Charlie told the story of how a ‘dirty old’ rug worth thousands was taken to the tip. (Image: Getty)
star Charlie Ross has revealed the time a pricey Kashan rug was taken to a tip and destroyed, leaving him having to cough up an extortionate amount to the would-be vendor.
In his autobiography, Charlie explained that he had visited a property in St Albans to see if there was anything of value.
Among the few quality items was a luxury Kashan rug worth between £1,000 – £2,000, though Charlie admitted it was in need of a clean-up as it had been there for some time.
They sent a porter to clear out the property so the rug could be taken to auction and Charlie, 75, could get his hands on a “handy auction fee”.
The porter later arrived at the saleroom and began unloading his van. However, there was no sign of the rug.
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Charlie Ross reflected on his lengthy career in his new book, Sold! (Image: BBC)
When the unbeknownst porter was questioned about the location of the prized item, he replied: “Oh, you mean that dirty old thing lying around? Wasn’t any point bringing it over here, so I dropped it off at Bedford Tidy Tip to save you the trouble.”
Upon realising what had happened, panic quickly ensued and the porter rushed back to the tip to see if he could save it.
However, he was too late, and the luxury Kashan rug was already being devoured by a restraint crusher.
Charlie said the porter was “mortified”, adding in his book, Sold!: “He was not the only one. The path to hell may not be paved with good intentions, but the path to penury certainly is. As we explained what had happened to the would-be vendor of the rug, I was writing him a cheque for £1,000.”
While Charlie is now a stalwart of the ‘s antique shows, he nearly saw his career topple when he committed a grave mistake.
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Charlie Ross is best known for his appearances on Bargain Hunt. (Image: BBC)
He had been honing his skills at WS Johnson and Co’s Morton Road saleroom under the tutelage of seasoned auctioneer, John Collings.
After several months, John felt it was time for Charlie to advance and entrusted him with leading an auction.
Charlie faced the challenge of selling a pricey silver toast rack, an experience he described as one that almost saw his career “very nearly sink the moment it hit the water”.
He explained in his book: “I need to remind those not familiar with auctions of two things. First, when the hammer comes down, that’s it. End of story. No more bids. Item sold.
“Second, many people entering an item in an auction do so with a ‘reserve’, a minimum price they are prepared to accept. If that price is not reached, the piece is returned to the owner or held over for a future auction.”
The bidding for the toast rack started strong, which made Charlie think “this is a piece of cake”, while John observed quietly from behind.
Charlie recounted: “I finally bring the hammer down at £6…I look down at my sale sheet. There it is in black and white…I run my eye further across the page to the figures in red ink in the ‘Reserve’ column.
“What the…? Crikey! It has a reserve of £12. Now it’s sold, that’s the sum we have to give the former owner and the remainder will have to come out of my wages. I’m on £3 a week.”
Charlie then approached the bidder and used the “off the chandelier” technique – when an auctioneer makes a fake bid to appear as if there is more demand for an item – and managed to bring the hammer down a second time at the required £12.
Charlie recounted the telling-off he received from John, who thundered: “Don’t you ever do that again.”
Despite this rocky incident, Charlie’s career blossomed, and he has since become renowned for securing high-value deals and has been a familiar face on shows like Bargain Hunt, Flog It! and Antiques Road Trip.
In addition, he boasts more than 25 years running his own auction house, dealing in luxury items ranging from fine art and vintage motors to real estate.