Bargain Hunt star Irita Marriott helped a family sell a set of signed photographs for £12,000, more than 100 times their estimated value, in a poignant episode of The Derbyshire Auction House.
A Hidden Gem in Bedfordshire
In the episode, Irita travelled to Bedfordshire to meet Helen and her son Ben. They hoped to find a valuable item to help cover care home costs for Helen's husband and Ben's father, Alan, who had dementia.
During the search, Helen found family photos dating back to 1975, signed by acclaimed photographers Graham Smith and Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen. Their works are now displayed in the Tate Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
A Bidding War Ensues
The photos were sold individually, with one estimated at £80 to £120. But under the hammer, a bidding war erupted between two phone bidders, quickly driving the price from £8,000 to £10,000, and finally to £12,000 before one bidder dropped out.
Irita banged the hammer, and Helen and Ben were left in tears as the item sold for more than "100 times its original value."
A Poignant Tribute
Ben said: "I was absolutely gobsmacked at the values people were willing to bid for what we thought were just nice pictures that we saw on the wall every day. Absolutely brilliant."
Sadly, Alan died before the episode aired, and the money was used to pay for his funeral. A visibly moved Irita said: "I loved every moment of being involved in it. It's the greatest thing I've ever sold. I told Helen and Ben that they might be in for a surprise, and what a surprise it was! An absolutely phenomenal result on the pictures - and a perfect tribute to Alan."
