User reviews

Two teams (of two) have a limited budget and an hour at an antiques fair to acquire the best bargains. These are then sold at a real auction and the team with the greatest profit, or smallest loss as is often the case, wins the game.

Enjoyable afternoon viewing, with the host in fine form.

The problem with Bargain Hunt is the two teams have to purchase three items from an antique market or an antique store as in some episodes and pay retail price for the items and then take the items to auction and sell them in a room where there are as few as six people and the people who go to the auctions are owners of antique stores or stall holders at antique markets who want to pay as little as they can for the items so the teams usually make very little or no profit at all. And the antique experts can't agree on what the items are worth. Every episode is pretty much the same, they go to the same markets and they buy the same antiques.

I've noticed on bargain hunt that some experts pick the items for the contestants which is wrong as the experts are only the to advise. Also why is Kate bliss so obsessed with buying silver I've never seen her buy anything else.

I don't see the point in having contestants on the show if the experts are picking the items for them.

Also do the contestants watch the programme if they do they would know that every time someone buys silver it looses money at auction, silver is selling but not for what it is worth.

I've asked loads of people about what they think about the items that is bought on bargain hunt and almost all say it's the same sort of items on every show,, what's wrong with buying some furniture or garden items .

Two teams of two people are handed £200 and an "expert" and let loose for an hour in a car boot sale. Their aim is to get items for sale at auction later and the winning team is the one that makes the most profit off their investment at the auction. While they do this the presenter himself heads off to look around, highlighting how to judge items, how to spot fakes and so on to the viewers.

Yet another piece of daytime television that deals with car boot sales, low-cost collectables and auctions in the same way as Cash in the Attic, Car Booty and other reality shows on BBC mornings do. This one is probably more well known than those others because of the presence of David Dickenson, his camp manner, cheap puns and orange skin. Of course this student cult appeal of the host does not mean that the show is any good and indeed the audience this is aimed at is limited, does not really include me and I suspected I would hate it when I saw the cheesy and cheap title sequence with some twit mugging across the screen. Certainly I'm not a car boot fan and have never been to auction so I'm not really target audience and cannot imagine ever watching more than the couple I have seen.

Having said that though I did like the way the show does have "educational" value in the way that the experts talk and also the host gives details behind other items – for those into this sort of thing I can see why it appeals. It is certainly better than some of the similar shows doing the same sort of thing but in a much more trashy way. Dickenson helped it get the comic appeal but in fairness his replacement Wonnacott does have a nice bit of daytime telly character and also sounds like he knows what he is talking about – plus Dickenson had become a parody of himself very quickly anyway.

A show with limited appeal perhaps but it is actually better than you would expect, with interesting contributions. It is a daytime reality show about auctions and tat though complete with dull guests, hammy hosts and bad puns but, among its peers it marks itself out – just don't expect it to be anything that could work in a more demanding slot.

I will always have fond memories of this.

It's not a show I would ever watch on my own but it made for an agreeable thing to just have on when I visited my grandparents.

It's fun but inobtrusive and the many little trinkets gave grandma and me a lot to chat about.

It was fairly fast paced, very positive, but never lost the feel of a competition with a ticking clock.

The vignette about some type of local curiosity mixed it up swimmingly and they have an army of energetic and likable hosts.

That Scottish chick and look over family jewels any day.

But it's irritating when they say "what's your BEST price?" and they get told it and THEN try to haggle it down. I mean...dude: do you know what "best" means?

'Bargain Hunt' shouldn't be addictive viewing. It shouldn't be that entertaining. It's people rooting through old tat and selling it.

But yet if you watch enough of it then oddly you start to care about the teams, you learn something about the potentially worthwhile tat and shout at the TV "don't buy candle sticks, they never sell".

The odd situation at the time of writing is that the host has left and they are showing endless repeats until a new one can be found. Although not a huge part of the proceedings the personality of the host is key, so I wish the BBC would hurry up and give it to someone.

Addictive viewing, even if I don't know how.

Please stop showing this, I have no other choice but to watch it at work during lunch, and I die a little bit inside everyday thanks to this, god awful show.

