Antiques Road Trip presenters are left gobsmacked as £8 damaged statue makes history on the BBC show by selling for THOUSANDS

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Antiques Road Trip experts were left in a complete state of shock after an innocuous looking statue made show history by selling for thousands – despite being purchased for just £8.00. 

The BBC series, which first aired in 2010, sees experts on a budget compete against each other to buy collectables which they later sell for a profit at auction.

Back in 2012, the show made history leaving viewers and experts stunned as Charlie Ross’ damaged Staffordshire elephant statue sold for vastly more than the bargain £8.00 he paid for it. 

During the episode, Charlie and James Braxton had been given a small budget of £200 to source antiques. 

They purchased the damaged clock, which later attracted serious attention online at their first auction in Buckie, Scotland leaving them stunned. 

Antiques Road Trip experts were left in complete shock as their £8 damaged Staffordshire elephant statue sold for thousands making history on the show (pictured L James Braxton and R Charlie Ross)

Antiques Road Trip experts were left in complete shock as their £8 damaged Staffordshire elephant statue sold for thousands making history on the show (pictured L James Braxton and R Charlie Ross)

Back in 2012, the BBC show left viewers and experts stunned as Charlie Ross' bargain statue jumped into the hundreds as people began bidding on the phone and the internet

Back in 2012, the BBC show left viewers and experts stunned as Charlie Ross’ bargain statue jumped into the hundreds as people began bidding on the phone and the internet

A voiceover explained: ‘With one lot each still to go, Charlie is only £7.00 ahead, next up it’s his Staffordshire elephant and the auctioneer thinks it could go for a couple of hundred!’

As the bidding began it was not long until the £8.00 purchase jumped into the hundreds with people bidding over the internet and on the phone. 

As the price continued to soar, Charlie and James looked shocked as they said: ‘Sorry, are you hearing this? This is ridiculous!’  

The voiceover admitted the rapidly escalating price was ‘unheard of on Road Trip’, as the auctioneer read out a new bid of £2,100.

The item finally sold for a massive £2,700 with experts Charlie and James admitted they thought it would only sell for a ‘few hundred quid’. 

It wasn’t just the presenters left stunned, as the voiceover declared: ‘Never in the history of the Road Trip have we ever had a sale like that, what an amazing result Charlie!’

BBC viewers were quick to take to X – formerly known as Twitter – to discuss the ‘exciting’ TV moment. 

One wrote: ‘Great duo on Antiques Road Trip. Charlie and James are fun to watch. Loved the elephant bought for £8, sold for £2700 at auction – amazing!’

As the price continued to soar, Charlie and James looked absolutely shocked, they said: 'Sorry, are you hearing this? This is ridiculous!'

As the price continued to soar, Charlie and James looked absolutely shocked, they said: ‘Sorry, are you hearing this? This is ridiculous!’ 

The item finally sold for a massive £2,700 with experts Charlie and James admitted they thought it would only sell for a 'few hundred quid'

The item finally sold for a massive £2,700 with experts Charlie and James admitted they thought it would only sell for a ‘few hundred quid’

Viewers were quick to take to X - formerly known as Twitter - to discuss the 'exciting' TV moment. One wrote: 'I was almost crying with excitement!'

Viewers were quick to take to X – formerly known as Twitter – to discuss the ‘exciting’ TV moment. One wrote: ‘I was almost crying with excitement!’

A second penned: ‘The guy from antiques road trip just bought a ceramic elephant for £8 and sold it for £2700. So inspirational. Great metaphor for life.’

A third added: ‘Charlie on Antiques Road Trip bought a Stafordshire Elephant for £8 and it sold for £2700. I was almost crying with excitement just then!’

Another said: ‘OMG! Antiques Road Trip, chipped china figurine of elephant bought for 8 quid sold for £2700’

A fifth wrote: ‘Antiques road trip Charlie just bought an elephant for £8 and sold it for £2600. Quite exciting really!’

It comes after the Antiques Road Trip presenters were left gobsmacked last year when an item sold for 11 times its purchase price at auction. 

Show hosts Irita Marriott and Mark Hill jumped up and down with joy as the £20 vintage London Bus sign sold for an ‘amazing’ profit.