BBC Antiques Road Trip expert makes history as £60 household item fetches huge £20,000 profit

Antiques Road Trip adept Paul Laidlaw was near successful daze erstwhile an point helium bought for £60 made a staggering £20,000 nett astatine auction

In a thrilling occurrence of Antiques Road Trip successful 2021, Paul Laidlaw, the BBC's treasure-hunting expert, deed the jackpot erstwhile helium bagged a camera for £60 from a Margate antique shop, which fetched an astonishing £20,000 astatine auction.

The Margate store was similar Aladdin's cave, and the anxious proprietor enticed Paul with a tour: "Three floors, the upstairs is chiefly furnishings but there's worldly everywhere. And connected this floor, determination are 4 rooms done and successful the middle, there's a staircase which goes down to a country afloat of chairs and different country afloat below."

Paul humorously retorted, "Don't nonstop the cavalry, okay?" After delving among the myriad items, helium surfaced with the camera and bartered implicit its price, initially offering £50.

The shopkeeper stood steadfast until helium proposed: "Give maine £60, and I'll shingle your hand, but I'm not doing immoderate amended than that, I'm afraid."

Victorious with the handshake, Paul secured the camera, speculating: "I deliberation this is simply a precise aboriginal camera. If I'm right, that could beryllium rather exciting. The photographic marketplace is precise overmuch successful the ascent, it's a blistery market, I deliberation that's a bully thing," reports the Express.

Excitement peaked astatine the auction location successful Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, wherever auctioneer Edward Crichton recovered himself fascinated by the uncommon find, confessing he'd "never seen one" similar it before.

Overflowing with excitement, helium revealed: "The sub-miniature camera - I person ne'er seen one, successful fact, we person carried retired immoderate probe and cannot find immoderate different illustration which has sold astatine auction, we were precise excited to spot this and it has definite imaginable to marque a important profit."

"You couldn't acceptable galore much in, could you?" remarked Kate arsenic she took successful the crowded presumption of the auction room.

As anxious bidders jumped into action, 5 radical swiftly indicated their keen interest. The bidding started astatine a chill £1,000, rapidly ratcheting up into the thousands.

Watching the energetic country unfold, Kate couldn't assistance but note, "They're not messing around," arsenic the figures climbed higher and higher. Edward was each agility, calling out, "£3,000, £4,000.."

Paul caught the moment's strength and exclaimed successful astonishment, "He's present taking £1,000 increments," This excited Kate to chime in, "It is not slowing down."

Shocked beyond belief, Paul clutched his look and gasped, "Oh my god," conscionable arsenic the bid soared to £20,000.

The hammer yet sealed the woody astatine £20,000, prompting Paul to laughter portion his co-star beamed and joined the applause.

Ecstatic, Kate squealed a hearty "Well done" arsenic she congratulated Paul.

Reveling successful the triumph of the auction battle, a glowing Paul couldn't fell his happiness, declaring, "I'm implicit the moon."

With her ain joyousness unmistakable, Kate gushed, "What an unthinkable result! I americium truthful chuffed for Paul."

Understated but capturing the day's sentiments, Edward summed up the bonzer event, musing, "Most items successful this merchantability marque betwixt £50 and £500, truthful £20,000 is staggering, wonderful."

Antiques Road Trip is disposable to ticker connected BBC iPlayer.