I work on Antiques Roadshow and these are the best and worst buys I’ve ever made – including bonkers £160k deal
AN Antiques Roadshow expert has revealed the best - and worst - buys he's ever made.
The hit BBC One show, which is presented by Fiona Bruce, sees members of the public bring their most prized possessions be valued by a team of experts.
And Antiques Roadshow glass expert Andy McConnell has revealed the best purchase he ever made.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he told how he sold two of his best decanters to a millionaire.
Andy said: "In 2004, I wrote a book about glassware, The Decanter: An Illustrated History 1650-1950. A year later, an American who had bought a copy of my book invited me to assemble a world-class collection of decanters for him.
"It turned out he was billionaire hedge fund manager Jim Pallotta, who owned the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Over a period of five years, I assembled this collection for him and I must say it was quite lucrative.
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"All the particularly good decanters I owned myself that I had previously decided were too good to sell – suddenly weren't too good to sell to a billionaire.
"Overall, I made £160,000 by both buying decanters on his behalf and selling him ones I owned."
Andy joined Antiques Roadshow in 2005, becoming the show's first ever glass specialist.
However, you can't always be lucky and Andy has made losses along the way.
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Recalling one loss, he told: "I spent £500 on a Venetian glass bowl 20 years ago that's only worth £150 now. It's utterly revolting and I've no idea why I bought it."
Meanwhile, a guest on Antiques Roadshow was left absolutely flabbergasted as she learned the true value of a golden brooch on the show.
The booch in question was a stunning bird design that was coloured gold.
It was a family heirloom that had been passed down generation by generation to each newborn daughter.
Show expert Joanna Hardy took a look at the item as she said: "This is a very special jewel and I wasn’t disappointed when I opened the box to see this."
