Antiques Road Trip saw a battered elephant that was snapped up for a mere £8 at auction became an unforgettable highlight, as the figure netted an astonishing return.
The year 2012 saw the BBC’s antiques gurus Charlie Ross and James Braxton shatter expectations; they were allotted a scant £200 to scout for profitable curios in a remarkable turn of events.
Against all odds, Charlie’s gamble on the defective pachyderm paid off handsomely when it caused quite the sensation at a Buckie, Scotland auction house. Online enthusiasm soared for the damaged piece, propelling Charlie’s gains into the stratosphere.
Snatched for a song, the elephant fetched an eye-watering £2,700, leaving viewers gobsmacked.
Narration on the show hinted at the high stakes: “With one lot each still to go, Charlie is only £7 ahead. Next up, it’s his Staffordshire elephant, and the auctioneer thinks it could go for a couple of hundred! “, reports OK!.
The event began with a bang when bidding opened at “£80 is online,” tenfold what was originally expended by Charlie.
Yet, the Staffordshire figurine marvel persisted in shattering the bar, prompting an astounded Charlie to blurt out, “It’s jumped to £130?” as the price soared to £130 online.
Confidence mounted as the voice-over delved deeper: “This is getting really interesting; there are no more bids in the room but the phone and internet bids are really picking up! ” while the auctioneer revealed, “£140 is on the phone,”.
Charlie couldn’t suppress his thrill, visibly agitated as offerings escalated beyond £400, he burst out, “Sorry? ” jumping from his seat in disbelief.
In an extraordinary turn of events, bids started to skyrocket with offers of £600 and £650, prompting the expert to exclaim in disbelief: “Are you hearing this? This is ridiculous!”
As the bids surged astonishingly to “£1,000… £1,200 online,” competitor James accepted defeat with his remark: “It’s all over.”
The auctioneer ramped up the excitement with “£1,400… £1,800, £1,900, £2,000,” while the narration highlighted the unprecedented nature of the bidding on Antiques Road Trip with: “Unheard of on the Road Trip!”
” £2,100, £2,230, £2,300 is on the phone. Are we all done online at £2,500″ queried the auctioneer, as higher bids continued to flood in: “£2,600..”
With a touch of humour in his concession, a forlorn James quipped, “I fear my Road Trip is already over,” while Charlie could not conceal his joy. The gavel finally fell, confirming a remarkable £2700 online sale.
Myrna Schkolne, a Californian collector, triumphed in acquiring the much-coveted elephant, having sought it for 25 years.
Overcome with emotion, Schkolne shared her instant connection with the piece, saying, “I saw this elephant on the website, and it was love at first sight,” and revealing her dedication by waking up at 5 am and enduring the lengthy process of phone bidding.
Catch more unmissable moments on Antiques Road Trip, every weekday at 4.30 pm on BBC Two.