Antiques Roadshow expert gives 'pitiful' valuation as guest begs 'don't drop it'

20 March 2023 , 12:27

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Antiques Roadshow expert gives 'pitiful' valuation as guest begs 'don't drop it'

An Antiques Roadshow expert made one guest feel very nervous after getting a "pitiful" valuation, as she warned him "please don't drop it".

The BBC show was back on the road with Fiona Bruce as she welcomed antique lovers to Belmont House in Kent.

Antique experts had their knowledge put to the test as they studied an array of items, including a rather colourful vase.

Expert Andy McConnell was on hand to offer advice on the possession.

He started off by asking the crowd their thoughts on the vase. "Hands up for those who like it," he asked.

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"Well, I don't think I'm gonna have to ask who doesn't like it. That's pretty unanimous."

Speaking to the vase's owner, Andy asked how it came into her hands.

Andy McConnell gave his verdict on the colourful vase (BBC)

"I inherited this vase from my granny, who I really, really adored," she explained.

"And I remember going into her formal lounge, and she had a wall of glass and the sun used to rise and shine through this wall of glass and all her glassware were displayed on this wall.

"It was absolutely stunning, and I always thought it looked like a bird, like a toucan.

The colourful vase got a shocking valuation (BBC)

"It's currently in my possession. I have a toddler at home. so it lives in a wooden box, and we thought we'd come to see what everybody has to say about it."

Expert Andy said the vase was designed by Dino Martens in 1951.

The guests who took in the vase to see what it could be worth (BBC)

"This is a superb, classic piece of early 50s Murano and it was made sort of like in the way that you'd pick up hundreds and thousands on a fairy cake," he said.

"You get a piece of colourless glass, which you can see if you look at this right...you can see its colourless core.

"And then you pick up all the bits and lots of chunky bits of stuff and you pick them up and then you would roll them backwards and forwards and they would meld themselves into the glass."

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Andy said his valuation was 'pitiful' (BBC)

Andy revealed the first-ever vase of that kind sold for an eyewatering $350,000 (£287,415).

But, disappointingly, he told the guest her vase wouldn't reach that kind of money.

"That was the first one, so I'm afraid this one rather pales into insignificance because its current auction value is only a pitiful £6,000 to £8,000."

The guest begged him not to drop the vase (BBC)

The crowd let out a cheer of disappointment, but the guest looked nervous as Andy showed off the vase to them.

"Please don't drop it," she said as Andy jokingly went to drop the vase.

"You have got very good taste," he went on to tell her.

Mia O'Hare