Antiques Roadshow expert reveals huge worth of item in 'rare' show moment

An Antiques Roadshow expert revealed the huge worth of an item in a "rare" show moment.

Sunday's (October 5) instalment of the beloved BBC show was filmed at Shuttleworth House in Bedfordshire, where residents brought their treasures and artworks for expert evaluation.

During the programme, ceramics, glass, and 20th-century decorative arts specialist Will Farmer was presented with an array of smoking heads.

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"Collection or obsession? I don't know. I'm a collector, so I know what it's like," he remarked.

The visitor explained that his father demonstrated how to operate a smoking head during his youth, leaving him "amazed" when smoke emerged from its ears, reports the Express.

"Of course, these days we're all well aware of the dangers of smoking. But it's from a time when people used to smoke and this was what it's about," Will added.

The expert disclosed that the pieces were created by German pottery firm Schafer and Vater, which possessed distinctive features.

"You can see that characteristically by the manufacturer and what they're doing with these brilliant expressions and these brilliant faces," he detailed.

"The idea is, everybody, is that you would put your cigarette in the mouths and it would all come out of the head, out the ears, out the sides, whatever. I mean, these are real fun things."

Will went on: "The breadth of their work is huge. I mean, you know, the output. But some of these are really, really rare.

"Their export volume was amazing, absolutely incredible. And of course, I see, you know, you've even extended the collecting into the figures as well... Just brilliant, they're so much fun, aren't they?"

Will then revealed that these figures would have been worth a mere £20 to £25 four decades ago, but their value has significantly increased since then.

The expert then estimated the value of the guest's 50-piece collection, stating: "I think you've got somewhere between £5,000 and £6,000 worth," leaving the guest speechless.

Will concluded: "To see so many Schafer and Vater all in one place, love them. Absolutely brilliant. And the expressions nearly as similar to mine when you started bringing them out of the bag."

Antiques Roadshow is available to stream on BBC iPlayer