Antiques Road Trip presenters were left stunned after scoring a 'stonking profit' on a £20 item at auction. The hosts of the BBC1 show Irita Marriott and Mark Hill were delighted as the item sold for eleven times its cost.
In the episode, which aired on February 28, the hosts were tasked with buying antiques in the hope of making profit at auction.
The pair were going head to head in the challenge. Following on from the previous week, Irita started off in the lead.
She had more than £400 in her money pot, while Mark had just a little over £100. However, the game wasn't over that easily.
Mark scoured antique shops from London to Bedford and found an item which would bring him back in the game.
The item was found in Markyate, Hertfordshire and cost Mark just £20. In a small shop called 'Renovation', Mark spotted two profitable antiques.
The Daily Star reports, Mark decided to take them both to auction. The first item was a set of antique human anatomy models.
They were mass-produced to assist medical students in learning more about the body, without the need for a 'fresh cadaver'.
The big money maker, turned out to be Mark's second object. It appealed to both travel enthusiasts and London locals.
He managed to pick up a set of London bus signs. Mark said: "These are off a London bus, these would have sat on the front inside a frame telling you where the bus was going.
"Inside there would have been a little handle that the driver would turn to change the destination."
Mark noticed there was a "bit of an East London theme" which he thought would make it interesting to collectors.
Auctioneer at W&H Peacock Auction Centre, Lindsay Taylor agreed. Before the bidding she said: "We've had a huge amount of interest in the Routemaster destination signs for this sale.
"The market for any transport items is really good at the moment and this sale is going online. There's lots of people all around the country who would love those - especially those in Essex where most of these are based."
The experts weren't wrong. Bidding started at £140 which left both Mark and Irita stunned.
They could not hide their shock as the £20 item started to reach higher and higher bids. In the end, the item sold for £240.
It gave Mark a profit of £220. Irita said: "God! Mark, this is amazing!"
Mark replied: "Thank you. A good buy, I think."
