TELEVISION TALES

We were contacted by the BBC recently to see if we would be interested in taking part in one of their antique/bargain hunt type shows. I say ‘take part’ but what they wanted to do was send an ‘expert’ and a contestant into our shop to see if they could buy something to sell at profit at auction.

Now, I do occasionally watch these programs because we often feature in some sort of background capacity (we’re very often buying at antiques fairs when the film crews are there).

I have a slightly irritable view towards these shows because they have to hammer down the price paid to the dealer in order to make a profit at auction. We know several dealers and often see them being goaded on TV to basically give something away so that some gap-toothed expert can look good later. However, we also know a few dealers who actively resent the cameras and go out of their way to prevent them filming near their stand. The use of loud bells, whistles and ‘colourful’ language seems to work best!

Reality: us buying at a fair, in the rain...don't remember many TV cameras being around, that day!

I have to admit to driving the Nest van into camera shot during a ‘take’ because they were blocking the road. I got a very dirty look from the ‘expert’, but we are trying to earn a living at this – it’s not a daytime game show to us. Maybe this is why many dealers get wound up by the shows. I think they feel a few experts on a jolly doesn’t do their business any good.

We can always tell if someone watches these shows when they come into Nest. The tiresome and inevitable phrase “what’s the best on this”, coupled with the equally annoying “what’s the absolute death on that” ensures absolutely no movement on price from us.

Oh, well, I suspect that the BBC may not want to film at Nest because our only stipulation was no haggling – and what boring TV that would make!