what he's doing and he does it right.
James... I hope it's been fruitful - for you. - It's been amazing.
Thank you very much. Well appreciated.
Thank you, James. It's been fun having you here.
- - - See you soon. - Okay. - Cheers. - Bye-bye.
Cardigan is beautiful, isn't it? Really. It's like,
take a picture, put it on a postcard.
I feel there's very good profit in everything I bought.
For me, it was...
making that contact... Yeah. ...with somebody who's an hour - - down the road. - That's it. - Yeah.
James is always buying property.
He's always going to want stuff, - isn't he? - Yeah.
And he's got an antique dealer living an hour up the road from him.
There you go.
With some great finds in the van,
Al and Serkan have one more visit lined up.
They're staying in Al's homeland,
heading east towards Cardiff and a sprawling indoor market
that has the potential to offer up all kinds of treasure.
Right, Alister, where are you taking me today?
- We're in Cardiff, mate. - Okay. We're... capital of Wales.
- Nice. - Been here before?
Erm, I don't think I have, you know.
But yeah. Cardiff indoor flea market.
But I think it's more of a centre vibe.
Okay, so like an antique centre. Yeah, but they call it... - Right... a flea market. - Okay.
It's always worth looking at.
Any, like, flea market, car boot,
you know, I always stick my nose in.
I think you got to. But, you know, you can go to them, like, ten times
and maybe buy something... Yeah... once, can't you?
But then again, you can go to them ten times,
and that one time you find something...
Yeah, I know... and then, you know, it's...
it's that special that you found. Yeah, yeah.
The history of Cardiff stretches back over 2,000 years,
with a Roman stronghold
later rebuilt and enlarged by the Normans.
Declared the capital of Wales in 1955,
the city hosts many national institutions and attractions,
including one of the largest antique marketplaces in Wales,
the Cardiff Indoor Flea market,
managed by Laurie Rossiter.
So, we started the flea market ten years ago.
We've got about 40 independent traders
selling everything from antiques and vintage, retro, jewellery,
everything you can imagine.
I think the flea market is a wonderful concept.
It allows small businesses to really
either to start up with minimal costs,
or allows them to sort of thrive without all the pressures
and all the economic overheads that you might incur
if you're having your own retail store.
- Morning. - Hello, nice to meet you. - I'm Alister. - Hi.
Morning, Laurie, it's me, Serkan. Hello. Nice to meet you. How you doing?
Thank you for joining us today. Thanks for having us.
It's big, isn't it? It' is huge... Yeah... yes.
We've got about 30,000 square feet - - of space here. - Whoa. - Really?
So, do you manage the centre or do you own it or...?
- - I own the centre. - Okay. - And, yeah.
So, we've got about 40 independent traders here with us.
Can we have a look around? - Please do. - Should we go this way?
- - Yep. - Let's do it. - Good luck. Thank you very much.
When you come to these places, you can be a bit like a rabbit in the headlights.
Okay, your eyes are looking everywhere,
but they're not really zoning in on things
because there's so much stuff here.
And that's a coffor bach.
What does that mean? A small coffer.
- - Bach is small. - Okay. - Yeah.
So you've got to slow yourself down
and just go through it methodically.
Can you help me - with these blankets, Serkan? - Yeah.
- Oh. They're nice. - Right, I've got to open them out, mate.
Let's look. Can you feel that they haven't been washed?
- Okay. - Which is good. - That's a good thing? - Yeah.
They're quite firm, - aren't they? - Yeah.
Are these old, though? - I mean, these two. - Yeah.
We're in a tangle, mate. All right. Like... yeah.
- Okay. - You're making it worse. I got it, let go, let go. - That's it. - All right.
Oh, two different sides - as well, look. - Yeah.
These are singles, aren't they, - by the looks of it. - Yeah.
- - - Is that single? - Yeah. - Yeah. - Yeah.
I've a lot of Welsh blankets over the years.
And you get collectors, people collect blankets, okay.
And then you get house furnishers,
interior designers who use the blankets, but the purists,
and that's what you want to get the top money for,
they want them to be perfect.
