Antiques Road Trip's record-breaking profit revealed - watch expert's incredible reaction

Nicky Morris
·2-min read
Close-up of man covering mouth, split image with same man smiling
Antique Road Trip’s Paul Laidlaw (BBC)

There have been some impressive profits made by Antiques Road Trip experts over the years but will anything top Paul Laidlaw's record-setting sale?

The Scottish auctioneer made the biggest profit in the show's history back in series 15, smashing Anita Manning's previous best. Keep reading to find out more…

Close-up of man in suit smiling
Paul Laidlaw has made the biggest profit on the show (BBC)

Antiques Road Trip's biggest ever profit

In 2017, antiques expert Paul bought a rare antique camera for £60 while shopping in Margate, Kent.

close-up of 19th century camera
Paul bought and sold Auguste Bertsch's extremely rare 19th century Chambre Automatique (BBC)

After initially suspecting the item to be a 19th-century primitive subminiature camera, photographic experts confirmed that the find was one of Auguste Bertsch's extremely rare Chambre Automatique cameras.

When he took the camera to auction, Paul received five phone bidders and interest online before a private collector in Switzerland offered a whopping £20,000.

Two people in auction house with hands covering mouths in shock
Paul went up against Kate Bliss in the episode (BBC)

Paul sold the item, making a profit of £19,940 for the BBC's Children in Need. Watch his incredible reaction in the video below.

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Who held the record before Paul?

Before Paul's impressive sale, Anita Manning held the record for the biggest profit.

Anita Manning
Anita Manning previously held the record (BBC)

In 2016, the antiques expert purchased a Tibetan bronze deity for £50 before going on to sell it for an impressive £3,800 at auction.

All to know about Antiques Road Trip

For those unfamiliar with the popular programme, which began airing in 2010, it sees a pair of antiques experts embark on a road trip across the UK in search of treasures. They then compete against each other over five days, buying and selling antiques in the hopes of making the largest profit, which is then donated to Children in Need.

Woman with red hair in blue coat and man in navy jacket standing in front of river background
David Harper and Izzie Balmer are regular faces on the show (BBC / STV Studios)

The series was first shown on BBC Two but moved to BBC One in 2013.

Antiques Road Trip experts

The series boasts a popular lineup of experts, including jewellery maestro Izzie Balmer, antiques and collectables expert Mark Hill and art expert Natasha Raskin Sharp.

Irita Marriott, Raj Bisram, Philip Serrell, David Harper, James Braxton, Roo Irvine and Ishy Khan are also regulars on the show.

Man and woman sitting on ground in front of classic car
Two experts go up against each other in a competition to make the biggest profit (BBC / STV Studios)

Meanwhile, the show is narrated by chartered auctioneer and antiques expert Tim Wonnacott, who also hosted Bargain Hunt for 12 years from 2003 to 2015.

Antiques Road Trip is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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