Antiques Roadshow guest halts valuation of 'rarest' sewing machine to correct expert
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW expert Jon Baddley was taken by surprise when a guest interrupted him during a valuation of an extremely rare sewing machine.
Antiques Roadshow: Sewing machine valued at up to £15,000
BBC viewers have been treated to several rare item valuations over the years. However, when Antiques Roadshow expert Jon Baddley valued the “rarest” sewing machine “you could ever find,” he was stunned when the item’s owner interrupted him to correct him just before the value was announced.
Jon welcomed the owners of what appeared to an iron structure with a lion sitting on top.
He said: “First of all I want to thank you for struggling in with this remarkable sewing machine.
“A solid cast iron top here, I know from lifting it now it’s extraordinarily heavy.
“What I like about it is it doesn’t look like a sewing machine at all does it?”
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“What’s the history from your family point of view?” the antique expert asked.
The owner replied: “The sewing machine belonged to two great aunts of my mother and at some point, they gave the sewing machine to my mother. It was quite a scary thing.”
“How old were you when you remember first seeing it? Jon asked and she said: “Probably nine or 10.”
“It is quite scary,” the expert agreed. “Like similar sewing machines of this period it has a treadle and if I turn the wheel here you can see it going back and forwards.
“Actually on the footplate there it’s got the name Kimball and Morton, Glasgow.
“They were the makers and they were established in 1867, this would have been made soon after.”
“My whole career I’ve only seen one example and its paws at the front that actually conceal this mechanism here,” he continued.
Stepping in, the other owner asked: “Could I invite you to open the drawer?”
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Surprised, Jon remarked: “Oh so I’m going to learn something.”
“Thought a little surprise for you might be nice,” the owner replied.
Jon opened up the drawer to find two iron lion paws that fit into the structure to cover up the sewing machine mechanism.
“Now it’s complete I’m going to put a bit more on,” Jon teased.
“At auction, I would expect to see between £10,000 and £15,000,” he said.
Shocked, the owner said: “Wow for a sewing machine.”
“But not just a sewing machine,” Jon quipped. “The rarest you could ever find.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.