Can we have a look at the other one, if that's not too much of a...
No, no, I've got the hang of it now.
You know, I've had, uh, people coming into the shop.
They put a Welsh blanket over their head
and walk outside and look up into the skies
because they're prone to moth holes,
so you can see the light shining through.
And that's how all the serious buyers
buy Welsh blankets. This one, though, is in...
better condition than that one.
Singles are always harder to sell. - Are they? - Yeah.
- You only want doubles. - Yeah.
Really. It depends on the price.
Okay. Erm...
Do you like them? They're quite nice, actually.
They're plastic? Opaline?
Extremely rare. I don't think it's extremely rare.
Why have you got two switches? Erm, because, look...
Yeah. And you can... Ah. You can have three, too.
Now three. So...
one... One... two.
And then just the bottom, - three. - Three.
Yeah.
The company is an Italian company called Stilnovo.
They're about 1960s. They're what we call three lamps in one.
So, you press one button, only the bottom lights up.
You press another button, only the top lights up.
So the bottom stops and the top...
Or you can press the button again and both light up.
It really adds to the whole effect of that light.
These are opaline glass.
They're beautifully made. They're ready to go.
They're a near pair. Always do better on a pair.
- Yo, mate? - How do you do, - mate? - All right.
- How you doing? - Take my place. We've met a few times,
- - here and there. - Are you okay? - Yeah. How are you doing, mate?
I'm sure these are by a company called Stilnovo,
they're an Italian company. Yeah, but the designer...
- - Yeah, okay. - Reggiani. - Reggiani.
Federico Reggiani. - Yeah, Reggiani for Stilnovo. - Yeah.
Okay. So, what we got on here?
It's 450 the pair, yeah.
It's 300.
In Cardiff, Alister and Serkan are visiting a huge antique and vintage flea market
crammed with potential treasure.
Among the scores of stalls,
Serkan has spotted a stylish pair of Italian designer lamps.
Federico Reggiani. - Yeah, Reggiani for Stilnovo. - Yeah.
And he's determined to bag them for the best price.
Okay. So, what we got on here?
It's 450 the pair, yeah.
It's 300.
Ooh, that's a good discount, mate. Seventy percent of mine is trade,
- so... Oh, is it? - Fantastic. - Fantastic, yeah. Lovely lamps. - Nice.
That's a... That... - Very nice lamps. - Yeah.
- Been rewired as well. - Yeah.
Beautiful bedside lamps.
Really well made. Got the maker's marks on them.
Yeah. You can't go far wrong.
The dealer, Dave. His unit, it sticks out.
Yeah, it draws you in. It's colourful.
It's done in a tasteful manner,
and things are just laid out correctly.
There's a lot of light in here. It's fresh.
That's Anders Pehrson, Swedish.
Anders Pehrson for lighting, - isn't it? - Yeah, lovely.
I've had that in brass. - Have you? - Yeah.
You always get cracks in those. You always get chips in those.
This one. Perfect.
There's like a round grill underneath it, all totally perfect.
The original brown paint on it. No scratches, no blemishes,
which is quite important with especially Swedish lights.
We like patina. We like things to show their age, but...
with some of the mid-century stuff, people like them also to look spot on.
In the 1960s, lighting pioneer Anders Pehrson
embraced the Swedish design principles of form, function and colour,
creating a range of stylish lamps
that helped bring Scandinavian style to homes around the world.
The example, known as the Knubbling lamp,
dates from the 1970s
and features a translucent plastic shade.
In excellent condition, Serkan thinks it could be worth
around £750.
This, I've put 650, 400.
Couldn't do 350, could you?
- Fantastic. - Nice light.
Yeah. It is a very nice lamp. It's like it's one of them.
Find another one. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's a big light. It's a statement piece.
I'm amazed that it was here in the flea market in Cardiff.
And that's why you need to come to places like this.
And that's why you need to look through all of the rest
just to find that. We shook on 350.
Plenty of bunce. These blankets, mate,
what have you got on these? There's... we've had a quick look,
they're singles, they are. - Are they singles? - Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- - Weren't they? - Yeah. Singles. - Yeah.
