Top 10 Funniest Antiques Roadshow Moments

#10: Chinese Table

There’s no reaction like a non-reaction. In this clip, a member of the public brought on an old table. Rather than say he bought it at a charity shop for a pittance, as is often the case, he reveals that he bought it from America for a whopping seven grand, and presumably then had to pay for it to be shipped across the Atlantic. He was then told that the table could fetch anywhere between £80,000 and £120,000 at auction, to which the owner had a two word response. Viewers were quick to criticise him online for his apparent indifference to his valuable table. But anyone who’s buying a table for seven grand in the first place is probably rich already.

#9: Great Aunt Fanny

In this X-rated “Roadshow” moment, one guest came on with some unique jewellery and started dropping innuendos left, right, and centre. This is about as filthy as “Antiques Roadshow” gets – so, on balance, not very filthy at all, since it’s a Sunday afternoon programme. But the viewers at home thought it was a riot as the necklace’s owner talked about how it had originally belonged to her husband’s great aunt. As if that name wasn’t lewd enough, she then said that her husband’s ancestor came from one of the most euphemistic places in the UK. The amethyst jewellery was still gorgeous, though, even if it did come from Cockermouth.

#8: The Infamous Fake

Sometimes, people are given a disappointing valuation, like this woman – but to her credit, she took the disappointm ent well. This was the antique cabinet that turned out to be a fake, complete with a contrived backstory that had been passed down through the family; the story had been fooling the descendants for generations. It was one of the most shocking moments ever on the show, as he was forced to reveal the fakery to the owners, but she was more amused than anything else. After all that, it’s still a functional cabinet, and now it’s got a TRUE story attached to it: the time she brought it onto “Antiques Roadshow”. At least she got some free, dead spiders with her dodgy drawers!

#7: Fire Extinguisher

This bizarre little object had been a mystery to its owners for years, so naturally, they brought it onto the “Roadshow” to find out what it actually is. The family hadn’t a clue, but it turns out to be a very old-fashioned fire extinguisher, that would be used by throwing it into a fire. It’s their disbelief over the item that makes this moment memorable, and it’s certainly an unfamiliar sight, considering these types of extinguishers aren’t used anymore for a very good reason. It’s actually 100 years old, dating back to the 1920s. It’s lucky it was this, though, and not something inappropriate, given its rather suggestive appearance.

#6: Worthless Biscuit Tin

The fake cabinet may have been an amusing story, but what about this biscuit tin? Well, while this was absolutely genuine, it turned out to be nowhere near as valuable as the owner wanted to believe. It turns out that biscuit tins like this were very common, because it was part of a marketing stunt to convince people to buy biscuits. You may be surprised to learn that sweet, confectionary biscuits are a relatively recent invention dating back to the nineteenth century, and these gimmicks helped them to take off. Unfortunately, this particular tin, charming as it is, turned out to be worth far less than the owner thought. It’s hard to feel too bad for laughing about her disappointment.

#5: Mystery Octagon

While watching “Antiques Roadshow”, you’ll often be amazed at the depth of knowledge the experts have about artists, manufacturers, and the history of seemingly random items. But what if someone doesn’t know what they’ve just been handed? That’s what happened here, when one couple managed to bring on something so baffling, nobody knew what it was meant to be. He knows it’s Indian because of the writing, but he can’t tell us anything else. Is it a musical instrument? An ornament? Some kind of tool? We just don’t know. Tell us if YOU know what it is in the comments.

#4: The Marine Cabinet

Much like the biscuit tin, this bloke bought an old cabinet from an ocean liner, thinking that one day it would be worth a pretty penny. The cabinet, which contains a sink, was used on ships to give people various amenities in small cabins that didn’t require plumbing. It’s certainly interesting and is the kind of thing ships don’t have anymore, and the owner was absolutely convinced it was going to increase in value. He paid fifty quid for it in the fifties, and was then informed that it was now worth three hundred pounds – which is actually less than the 52 pounds would be worth due to inflation. No wonder he was so miffed.

#3: Jonathan Ross’s Toy Collection

Did you know that Jonathan Ross is a hobbyist toy collector? Fiona visited his house for this special toy edition of the “Roadshow” to see some of his oldest, rarest collectibles. His house is full to bursting with toys most people might not have even heard of, and obviously, she asks him to explain himself. He goes into detail about many of the toys he has, cracking jokes as you’d expect from a seasoned comedian and TV presenter, while Fiona is baffled all the while. It’s clear she has no idea that Japan had a completely different, space-age version of Action Man, and she probably didn’t have any Major Matt Mason toys, either – much as Ross loves them.

#2: Rubbish

This couple at Hampton Court Castle brought out a curious old cabinet that they inherited, only to be asked by antiques dealer Lennox what they keep in it. He, and the rest of us, were surprised by their honest answer! It’s just full of refuse and knickknacks, but they did clean it out before they brought it on television. Things also got a bit more awkward when he revealed that a lot of the cabinet is fake, covered in detail that mimics more expensive material. Even the base isn’t genuine. Despite all that, he still tells them it’s worth about five grand; who says there’s no money in fakes?

#1: Witches Bottle

Oh, dear. In this memorable scene, a mysterious old bottle was brought onto the “Roadshow”, presumably containing some vintage port or wine, perhaps dating back hundreds of years. The owner tasted it, but still couldn’t figure out what it was. Well, Fiona had the unpleasant job of informing him that it was actually centuries-old urine. It turns out that it was an object designed to ward off witches and misfortune; though, it clearly didn’t work since drinking a bottle of Victorian wee is definitely unfortunate. The lesson is clear: don’t drink strange old liquid that you find lying around in antique bottles.

Let us know your favourite funny antique moments in the comments.