BBC Bargain Hunt's biggest ever profits ever including flowers worth £340,000

Bargain Hunt has unearthed some extraordinary treasures throughout its history, with numerous finds delivering staggering returns.

The BBC programme, which has been broadcast for twenty-five years, challenges two pairs of competitors to purchase antiques from retailers or markets before flogging them at auction, ideally for a handsome profit.

Some rather peculiar items have featured since the show first graced television screens in March 2000.

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From bizarre Victorian artefacts to a vibrant yellow teapot, it appears the more unusual the object, the greater the financial rewards.

The Express examines some of the discoveries that have captivated audiences and filled coffers, reports the Express.

Chinese Wine Ewer

Worth truly lies in the perception of the observer, as nobody could have predicted a yellow teapot would become Bargain Hunt's most lucrative antique.

The 18th century teapot, dubbed "the most important item ever sold", was auctioned by specialist Charles Hanson for an enormous £390,000 at sale.

It had been gathering dust in a Derbyshire loft for half a century before appearing on the BBC programme, with the owner seeking confirmation of its value before gifting it to a neighbourhood charity shop.

The piece had previously been passed down from Second World War veteran Ronald Wadsworth, who also possessed a Burma Star medal.

However, it emerged as merely one of three ever crafted, with the teapot customarily employed for containing water within Chinese Emperor Qianlong's palace. "This is one of only three known, one's in a museum in Taiwan," said Hanson.

"One's in the museum of Beijing, China, and out of humble Burton-Upon-Trent, voila! unbelievably we have another.

"This object for me, is in its historical placement, the most important object I've ever sold."

Fabergé Flowers

Bargain Hunt secured another staggering six-figure windfall back in 2021 following the discovery of some exceptionally rare Fabergé Flowers.

The treasures had been wrapped in a blanket and stored in a shoe box for more than 40 years after their original owner, Juliette Duff, died in the 1960s. She moved in Royal artistic and musical circles and counted Sir Winston Churchill amongst her close friends.

In a turn of events that stunned both audiences and auctioneers alike, the flowers smashed their estimated price of between £100,000 and £150,000, selling for £180,000 and £160,000 respectively - delivering a remarkable combined windfall of £340,000.

Presenter Natasha Raskin Sharp said: "Imagine the excitement when these two exquisite pieces of Fabergé turned up out of the blue at an auction house and were placed into the hands of our very own auctioneer, Charles Hanson."

Only 34 were ever created, with the late Queen Elizabeth II possessing 28 pieces in her personal collection.

Vampire Slaying Kit

Continuing with the bizarre and extraordinary, Bargain Hunt audiences were left stunned when a vampire slaying kit emerged on the programme back in 2022. A 19th-century artefact, once owned by Lord Hailey, a former administrator of British India, was filled with holy items designed to ward off vampires.

The lockable box contained two brass crucifixes, a brass powder flask, holy water, a Gothic Bible, a wooden mallet, a stake, rosemary beads and candlesticks.

In the end, it fetched a staggering £13,000 at auction, far surpassing its initial guide price of between £2,000 and £3,000.

"Interest in this item ahead of auction, both from potential buyers and media outlets all over the world, was intense," Charles said.

Tiffany Ashtray

"It attracted strong advance bids. Nevertheless, the result exceeded all expectations."

An ashtray crafted by the globally renowned jewellers, Tiffany & Co, also performed well when it went under the hammer in 2012, fetching an impressive £210, a profit of £184 compared to expert predictions for it to bag just £80 to £90.

David Harper told his team: "It is high quality. It's exquisite, and I know it's smoking and smoking isn't exactly PC but it's still collective."

Cockerel Tea Cosy

When antiques expert Jonathan Pratt picked up an unusual yet unique item, a Cockerel Tea Cosy, he wasn't necessarily expecting staggering profits but that's exactly what happened.

He said: "Well, £85 could have bought me quite a few things, but I just had to go for it. The nice thing about it is this has actually got the age, this is from the early part of the 20th century.

"It has this sort of very soft, have a stroke, it's very soft and a great look on it, you know. It's probably 1930s, I suppose."

Pratt reckoned it would only fetch a modest £40 or £50 after snapping it up for just £25, but it certainly grabbed the auction's attention.

It went under the hammer for £250, netting a whopping profit of £225, with former Bargain Hunt presenter Tim Wonnacott confessing: "I have to say I think that is the most extraordinary profit we have ever made on any object on the show. I've never seen anything quite like that."