show stars Raj Bisram and Irita Marriott ventured to Stamford, Lincolnshire in search of valuable treasures to auction. Raj, co-founder of Bentley’s Fine Art and Antiques Auction House, Kent, stumbled upon a set of medals and accompanying paperwork at Stratton Oakford Antiques.
He explained that finding a set of medals all on one bar, along with paperwork, enhances its authenticity and can significantly raise the item’s value.
The medals were awarded to a Second World War radar operator named John Philip Middleton, and the fact that the recipient hailed from Reading, like wife, , piqued Raj’s interest.
Raj said: “I find facts like that intriguing”.
He purchased the item for £80, expecting a profitable return. However, at the , the item only fetched £32, resulting in a significant loss for Raj.
The hosts were left stunned as the items made a loss at auction. (Image: BBC)
Both Raj and his competitor couldn’t believe their eyes. “No! ” they both exclaimed when the hammer confirmed the deal.
Irita replied with disbelief: “I don’t think I dared say anything! £32?” Raj muttered: “Ok, don’t remind me. I do not need reminding! “
Additionally, his silver brush set, which cost him £110, was also overlooked by bidders and sold for just £32.
The show hosts wondered if the medals could have a link to Kate Middleton. (Image: GETTY)
Frustrated, Raj stood up and shouted at the auction-goers: “Come on! Are you still alive all of you? Come on! These are rare items!”
Unfortunately, once again, the hammer fell on the measly sum of £32.
By the end of the episode, Raj had lost a whopping £123.92, while Irita came out on top, albeit with a smaller loss of £34.84.
The records for the largest profit on a single item, the highest sale price for a single item, and the largest total profit on one road trip is held by Paul Laidlaw, who in one of the 2017 series (Series 15, Episode 5) bought a Chambre Automatique De Bertsch sub-miniature camera for £60 and sold it at auction for £20,000 (a 33,233% profit).
The previous records for the highest sale price for a single item and largest profit on a road trip was held by Anita Manning, who in 2016 purchased a Buddha statue for £50, which sold for £3,800 (a 7,500% profit).
The record for the most significant profit margin on a single item is 33,650%. It was set by Charlie Ross when, in the 2012 series, he bought a chipped Staffordshire elephant clock for £8, which sold for £2,700.
This was also the most significant profit made on a single item until Manning broke that record in 2016.