I do 300 on the pair.
One-fifty a blanket.
That's what I could probably get for them. And there was a...
Was there a big darn hole... On that one?
There is a darn... Here... yes. Colours are good,
but there's a darn hole in the middle.
Where was it, mate?
There.
- - Ah, right. - Yeah. - Two-fifty.
- Two-fifty the pair. Thank you. - Nice.
Blankets have become so fashionable these days.
Years ago, you could pick them up in charity shops, 20, 30 quid.
Not anymore. You've got to pay up for them.
And people do command high prices for blankets.
So, these were 250 a pair.
That's all right. You know they're singles.
It's a good price. There's money left in them. Definitely.
- What's that there? - Just come in.
- - What, this? - No. - Yeah. Just come in - this morning. - Oh, that one, yeah.
- Is it Atomic? - Yeah.
I'll put a little fibreglass shade on it or something.
Oh, will you?
- Cute, innit? - Nice.
The little lamp. It's not a complex thing.
And that's what attracted me to it also is it's just simple.
It's giving me a taste of something different to try.
And it had old paint on it, crackling. I like the look of it.
How much is that?
- Sixty, that. - Sixty.
And if you put a shade on it, what sort of... Do you like that?
It's all right. Quite nice looking. Hasn't been tested or anything.
It's just come... No, no. Sixty quid as is.
Yeah.
Cool. Literally just walked through the door.
- It's a nice little thing. - Yeah.
For me, it ticked the boxes.
But maybe if you're really into your mid-century stuff
and you want the best examples of everything,
then that lamp might not be for you.
I just like the look of that. You might need someone to rewire that.
What? Your brother. You won't... You won't do it.
He won't do it.
It's been really good. You know, I didn't buy a lot,
but I bought two really good items.
And, uh, yeah, the items that I bought
the profit in them is more than
worth me spending the whole day here.
It's all down to perseverance,
because you will buy things here.
There's so much stuff here,
the odds are you going to buy something. The Welsh blankets,
you know, wherever I go and I see a blanket that's buyable,
you've got to get it in the van. Yeah, because they sell.
They sell day in, day out.
Yeah, mid-century lighting. It's an experiment for me.
It's something I'm going to give a go.
There's not a lot of work to do to it,
and it didn't cost a lot of money.
All right. Thanks for having us today.
Thank you so much for coming out. Thank you very much.
- - Really good. - We did. - Really good. - We did. - Any good bargains?
I found a couple of smashing lights. Yeah, a couple of blankets.
- - Really? - Yeah, good. - Good. It's been well worth it. Thank you very much.
- Thank you for coming out. - Take care. - - Cheers. - Thank you. - Bye-bye. Thank you. Ta-ra.
All right. What do you think of the indoor flea market?
Erm, a lot of stuff in there. - It is big. - Ah, masses, mate
- Masses. - It is a lot of stuff to get through
to find that bit of treasure.
The larger lamp I bought, the Swedish one,
I mean, when we go to Germany, when we go,
erm, you know, out into Europe,
I expect to find things like that.
But to come all the way to Cardiff and find that, that's...
You didn't expect that. I didn't expect that.
Are you going to do it right - on that? - I'm gonna do very well on that.
You bought those Welsh blankets?
You imagine north to south... Yeah... Wales,
- full of woollen mills, right? - Okay.
That's part of our Welsh history.
Big, big industry... Yeah. ...woollen mills in Wales.
And each mill had different patterns.
So there's more to a Welsh blanket than meets the eye,
like, you know, people collect them. - Yeah. - They collect blankets.
Do you know what I mean?
It's been a successful week, with a haul of great finds.
And visiting places loaded with antique treasures
has paid off.
While Serkan travels back to London,
Alister's returning to West Wales.
But before heading to his shop,
he's paying a visit to an old contact
who he's hoping can reveal more about the Welsh blankets he bought in Cardiff.
Today, we're not far from where I live
and I'm coming to see a friend called Jane, Jane Beck.
Uh, he's a specialist in Welsh blankets.
I want to know more about the history of the blankets,
'cause I want to confirm I've got the right mill.