When I first started watching Bargain Hunt, I dismissed David Dickinson as a harmless clown. The entire purpose of the show, moreover, seemed to be that the people at flea markets and antique shows always know the worth of their goods and will get the better of the buyer almost every single time. After several seasons, however, I've changed my mind.

First, Dickinson is indeed a bit of a clown, but he also imparts much more realistic and helpful information on antiques and collectibles than almost any of the competing programs. Want to know how to tell cut glass from pressed glass? Interested in spotting fake brass figurines? Has your antique table been hybridized? Is your rare vase a victim of some restorer's attempt to cover up the chips and cracks? You're much more likely to discover the answer to these questions on Bargain Hunt than on Antiques Roadshow or even the otherwise wonderful Cash in the Attic.

So, too, will Dickinson be much more honest with his colleagues in the field, not to mention the poor contestants who blow their wad on some worthless twentieth century imitation fakery. As opposed to the valuers, who almost always over-reach, Dickinson seems to have a much better pulse on the only real value of items up for auction, which is, of course, defined as the money someone is willing to pay--and no more. And especially pity the poor contestant who overpays for some silver plated trifle. How bad it must be to have Dickinson laughing at you on nationwide TV, while revealing that you spent £200 on a POS.

Comparatively speaking, Dickinson is brutal to the people who appear on his program. And what a breath of fresh air it all is. How truly informative and honest in comparison to the pasty faced gnomes who mumble greedy nothings into the ears of the gullible and avaricious lemmings lined up on Antiques Roadshow. Dickinson reveals the real business side of antiques. And when he's through, you'll realize making money in the art and antiques world is not nearly so easy as it seems.

Finally, one other thing to note. If I were a seller OR a buyer, I'd sure hate to have Dickinson on the other side of the transaction.

J enjoy it but it us just too scripted. Left over Mollie. Give it a miss let the experts and presenters use their own words. How about some originality.

Have been watching bargain hunt for many years .Just recently there seems to be a lot of items disqualified because they do not come under the type of item asked for. Are the so called experts not there to ensure this does not happen. It spoils the whole programme for me and I'm sure many more viewers.wont be watching so much now.

This programme is perfect for the student waiting for his class to start. The wonderful presenter makes this show (which could have easily become stuffy and boring) light hearted and fun. Antiques have needed this breath of fresh air ever since the Antiques roadshow made them all about obscene amounts of money.

I like the bit where they buy stuff and then try to sell it to make a profit

'Bargain Hunt' is often derided as cheaply made, oft repeated, daytime broadcasting fodder.

However, a confession. I love it. Indeed significant numbers have been similarly enjoying it for twenty four years (at the time of writing). Broadcast every weekday (usually at 12:15), and often at weekends too, 'Bargain Hunt' is regularly one of the top ten most watched programmes of the day.

So why is it so successful? Well the simple formula of purchasing items at a boot fair or an antique's centre, and then selling them at an auction for profit, remains very appealing. The viewer can speculate which purchases will be successful or failures. As auctions are so gloriously unpredictable, no-one really knows what will happen. The constant surprises at the auction keeps things fresh.

Another part of the appeal is that the presenters and experts are uniformly friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The contestants are clearly loving the experience.

The bonus is that each episode contains a genuinely educational item. All credit to the producers, because after nearly two thousand shows, they still find such fascinating stories to tell.

In short, 'Bargain Hunt' is forty five minutes at lunch time when you can forget any worries in the company of an inoffensive, undemanding, thoroughly likeable programme.

Long may it continue. Yes? Yes!

Another great British program on American television, this one is found on the HGTV network, and it is a very entertaining half hour. It is about two teams of two people, one is called the "red" team, while the other is the "blue" team, and they have a set amount of money to spend at a flea market. Then, the items both teams purchased are put up for auction and the team that makes a bigger profit from the sale of the items win. I would love to have the time to attend that huge flea market that the teams get to attend to find their items for the auction. The host is very good, very knowledgable and affable with everyone. If this is your type of program, I recommend it very much.

