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'FACT IS THEY'RE STINKERS'

Drama on Antiques Roadshow as BBC expert drops bombshell on misguided punter

Glass specialist laughs in face of man who spent TEN TIMES too much on a pair of wine goblets

AN EXPERT on Antiques Roadshow couldn't help but laugh when a punter showed him a pair of wine glasses he'd spent TEN TIMES too much money on.

The glasses were engraved with images of Admiral Lord Nelson and his various great victories, ending with the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and their owner believed they dated from around 1815.

 A visitor to Antiques Roadshow spent £1,500 on a pair of wine glasses he believed dated from 1815
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A visitor to Antiques Roadshow spent £1,500 on a pair of wine glasses he believed dated from 1815Credit: BBC
 The glasses were engraved with images of Admiral Lord Nelson and his various great victories
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The glasses were engraved with images of Admiral Lord Nelson and his various great victoriesCredit: BBC

He'd bought them from a widow in 1998 for £750 – each.

However he got a shock when glass specialist Andy McConnell gave him an appraisal of the goblets, joking: "I'm going to have to kill you! I'm going to kill you. Because they're wrong."

McConnell added: "The amount of pleasure I'm going to get from giving you a kicking is none. I have no pleasure in telling you that they're out of time by a hundred years. They are wrong."

 However the owner was in for a shock when glass specialist Andy McConnell appraised the goblets
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However the owner was in for a shock when glass specialist Andy McConnell appraised the gobletsCredit: BBC
 Andy told the owner he was wrong about the dates, declaring the glasses 'stinkers' – worth a tenth of what he'd paid for them
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Andy told the owner he was wrong about the dates, declaring the glasses 'stinkers' – worth a tenth of what he'd paid for themCredit: BBC
 Andy couldn't help but laugh at the owner's mistake
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Andy couldn't help but laugh at the owner's mistakeCredit: BBC

He explained that at least one of the glasses likely dated from the 19th century, but the engravings came about 100 years later.

He concluded: "The fact is, they're stinkers. I'm really sorry. Their value is £100 each.

"That's the good news, it's £100 each! £150 each. They're an academic curiosity."

The owner managed to laugh off the bad news, but admitted the value was "a little bit down" from what he expected.

Perhaps a glass of wine would make him feel better?