You don’t have to travel far to get your taste of antiques and collectables drama if you’re fascinated by antiques. This is because you can simply watch antique shows to get all the information you need. These shows allow you to see and learn from vintage dealers on television.
Whether you’re interested in antique jewellery, art deco lamps, or antique furniture, TV is a great place to learn about them. There are many antique TV programs to watch that can inspire you to go on your vintage adventures, but which are the finest antique shows in the UK? Serendipity Fleet has a compilation of our top 5 Antique Shows in the UK:
1. Roadshow of Antiques
Even though it is the oldest show on our list, this perennial favourite shows no signs of abandoning its position as one of the best antique fairs in the UK. It operates by allowing members of the public to have their antiques examined by professionals. Additionally, each episode takes place in a different section of the country.
Listening to experts explain why some pieces are valuable and others aren’t is a great way for new collectors to learn about antiques. Besides this, it’s useful for seasoned collectors because each episode has something new to offer. It is a great formula, as it’s been going since 1979 and is now hosted by Fiona Bruce.
2. Bargain Hunt
Bargain Hunt is one of the long-running daytime TV gems, debuted in 2000. Currently, it is presented by a variety of professionals making it very interesting. The show is hosted at one of the many antique fairs held throughout the UK.
Normally, two teams of two amateur antique collectors compete to find a deal that will sell for the greatest money at auction. Each team is allocated £300, and any profit they make from their bargains is theirs to keep. As of 2019, there have been almost 50 seasons of this show, indicating that it is here to stay!
3. Flog It!
Flog It is a great place to start if you’re looking for more antique TV series based on the successful formula of Antiques Roadshow. In this show, members of the public bring their antiques to be appraised by specialists. However, the show goes a step further by allowing them to sell their antiques at auction. Even though there are many episodes of the show in the archives, the BBC cancelled the show in 2018 after 17 years and 1,000 episodes.
4. Salvage Hunters
Drew Pritchard, a modern-day treasure hunter is a host of this show, which premiered in 2011. Probably, the artefacts he finds are the starts. That said, it has become one of the most popular antique shows. In addition, Pritchard not only travels all across the UK and beyond in search of antiques, but he also depicts the bargaining, restoring, and selling process.
Salvage Hunters is one of the most popular antique rehabilitation TV shows in the United Kingdom. Moreover, it’s one of the best antique TV shows to watch if you want to learn how to buy and sell antiques. What’s more, Drew Pritchard sells his treasures on Decorative Collective making the show quite interesting.
5. Dickinson’s Real Deal
David Dickinson, who was originally hosting Bargain Hunt, moved from the BBC to ITV to host Dickinson’s Real Deal. It follows the pattern of one of the most popular antique shows of all time. This is because it invites members of the public to have their antiques and collectables valued.
However, this show differs from the Antiques Roadshow model in various ways. For example, a dealer tries to buy goods with a cash offer first, and if that fails, the items are auctioned off. It’s a fun twist on the tried-and-true model used by some of the top UK antique shows.
Wind Up
Vintage lovers naturally enjoy watching antique shows for entertainment. However, if you collect antiques for money, these shows are a must-watch for you.