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Private Notes
This episode follows Stuart, whose love of all things railway has led to him building a life-size 1950s railway station in his back garden to house his 1,000 piece collection of signs. But his passion doesn't stop there; Stuart has not one, but three huge collections. The railway collection spills into the purpose-built underground station, then there is the 'petroliana' in the garage - signs and equipment from petrol stations - and finally an entire street of Victorian shops in his attic to house his 6,000 items of packaging.
But now his life's work is threatening to derail, as his compulsion to buy more and more has left him with a buffet bar full of junk, with piles of signs everywhere ruining his careful curation. Mark and Mel want to convince Stuart to streamline his collection and sell off some items so his beautifully curated settings can breathe, and there is a shock valuation in store for everyone.
Collectaholic Nick has spent 38 years amassing an astonishing collection that most people would consider plain old rubbish. Nick has more than 7,000 British beer cans that line the walls like modern art. They are all housed in a carefully controlled setting, with the curtains closed and temperature maintained. Wife Deborah has confined the cans to one room in their house, but with no space left for new ones, can Mark and Mel help Nick and Deborah find a solution to their storage crisis? The collection is also valued. When Nick bought the cans, their value was in their contents. Now they are empty packaging, are they worth anything at all?
Finally there is 33-year-old airline steward Ben, whose collection isn't just ruling his home; it has become his home. He has turned his house into a shrine to the 1930s and 40s, with everything from the art deco furniture, to the Bakelite light switches. But he still needs one elusive item, an authentic stove to complete his wartime kitchen and to do that Mark and Mel need to sell some of his unwanted items to help him
Mel and Mark meet Nigel, the animal lover with a penchant for all things stuffed.
His boyhood dream of owning animals preserved by taxidermy has now extended to more than 500 pieces, and he has everything from fish and foxes to polar bears and lions. But now he's on the hunt for a very special piece to top off his collection. Much to wife Janice's horror, Nigel wants a giraffe, or at least all 9ft of its head and neck.
As well as getting his entire collection valued, Mark and Mel are on a mission to sell off his excess items to raise the funds needed. Opening a stall on Spitalfields market, they're determined to show Nigel how popular taxidermy has become with a younger crowd and there is a surprise when they reveal just what Nigel's life's work is worth.
Twice-divorced Bob has had to downsize his life into a three-bedroom caravan, but he's bought with him his extraordinary 1,000+ piece collection of Mason's pottery.
Every surface, every ledge and even the ceiling has been utilised to house it all, but he still has boxes and boxes stored under his home. But now Bob's struggling to sell the items that won't fit in his caravan because the Mason's market has crashed in value in the last decade. With the help of Mark and Mel, he's on a mission to start a Mason's revival and find a new market for his beloved treasures.
Finally, Mark and Mel visit the house with not one, but two collectors.
David and Francis have two competing, and very different collections. Whilst David has an all-consuming love of ceramics, artwork and furniture from the highly regarded Bloomsbury Group all over the house, Francis has a collection of more than 2,000 different salt and pepper shakers that is confined to two cupboards.
Can Mark and Mel help bring balance to this household, and what surprises does the valuation have for these two competing collectors?
Mark and Mel meet James, whose lifelong obsession with Star Wars means that his children have to climb over heaps of his 35,000-piece memorabilia collection just to get into their beds. With no room for display, piles of brown boxes have consumed the family home. With wife Sarah at her wits end, Mark and Mel decide to take drastic action. James is confronted by just how out of control his collection is when all 35,000 pieces are removed from his house and laid out in a 2,400 square foot storage facility. James and Sarah meet a collector and his wife who've managed to balance his 22,000-piece die-cast van collection and keep control of the family home. But is there really a solution that gives Sarah and the kids their home back and still leaves James with a collection he can enjoy?
Also in this episode, modern print collector Graham has a 350-piece collection. He has had to buy the house next door to find more walls to hang it all on. Mel and Mark take him to visit the Soane Museum to see how Sir John Soane creatred a very clever system to maximise hanging space. Will Graham find the solution to his display crisis - and will a valuation of his entire collection show that he has been purchasing wisely?
Finally, 69-year-old grandmother Shirley has filled five rooms of her house with hundreds of antique dolls and more than 70 prams. Shirley is worried about the future of her collection and what will happen to it after she is gone. Her grandchildren have no idea what to do with it beyond putting to auction - Shirley's worst nightmare. To help them make an informed decision the entire collection is valued, but does Shirley realise just how much her life's passion is actually worth?
