In a memorable episode of from 2016, experts Anita Manning and Raj Bisram scoured for profitable antiques to take to auction. During the show, Anita picked up an Eastern bronze deity, which she brought for £50.
When it came to putting the item up for auction, the auctioneer, Mark, confessed there had already been interest in it. Anticipating good results, Raj held Anita’s hand as the bids started coming in.
Starting off at £1,000, both of the stars were speechless as Raj commented: “Blimey!” The voiceover for the show seemed equally stunned as they said: “Oh my gosh!”
The bids continued to climb as Anita told her co-star: “The old instinct kicked in!” The pair were astonished by the interest as Raj laughed before clapping her on the arm in congratulations over the find.
The BBC stars were speechless over how much interest was in the item (Image: BBC)
While the offers gained, Anita laughed in disbelief as the voiceover revealed it was a record-breaking profit made on the show. However, that’s since been overtaken by Paul Laidlaw who managed to sell a £60 camera for an eye-watering £20,000.
In the room, the interest for the deity was clear as Anita asked: “Where is it going to stop?” Turning to Raj, she commented: “I think you’re right out of the game now!”
Raj burst out laughing as he agreed with her remark he replied: “I’m on a different planet. It’s fantastic.” The Antique Road Trip star confessed she had a feeling the item would do well at auction when she first saw it.
Anita had bought the item for £50 (Image: BBC)
In the end, it sold for a staggering £3,800, giving her a whopping 7500% profit. Thrilled with the outcome, Anita threw her hands in the air and cheered.
The people in the room were also pleased for the star as they gave her a round of applause over the incredible profit she managed to earn. Repairing the huge amount the item sold for, Raj commented: “The day belongs to you.”
When the auction came to an end, Anita commented on her huge win. She told viewers: “Things like that can happen! So get out into your antique shops and keep searching.”
Antiques Road Trip star speechless as item earns a whopping 7500% profit (Image: BBC)
Raj also gained some success at the auction room as he managed to earn £95.50. This left him £632.48 for the final leg of the show. However, it was Anita’s huge win that changed the game.
The voiceover told viewers Anita had started the leg of the show with £414.12 but with her substantial profit, it gave her a total of £3543.82 to spend in the final round.
As Anita and Raj set off for their final journey, she jokingly told him: “I think I’m a wee bit ahead of you. A wee bit.” Not minding the jibe, Raj suggested they get some champagne to celebrate.
Antiques Road Trip is available to watch on iPlayer.