Fans of the beloved show have uncovered a controversial strategy to secure a win.
The long-running programme has been on the airwaves since 2000 which was originally hosted by David Dickinson before Tim Wonnacott took over in 2003.
Fans of the show will know two pairs of contestants are challenged to buy antiques with the help of an expert before taking their treasures to the auction house to go under the hammer.
But now, one eagle-eyed fan has revealed a sure-fire way to take home the coveted golden gavil. The plan would involve exploiting the insurance rules of the show to guarantee a payout—but it involves some dishonesty.
The strategy, posted on an online message board, suggests breaking all purchased items in transit to the auction. According to the rules of Bargain Hunt, if an item is damaged during transport, the team receives the top end of the auctioneer’s estimate as insurance compensation.
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Bargain Hunt fans have figured out a way to cheat on the show (Image: BBC iPlayer)
The poster added: “So, get two cheap items and one at exactly £75 that would be around that, and then sneak into their truck and break them all without anyone noticing.”
Another fan responded to the suggestion positively, writing: “Ha, that’s one strategy that might work.” Participants get to keep any profits they make after their items are sold, and they also get to take home the show’s iconic fleece as a memento.
However, profits are notoriously modest, as a previous participant once joked that a £30 gain is “megabucks on Bargain Hunt.”The has strict guidelines for what can and cannot be purchased on Bargain Hunt.
Items made of animal products, weapons (including swords), and oversized antiques are off-limits. Contestants must also be able to carry their purchases, ruling out any overly fragile or bulky items.
It comes after antiques expert Natasha Raskin Sharp spilled some of the best-kept secrets on the beloved daytime show. In Karen Farrinton’s new book Bargain Hunt: The Spotter’s Guide to Antiques, the brunette beauty revealed what it is really like to work on the show.
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Breaking items could potentially get contestants more dosh (Image: BBC iPlayer)
She confessed: “While our show’s broad appeal is undeniable – and while the rules of the game are easy to explain in a sentence or two – trying to elucidate exactly what these different demographics enjoy so much is less straightforward.
“Perhaps the fact that making a profit on Bargain Hunt is genuinely challenging is what appeals the most – if you’ve ever cheered on a team that’s made a £1.50 profit, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
“Or perhaps it’s the notion that anyone is welcome to apply to appear on the programme – fill in just one form and before you know it, you and your housemate could be the stars of the newest Bargain Hunt meme (and proud possessors of some very fine fleeces).”
“First, there’s the ‘buy day’, then there’s the ‘auctioneer chat’, and finally, the auction itself. A lot can happen in that time: there’s been one marriage proposal, a handful of breakups and even a few births between the antiques fair and the auction … you just never know exactly how an episode is going to play out.”