TV guru shows how Brit sit on small fortunes with attic and shed finds

Brits could be sitting on a small fortune without realising it, especially in places they seldom think to look, a famed TV auctioneer has said. 

Yorkshire Heritage Hero Angus Ashworth told how cupboards, attics and especially garden sheds can hide collectable items ranging from dusty games consoles to vintage Victorian urns – and even condom moulds.

While the objects may appear worthless at first glance, if the right buyers are found, they can be surprisingly valuable.

And Mr Ashworth said you don’t need a stately home to strike gold when it comes to antiques. 

‘A lot of the value now is in the quirky, weird and wonderful,’ he said. 

‘People are often surprised by what turns up outside the house. 

‘Gardens and sheds are frequently overlooked, but they can hide some of the most interesting and valuable finds.’

Mr Ashford said that urns can be particularly valuable, reaching up to £10,000 at auction. 

‘Garden urns vary massively depending on what they are and what they’re made of,’ he said. 

‘You might be looking at £50 at one end of the scale but exceptional examples can reach £10,000. 

‘A decent pair of Victorian cast metal urns could quite reasonably fetch £500 to £800.’

He was speaking ahead of the airing of his new show Angus Ashworth: Yorkshire Heritage Hero which will see him travel across the county, visiting grand rural homes. 

The programme, described as The Repair Shop meets Antiques Roadshow, will help families uncover hidden treasures to fund urgent repairs and protect historic estates.

The show has been inspired by the ongoing popularity of the ‘country house look’, seen on period dramas such as Downton Abbey.

‘No one has an “antiques sale” anymore – it’s always a “country house sale”,’ Mr Ashford said. 

‘There’s strong demand for dark furniture, lighting, soft furnishings, and decorative garden pieces. 

‘A large terracotta plant pot you’ve ignored for years can easily be worth a few hundred pounds.’

He explained that overseas buyers are particularly enthusiastic for the quirky items.

‘Tourists from Europe, North America and Australia absolutely love this stuff,’ Mr Ashford said. 

‘That fascination helps keep values steady, which is vital for families acting as custodians of historic estates.’

Mr Ashford also told how collecting habits among homeowners are changing with time.

‘Older generations accumulated far more possessions,’ he said. 

‘Younger people tend to want one or two statement pieces rather than rooms full of furniture, and that’s shifting what comes to market and what holds its value.’

‘People like to buy things that remind them of their younger days,’ he added.

‘That’s why we’re seeing strong demand for items from the 1980s and 1990s.

‘Early games consoles and first-edition Harry Potter books can sell for far more than they ever cost originally.’

Mr Ashford went on to reveal some of the more unique collectibles he has found.  

‘One of the strangest things I’ve handled was a set of 19th-century blue glass condom moulds,’ he said. 

‘They were used to shape pig-intestine contraceptives and went on to fetch around £260. Not something people expect to find value in, but collectors love the unusual.’ 

He said, however, that his best discovery was an Army Gold Cross from the Napoleonic Wars.

‘Those can fetch £60,000 to £80,000. That’s the holy grail,’ Mr Ashford added. 

Other items, such as ceramics, have a more universal appeal and regularly feature at auctions. 

Mr Ashford said: ‘Tea services and collectors’ plates were a huge fad in the 1990s.

‘Parts of that market have cooled, but there are still collectors out there, so it’s always worth checking before assuming something is worthless.’  

– Angus Ashworth: Yorkshire Heritage Hero airs Mondays at 9pm on REALLY.