Antiques Roadshow's most valuable haunted items - 'creepy' dolls and more

25 February 2024 , 19:00

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Over the years, some seriously spooky items have been auctioned off on Antiques Roadshow (Image: BBC)

Over the years, some seriously spooky items have been auctioned off on Antiques Roadshow.

The programme, a beloved fixture on BBC One since 1979, has unveiled creepy treasures hidden in dusty attics across the UK. With surprising values, Antiques Roadshow often leaves its viewers in awe, even if some folks end up disappointed to learn their precious possessions are almost worthless. Yet there's always the chance that an unsuspecting collector might bring in something worth a small fortune.

However, not all memorable antiques owe their fame to their incredible values. Over time, many participants brought their eerie belongings to sell at auction, hoping to shake off their chilling effects. One such item was a "haunted funeral doll" which appeared on the show in 2022. Viewers called for the owners to dispose of this "creepy" discovery found hidden in their garage. Two sisters showcased this family heirloom - a Royal effigy doll - with hopes it might be worth a decent amount of money.

They said their mum got it from an auction in the early 70s and they've had it since they were kids. Expert Bunny Campione was super excited and said: "I must admit that this is the most interesting and unusual doll that I've seen in my 36 years of the roadshow. But it's not a doll, I think its body shows that he's not a doll."

A "haunted funeral doll" appeared on the show in 2022 (BBC)

The show's host told them that what they thought was a doll was actually a "funeral effigies' body" because of the hessian under its skirt. It turns out the doll is from way back in 1715, which was a surprise to the sisters. Back in the old days, like the 16th century, people used these effigies to feel close to family who had passed away, dressing them up in fancy clothes.

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When the show went on TV, people on X were talking about how spooky the doll looked. One person wrote: "Absolute f***ing horror of a doll on #antiquesroadshow right now." Someone else said: "That doll looks evil #antiquesroadshow" and another person said: "Creepy doll/ funeral effigy. Bin in #antiquesroadshow."

But the sisters were happy when they found out the doll was worth a lot of money because it's so old and rare. Bunny shared her thoughts that the doll might have once belonged to the Duke of Buckingham and could fetch between £10,000 to £20,000 at auction. She said: "I believe it's a funeral effigy of a three-year-old son that died of the Duke of Buckingham. He was the first Marquess of Normanby and he died in 1715. So, in those days, the monarchy and aristocracy would make wooden and wax effigies and put on the funeral cask going to the funeral."

Another spooky antique that caught viewers' attention was a scary-looking bird statue which appeared on the show last June. The ornament, affectionately named Ernie by its owner and their daughter, had a strange head that was detached from the rest of its body. The owner admitted that Ernie was so ugly that his child was "terrified" of it and had nightmares about the ornament when they were younger. Expert Steven Moore agreed that while the ornament was "very collectible", it "had a face that only a mother could love."

Another spooky antique that caught viewers' attention was a scary-looking bird statue (BBC)

This quirky sculpture was made by the famous Martin brothers, who made pottery in London in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The four brothers were most famous for their Wally Birds designs, which were detailed ornaments that looked like strange birds with long beaks, big feet, human-like heads and a puzzled look in their eyes.

They had heads that came off and were made to keep pipe tobacco in. People have loved collecting Martinware since the 1970s because it's worth a lot of money. Steven said the top and bottom parts of the bird statue didn't look right together, and if they found the missing bits, it could sell for a huge £70,000 at auction. Just the head alone was worth an amazing £4,000.

People watching couldn't believe how much it was worth or how creepy it was. One person said on social media: "Haunted bird head kill it with fire," while another added, "What a horrible looking ornament Ernie is." Another person thought the bird statue looked like something from the game Angry Birds, and another X user said it was "ugly."

And back in 2012, Alan Smith brought a big old painting to the show because he thought his house in Devon was haunted by a ghost. He told people watching that a ghost who loved Chopin's music often visited the big house. The man who owned the house, who is 70 years old, said: "About 40 years ago I owned a mansion the other side of Bideford and it had about 15 bedrooms and all my guests and myself saw an apparition. There was a woman walking along the corridor and bedrooms at about one o'clock in the morning."

In 2012, Alan Smith brought a big old painting to the show because he thought his house in Devon was haunted by a ghost (BBC)

"At the same time, you could always hear a piano. It was always Chopin being played through the house. It was a friendly ghost. She was usually wreathed in a blue haze and just drifted around you couldn't see her legs," he went on. "Sometimes she would even arrive at the bottom of my bed in the middle of the night. I thought there must be some kind of scientific explanation, but other people who visited the house were terrified."

The mystery of why she liked the house stayed until they found a very old painting that seemed to show the same lady. Later, Mr Smith met a lady from a local junk shop who asked him: "Are you the master of Heale's?" When he said yes, she said she had something that belonged to his house and showed him the picture. People think the painting was done by Cyril Roberts, a famous artist who lived in Paris.

The face in the painting was eerily familiar to Mr Smith, and he quickly realised it depicted the woman his family were haunted by for years and she was seated at a piano in his drawing room. But when the portrait was returned to Heale House's drawing room, the sightings stopped. Mr Smith added: "I hung the picture back in its place and nobody has heard of seen her again for years. Visitors now believe she's been put to rest because she got her painting back." After the apparition vanished, Mr Smith decided to investigate into the history of the painting and uncovered the sad story of the uninvited guest.

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He identified the woman as Mrs Bell, a wife of an Argentine beef rancher who was one of the previous occupants of Heale House in the early 1900s. The owner learnt that she had been bankrupted and forced to sell all of her possessions including the famous portrait shortly before her death.

Mr Smith confessed that before he sold the property, he tried to summon the ghost one last time but she failed to make an appearance. He admitted: "We even tried to use a Ouija board to bring her back but it looks as if she's gone forever." Yikes.

Antiques Roadshow viewers also got a real fright last July when a lady showed up with her dad's old ventriloquist dummies

Antiques Roadshow viewers also got a real fright last July when a lady showed up with her dad's old ventriloquist dummies, explaining: "These were my father's." The lady, who brought Fred and William the dolls to the show, gave everyone a scare when she said Fred had her dad's hair on. Mortified, one person quickly took to X to say: "Put them in a box and burn them. Don't care how much they are worth." Someone else said: "I'm not f**king sleeping tonight" and another person added: "I can see why this episode of #AntiquesRoadshow is after the watershed between the ventriloquist dummies and the creepy nodding cats I won't sleep for a week." Even Mark Hill, the expert on the show, was scared of the dummies, saying: "These things absolutely terrify me!" In the end, he thought Fred and William might sell for about £70 to £100 each if they were auctioned.

Bethany Whittingham