Antiques Road Trip presenters were left stunned after a £20 item bagged one of them a ‘stonking profit’ at auction.
In the episode, which aired on BBC1 on February 28, hosts Irita Marriott and Mark Hill were going head to head once again – buying bargain antiques in the hope of making stacks of cash at auction.
Irita started off in the lead from last week, with more than £400 in her money pot for the challenge – while Mark had a little over £100.
READ MORE: Antiques Roadshow guest breaks down in tears over jaw-dropping value of ‘rare’ plates
But after scouring around antique stores from London to Bedford, Hill found the item that would bring him back into the game – and it only cost him £20.
(Image: BBC)
Stopping off in Markyate, Hertfordshire, Mark visited a little shop called ‘Renovation’ – where he spotted two profitable collections to take to auction.
The first was a set of antique human anatomy models, which were mass-produced to help medical students learn more about the human body, without the need to wait for ‘fresh cadavers.’
However, the second turned out to be the money maker as it appealed to travel enthusiasts and locals alike – a set of London bus signs.
“These are off a London bus, these would have sat on the front inside a frame telling you where the bus was going,” Mark explained.
(Image: BBC)
“Inside there would have been a little handle that the driver would turn to change the destination.”
Looking through the collection, he noticed there was a “bit of an East London theme” which he thought would make it interesting to collectors.
Auctioneer at W&H Peacock Auction Centre, Lindsay Taylor agreed as prior to the bidding she said: “We’ve had a huge amount of interest in the Routemaster destination signs for this sale.
“The market for any transport items is really good at the moment and this sale is going online. There’s lots of people all around the country who would love those – especially those in Essex where most of these are based.”
(Image: BBC)
For the latest breaking news stories and incredible tales from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
And the experts weren’t wrong as the bidding on the item, which cost just £20, started at £140 – leaving Irita and Mark flabbergasted.
The pair couldn’t contain their gasps, with their jaws dropped from shock as the bids climbed to £240 – giving Mark a profit of £220.
Irita said: “God! Mark, this is amazing!”
To which, Mark replied: “Thank you. A good buy, I think.”
READ MORE:
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
