BBC’s Bargain Hunt has been on our screens for over 20 years and in that time, the show has seen some incredible discoveries that have made eye-watering profits
Over the years, Bargain Hunt has unearthed some truly remarkable finds, many of which have fetched staggering profits. The BBC programme, which has been on air for 25 years, pits two pairs of contestants against each other to buy antiques from shops or fairs and then sell them at auction, ideally for a profit.
Since its debut in March 2000, the show has featured an array of unusual items. From peculiar Victorian artefacts to a vibrant yellow teapot, it seems the stranger the item, the higher the potential profit.
The Express has highlighted some of the discoveries that have both amazed viewers and boosted bank balances.
Chinese Wine Ewer
One such find is a Chinese Wine Ewer. Value is certainly subjective, as who would have guessed that a yellow teapot would become Bargain Hunt’s most profitable antique?
This 18th-century teapot, dubbed “the most important item ever sold”, was auctioned off by expert Charles Hanson for a whopping £390,000, reports the Express.
It had been gathering dust in a Derbyshire attic for 50 years before being brought onto the BBC show, with the owner wanting to ascertain its value before donating it to a local charity shop. The teapot had previously been inherited from World War II serviceman Ronald Wadsworth, who was also a recipient of the Burma Star medal.
As it turned out, this teapot was one of only three ever made, traditionally used for holding water in the court of Chinese Emperor Qianlong.
“This is one of only three known, one’s in a museum in Taiwan,” said Hanson. “One’s in the museum of Beijing, China, and out of humble Burton-Upon-Trent, voila! unbelievably we have another.
“This object for me, is in its historical placement, the most important object I’ve ever sold.”
Faberge Flowers
Bargain Hunt secured another six-figure windfall back in 2021 following the discovery of some extraordinarily rare Faberge Flowers.
The treasures had been wrapped in a blanket and stored in a shoe box for more than 40 years after their original owner, Juliette Duff, died in the 1960s.
She moved in Royal artistic and musical circles and counted Sir Winston Churchill amongst her close friends.
In a turn of events that stunned both audiences and auctioneers alike, the flowers smashed their estimated price range of £100,000 to £150,000, selling for £180,000 and £160,000 respectively – delivering a combined windfall of £340,000.
Host Natasha Raskin Sharp said: “Imagine the excitement when these two exquisite pieces of Faberge turned up out of the blue at an auction house and were placed into the hands of our very own auctioneer, Charles Hanson.”
Only 34 were ever created, with the late Queen Elizabeth II possessing 28 in her personal collection.
Vampire Slaying Kit
Continuing with the bizarre and extraordinary, Bargain Hunt audiences were left stunned when a vampire slaying kit emerged on the programme back in 2022. A 19th-century artefact, once owned by Lord Hailey, a former administrator of British India, and designed to ward off vampires, has been sold for an impressive £13,000.
The item, which far exceeded its initial estimate of between £2,000 and £3,000, contained several sacred objects including two brass crucifixes, a brass powder flask, holy water, a Gothic Bible, a wooden mallet, a stake, rosemary beads and candlesticks, all housed in a lockable box. Charles, the auctioneer, commented on the intense global interest from potential buyers and media outlets, saying: “It attracted strong advance bids. Nevertheless, the result exceeded all expectations.”
Tiffany Ashtray
In another surprising auction result, a Tiffany & Co ashtray fetched a hefty £210 in 2012, making a profit of £184 compared to expert predictions of just £80 to £90.
David Harper told his team: “It is high quality. It’s exquisite, and I know it’s smoking and smoking isn’t exactly PC but it’s still collective.”
Cockerel Tea Cosy
Meanwhile, an unusual yet unique cockerel tea cosy picked up by antiques expert Jonathan Pratt also yielded unexpected profits. He said: “Well, £85 could have bought me quite a few things, but I just had to go for it. The nice thing about it is this has actually got the age, this is from the early part of the 20th century.
“It has this sort of very soft, have a stroke, it’s very soft and a great look on it, you know. It’s probably 1930s, I suppose.”
Pratt had initially thought the item would fetch a modest £40 or £50, having purchased it for a mere £25, but it certainly piqued the auction’s interest.
The piece ended up selling for £250, netting a tidy profit of £225. Former Bargain Hunt host Tim Wonnacott was taken aback, confessing: “I have to say I think that is the most extraordinary profit we have ever made on any object on the show. I’ve never seen anything quite like that.”
#Bargain #Hunts #profitable #items #390k #teapot #vampire #slaying #kit
