Antiques Roadshow treasures – Beatrix Potter books to £20k ring made from hair

14 January 2024 , 19:25

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Antiques Roadshow treasures – Beatrix Potter books to £20k ring made from hair

Antiques Roadshow fans will be well aware that one mans junk is another mans treasure - and that old items can fetch and impressive price tag.

Over the years, fans of the BBC show - which has aired since 1979 - have watched as old household belongings have been valued by experts, often with astonishing results. And it seems that even simple items found in the house can end up being worth far more than some might expect.

At the beginning of this year, a couple were delighted to learn the value of artwork by Dorothy Steel that they picked up at a charity shop. The duo bought the item for £5, but were confident it would be worth more - but were floored when art expert Frances Christie admitted: "In my opinion, this is probably one of the best Steel's I've ever seen." Frances revealed that at auction it would probably go for between £3,000 to £5,000.

Another guest recently produced a vintage telescope that had been handed down their family - and were pleasantly surprised by the suggested price tag. The guest explained: "It belonged to William Lassell, made by William Lassell we think, who was an astronomer born in 1799. He is my great-grandfather's great-grandfather."

Antiques Roadshow experts like Clive Farahar have been stunned by some of the treasures over the years (BBC)

The show expert declared the antique would be worth tens of thousands, saying: "The mere fact that these belonged to such a famous astronomer, and, let's face it, he's got so many letters after his name. He wrote so many papers and of course, he was very big in the Royal Astronomical Society as well. I think your items here are worth £20,000.”

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And at the beginning of this year, a couple were shocked to learn the value of an old newspaper they had kept in their home. The duo had retained an old cover page from The Evening Standard which announced the death of President John. F. Kennedy, stating: "Kennedy Dead" after the assassination of the 35th president of the United States on November 22, 1963.

Antiques expert Clive Farahar was startled when the couple explained they almost threw out the newspaper when they stumbled across it while clearing out their garage, declared: "You nearly got rid of it and you nearly dismantled it." He valued the old paper at £1,000.

Over in the USA, an original Barbie set was found to be worth hundreds of dollars (PBS)

Over in the USA, a guest appeared on a show with an original American Girl Barbie which was made in 1965 by Mattel. They had bought the item for $5 (£3.90) - but were astonished to learn the still boxed toy was worth $600 to $850 (£470-£670) - thanks in part to the fact it was complete with her bathing suit and three other outfits.

Back in the UK in 2018, one Antiques Roadshow guest brought in a ring that they had found in their attic - only to learn it had belonged to legendary novelist and poet Charlotte Bronte. The mourning ring contained a lock of hair that was suggested to belong to the author too.

Jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn’s valued the ring at £20,000 and commented: “It was a convention to make jewellery out of hair in the 19th century. There was a terror of not being able to remember the face and character of the person who had died. It wasn’t an uncommon thing to happen."

Some Beatrix Potter books previously received impressive evaluations on the show (BBC)

Another guest the year before, in 2017, had showcased some signed first edition Beatrix Potter books - which left show experts astonished. The books were in terrible condition and were very battered - leading the owners to believe the value could be low. However, book expert Clive Farahar revealed: "I'm afraid I'm going to put a couple of thousand pounds on these two books. Well, they're signed Beatrix Potter. They are in appalling condition. You give children's books to children and they love them and they draw in them and this has all those bits as well. They're all drawn in and that's fine. Your mother loved them."

The guests also had a sketch of Peter Rabbit that was in good condition, which was valued at £25,000. Clive advised: "I'm going to be cautious because Peter Rabbit is not coloured. It is more or less as it would have been in one of her original letters. I'm going to put £25,000 pounds on it."

Mirror.co.uk