I want to confirm the age, because all of this
is just gonna add value, okay.
And I want to be confident in what I sell.
- Well, hello. - Bore da, Jane.
Are you coming in? What have you got with you, then, today?
Welsh blankets, funnily enough.
Every time I come here, you've got...
a really good display of blankets.
I can spot these two here... Yeah. Yeah....similar to what I've bought in... Yeah, yeah.
...but it changes all the time with you. The colours are amazing.
What would you call these now? Vintage or...?
Yeah, they're vintage. Vintage is 50 years old.
- Antique is 100 years old. - Yeah.
This is what everybody identifies as being a proper Welsh blanket.
It's double cloth. It's not really a tapestry.
You've got one pattern one side, - one pattern on the other side. - Yeah.
Historically, Welsh blankets were made on looms in people's homes and farms.
But in the 19th century, large water powered mills
began producing wool on an industrial scale.
However, the influence of traditional designs
and vibrant colours remained.
Bought these in Cardiff flea market, okay.
A near pair, I believe, right, quote me if I'm wrong.
- I will. - I know.
Derw Mills... Mm-hm. ...Caernarfon pattern... Mm-hm.
...mid '60s to '70s.
- - - Yeah? - Pretty much. - Yes. - Yeah.
So, Derw Mills, what can you tell me about them?
It was a very, very productive mill.
They produced wool and goods there from 1896 to 1983.
They used to produce stuff for their own shop
and for other shops... Yeah. ...but they also used to do a lot of
wholesale and trade to other people.
The Derw Mill was one of many woollen mills
that flourished in Carmarthenshire from the late 19th century onwards.
One of the mill's most popular patterns
was the geometric Caernarfon pattern,
reminiscent of the portcullis gates used on that town's famous castle.
Within each mill, a single weaver would make a whole blanket,
each with its own subtle character,
so it's possible to connect these blankets with the people who made them.
In fact, these were woven by my friend Ken Cole...
Your friend?..who sadly died - last year. - Really?
He worked for them for 40 years,
and he told me a story about weaving these.
He was left to his own devices.
These were originally supposed to be blue and pink.
Well, he was left without enough yarn...
Okay... so he mixed the yarn...
Yeah... to make them go further...
Good God... and created this two-tone effect.
Luckily, it turned out to be one of the most popular colours.
In fact, I've got a photograph - - of him. - Have you? - Yeah.
So, this was the staff line-up...
All right... uh, 1956 - to 1957. - In 97.
So he would have been working for them for just over a year.
And there he is there.
Really tall, smiley bloke at the back.
And he did these blankets? And he wove these blankets.
You're confident that he wove... - I'm sure. - Yeah?
- He had his hands on these? - Yeah. He's done these?
That's amazing. So, when I went to Cardiff and bought these,
never in a million years
would I think I'd be bringing them here
and you'd be showing me a picture...
Of the bloke that wove them. ...of the guy who actually made them.
- - Brilliant. - Brilliant. - Yeah. - That's made my day that has. - Yeah.
Right, thanks for today, Jane.
- You're welcome. - You know, to come here... to see his picture,
to know he's the guy who made these blankets.
- Amazing. - Yeah. You can't get much better provenance - than that, can you? - You can't.
- No. Definitely. - Yeah.
Alister's heading back to his shop a happy man,
and with some great finds across the week,
both he and Serkan are delighted with the vintage and antique bounty
they can add to their stock.
It's been a really good week again.
It's been really nice, especially to visit Dino and Geoff.
Both Dino and Geoff actually just started off as collectors.
And then that collection turned into their business.
That's exactly the type of people we love in this business,
and it's exactly the type of people that we just want to keep meeting.
On Alister's turf, we're back in Wales, Cardigan,
we went to see James. Those opaline lights,
those galleries and things like that are essential to us.
Any time we find them, they don't even have to be complete,
we will always buy them. We'll put them aside
because one day we will find the other pieces.
Alister as well picked up some really good stuff.
Just meeting these people, you know, getting their number,
then taking your number
and you never know what's going to come in the future.
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