As Antiques Roadshow openings go it was about as auspicious as it gets.
Indeed, two albums of 19th century photography, originally thought to cost little more than ‘a couple of hundred quid’ by their oblivious owner, were immediately valued at ‘four to six thousand pounds’ by canny expert Marc Allum.
And so it was business as usual for the BBC show as it welcomed viewers to picturesque public space Ebrington Square in Derry, Northern Ireland – but the luck of the Irish wouldn’t last.
Red flags began waving after a ‘splendid pair of earrings’ dating back to the nineteen twenties were uncovered as synthetic sapphires.
‘I can see curved growth lines – which you would never get in a natural sapphire,’ carped antiques expert Hilary Kay, before highlighting visible gas bubbles that proved they were inauthentic.
Despite the setback, their deflated owner’s spirits rose after being told they would still fetch ‘£2,500’ at auction – a fraction of what they could fetch had they been authentic sapphires.
John Sandon was on hand to deliver some bad news to a local ceramicist, who’d paid £550 for what he believed were two authentic pots from celebrated English potter William Moorcroft.
‘Are they too good to be true?’ mused Sandon, commenting on their mint condition. ‘You’d expect to see a few defects here and there. There’s fine cracking in the glaze, but you can hardly see it.’
Turning one of the pots and noticing a blemish on its read, he added: ‘Has that just been dipped in tea?’
Realizing they were imitation Moorcroft it was left to Sandon to offer a price, and it didn’t look good.
‘You’d be looking at £50 to £100,’ he said bluntly. ‘They’re modern fakes – next time, let’s hope better.’
Worse would follow, when a local couple brought along two paintings they’d been keeping in their attic – despite paying close to a thousand pounds for them at a car boot sale.
‘I don’t know this artist,’ muttered expert Mark Hill, as he observed one of the two landscapes. ‘What did you pay?’
The price – a combined £721 – left Hill gobsmacked as the couple joked they hoped ‘to retire, go on a cruise, maybe buy a million pound holiday home’ with their profits from the two paintings.
‘Sorry to disappoint you,’ he said. ‘How did you get here today? By bus? You’ll be getting the bus back I’m afraid, it won’t be a limo!’
Revealing the paintings were out of fashion, the expert admitted they would struggle to get what they paid for them back at auction – but charitably stopped himself admitting their owners had paid well over the odds.
However it wasn’t all bad, with one guest was left stunned to discover the true value of two vases she had picked up in a charity shop fort £1 each.
She explained she had been about to throw them away, before deciding to bring them along to learn about their history.
Despite the ornaments not being in the best condition, John Sandon surprised the guest and the viewers by revealing they were actually very valuable.
He explained they were from a pottery firm called Belleek, with pieces being ‘highly prized’ by collectors.
What made the ceramics even more unique was their gold trim and tulip decoration, as John revealed that Belleek didn’t make many of that style.
He said that the pieces date all the way back to around 1870 and said one vase could sell for an eye-watering £700 to £1,000.
The guest was stunned and said: ‘Wow! I was actually going to dump them when I first brought them home! I didn’t like them.’
Sandon chimed in to comment: ‘That £2 was well spent!’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
