Antiques road trip expert speechless as everyday item makes 'amazing' item

Antiques Road Trip experts were left gobsmacked after a £20 find turned into a massive windfall at auction. The BBC1 show's aficionados, Irita Marriott and Mark Hill, couldn't hide

their excitement when the item fetched eleven times its original price. During the episode broadcast on February 28, the presenters embarked on a quest to purchase antiques with the aim of

earning profits at an auction. The competition saw them pitted against each other, with Irita initially holding the upper hand. Boasting over £400 in her kitty compared to Mark's modest

sum slightly above £100, Irita seemed poised for victory, but Mark wasn't down for the count just yet. Venturing from London to Bedford in search of hidden gems, Mark unearthed an

object that would catapult him back into contention, reports the Mirror. In a quaint shop named 'Renovation' located in Markyate, Hertfordshire, Mark invested a mere £20 on an

intriguing find. There, he laid eyes on two antiques with promising potential. According to the Daily Star, Mark opted to bring both items to the auction block. The first was a collection of

antique human anatomy models, once widely used to educate medical students about human anatomy sans the need for an actual corpse. However, it was Mark's second discovery that truly

hit the jackpot. Attracting both travel buffs and Londoners alike, he snagged a set of London bus signs. Elaborating on his find, Mark explained: "These are off a London bus, these

would have sat on the front inside a frame telling you where the bus was going." He added, "Inside there would have been a little handle that the driver would turn to change the

destination." Mark pointed out there was a "bit of an East London theme" to the collection, suggesting its appeal to aficionados. WandH Peacock Auction Centre's own

Lindsay Taylor concurred, remarking before the hammer fell: "We've had a huge amount of interest in the Routemaster destination signs for this sale." She elaborated on the

robust market enthusiasm, "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." Their expertise proved spot-on as the bids took off from a modest £140, leaving Mark and his fellow auction-goer

Irita visibly astonished. As the humble £20 purchase escalated rapidly in value, their expressions were priceless. Ultimately, the gavel came down at a whopping £240. That hefty sum

translated to a tidy £220 gain for Mark, prompting Irita to exclaim in disbelief: "God! Mark, this is amazing!" To which Mark responded with a satisfied nod, "Thank you. A

good buy, I think."