Old man praised for ‘honest’ reaction after Antiques Roadshow host values his item

A man who went on Antiques Roadshow and got told what he'd brought on wasn't anywhere near as valuable as he'd been hoping was praised for his 'honest' reaction.

Everyone wants to be the person who goes on the show with an old trinket they had lying around only to discover that in Only Fools and Horses style, they'd been sitting on a fortune the whole time.

We've all seen the people who've had a treasure trove hiding in their attic being driven doolally when they get told that robe they had in a wardrobe for years is worth £200,000.

Or you could dream about being one of those who gets stunned into silence when the 'ugly' clock you hid away for ages is actually worth up to £35,000.

Nobody wants to be the person who brings in their old valuables only to be told that it really wasn't worth hanging onto them for years.

BBC

Sadly that's the fate that befell one fellow who went on Antiques Roadshow with his marine artefact which was a compact wash basin complete with fold away sink and space for a toothbrush.

What appeared to be an old wooden cabinet was actually the equivalent of a sink you might find on an old ship.

The man who brought it in explained that he'd bought the thing at an auction decades age, spending £52 in old currency in the 1950s which is a hell of a lot more than that same figure is worth today.

Currency converters disagree on exactly how much that figure would be worth in today's money, but even the lowest calculators put the figure at over £1,400.

Then you've got to factor in the effort the man had keeping his antique stashed away safely in the hopes that it'd be worth something one day.

BBC

Needless to say the gentleman was shocked when he was told that the antique he'd held onto for so long was only worth around £200 to £300, meaning it was valued at far less than he'd paid for it decades ago.

He said: "Is that all? My goodness, after all those years keeping anything myself for 50 years and I can only get £400. I never heard the like."

Antiques Roadshow viewers appreciated that he didn't try to sugarcoat his disappointment that the value didn't match up to his expectations.

One viewer said: "Top marks to the old boy for not pretending to be happy with a disappointing price like some people do."

Another fan said they appreciated his 'honest reaction' as it was 'hardly ever seen on this programme' and hoped he was 'sat on a goldmine somewhere at home'.

Others said they 'liked his honesty', though one noticed the man 'tried to boost the value to £400 just in case potential buyers were watching' and someone else admitted their 'favourite part of the show is the crushing disappointment'.