AN ANTIQUES Roadshow guest was left in shock after an expert halved his valuation after finding a problem during filming.
BBC viewers were treated to an array of unique items at Forty Hall in Enfield, north London.
A guest brought in an old cigarette box to valued.
The guest explained that it belonged to his grandmother, who had died in 1993 and passed it onto him as a family heirloom.
He shared : “It was owned by my nan Olga, she passed away in 1993, and it was passed onto my mum and dad,” and then shared how someone had once offered to buy the item for £1000.”
Expert, John Benjamin, took a closer look at the item, and revealed it was a Faberge cigarette box worth thousands.
“It’s a Faberge cigarette box, and that is why someone was so enthusiastic about it when they knocked,” John said.
However, the guest was crushed when John pointed out some major damage to the box, which totally tanked its value.
John, the expert, didn’t hold back as he pointed out a “fracture to the rock crystal” in the corner of the item.
With a hint of disappointment, he admitted, “If it were in perfect condition, I reckon it could be worth £8,000 to £10,000.”
“Let me be a little careful now and say £5,000 to £8,000 with damage that it has sustained.”
The guest was visibly disappointed with the reduced price.
He said: “Wow, ok.”
John then revealed that the piece had connections to Russia through the name Olga.
The expert also dropped a bombshell, clarifying that what the owners mistook for clear glass panels were actually “solid natural rock crystal.”
After the initial shock of the valuation being halved, the guest cracked a little smile and thanked the expert before leaving.
