BBC Antiques Road Trip stars gobsmacked after household item makes biggest ever profit

Antiques Road Trip stars were left gobsmacked during a memorable moment from an episode in 2021. BBC expert Paul Laidlaw made an extraordinary find that fetched a whopping £20,000 at auction - which is the show's record-breaking highest profit.

Paul stumbled upon the hidden treasure of a camera, priced at a mere £60, in a Margate antique shop filled to the brim with intriguing items. The enthusiastic shop owner described the store's layout, saying: "Three floors, the upstairs is mainly furniture but there's stuff everywhere. And on this floor, there are four rooms through and in the middle, there's a staircase which goes down to a room full of chairs and another room full below!"

Undeterred by the vast array of items, Paul joked, "Don't send the cavalry okay? ". After combing through the shop, he returned with his discovery, ready to haggle over the price of the ancient camera.

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His opening bid was: "In your cabinet over there, optical instrument... £75 on that I bid you £50." The seller stood firm, replying, "Give me £60 and I'll shake your hand but I'm not doing any better than that, I'm afraid," reports the Express.

With a handshake, the deal was sealed. Sensing the potential value of the camera, Paul commented: "I think this is a very early camera. If I'm right, that could be quite exciting. The photographic market is very much in the ascent, it's a hot market, I think that's a good thing."

Upon Paul's arrival at the Bury St Edmonds auction in Suffolk, a rare find immediately caught the attention of Edward Crichton who admitted he'd "never seen one" like it before. Edward remarked: "The sub-miniature camera