What a bunch of miserable, cynical twerps in the user reviews. This is a very watchable show hosted by a bunch of wonderful people with an earnest love of antiques.

What I love most about this show is that the items are REAL. If this were American, they'd be finding amazing items and making huge profits. Instead, the contestants often buy junk and make whopping great losses. Love it! No fakery or manufactured drama.

I think Danny Sebastian is fantastic. He's friendly and knowledgeable and his voice and accent is just him. Nice man. Keep him presenting. People who criticise his voice and accent are just being mean. I can think of worse accents. I think all the presenters are good. There is just one I wouldn't choose because his team always seem to lose but I'm not going to name him because that would be mean. I seem to be addicted to the show. It's my daily fix. If I can't watch it I always record it. I do think since the pandemic the auctions are not as interesting as there doesn't seem to be as many people in the room. And the prices are way below what they should get.

Two teams of amateur antiques collectors are given £500 & sent out to hunt for bargains in one of the many antique fairs the length & breadth of the British Isles. An expert is on hand to help with advice on what to buy and how to haggle. The antiques are later sold at a local auction. The team to make the most profit wins.

Doesn't sound like the most exciting show eh? Well you've reckoned without the charm, flair & caddish wit of the one & only . . . the man, the myth, The Duke . . . David Dickinson! With his dapper suits, the spray on tan & classic barnet he is a mix of Lovejoy & Roger Moore with an added dash of Leslie Phillips & a merest hint of David Niven! One eye on the antiques & one eye on the ladies he took the daytime schedules by storm ripping up the rule book of dull TV & is now pushing open the envelope of entertainment in a prime-time slot!

His love of antiques & the ladies radiates out of the screen! The warmth flows from the TV - every man wants to be him, every woman wants to be loved by him! Resplendent in his classic English gent finery & his trademark quips - "cheap as chips", "for the ladies " - he is never afraid to take the mickey out of himself with the many sketches that permeate the show. Nevertheless when it comes to the final showdown, the climactic auction, The Duke knows his stuff! He is honest in his evaluation of the antiques bought by the contestants & is invaribly proved right but is the first to admit when he has misjudged an item. No matter how much you know - & The Duke knows a lot - you can still be surprised. Such is the random factor of the antique buying world!

Whilst interviewing the contestants & throughout the show there are various asides to the camera. Knowing glances. Wonderful quips. He involves the public at home. Whether in council flat or castle millions of bums are on the edge of millions of seats. Will the contestants make a profit? What witty aside will The Duke come out with next? Throughout we are referred to as Bargain Hunters not viewers! Its true, aren't we all in some way Bargain Hunters of one sort or another in the great antique fair of life?

For so long the sole delight of the daytime viewer - the unemployable, the chore neglecting housewife, the layabout student - Bargain Hunt is now in a prime-time evening slot. Make no excuses! Delay no longer! Watch one episode & become hooked! You know it makes sense!

Bargain Hunt has been on the BBC since March 2000 and it's always a great and addictive time waster for whenever you just want a programme that's just about having a good time.

The format has stayed the same since the show began - two teams of two contestants wearing red or blue fleeces, paired with an antiques expert and £300, compete against each other to see who can make the best bargains at antique fairs. Could you gain a nifty profit, or will it end up being a tragic loss? Only the auctions will tell. And your award for gaining the best profits? A simple gravel pin and a chance to do the show's famous kick!

The show was originally fronted by antique legend David Dickinson who later jumped shift to ITV, then Tim Wonnacott, who also narrates fellow BBC series Antiques Road Trip (produced by STV), and currently is fronted by the show's own experts who rotate every day. It's always nice to see who is hosting that day, and it could either be someone you like, or someone who annoys you.

The contestants are lively and likeable, ranging from youngsters to older faces. Most of the time, it's normally a battle of the ages when it comes to if either the red or blue team. Their reactions can be quite fun if they've gained profits or losses, and as I said before, it's just about having a fun time.

Overall, you can't go wrong with this BBC daytime tradition. There isn't much else to say about it because it's what it is.

They haggle, down to "best price", then go below. And then the item sells way below the bought price.

It goes to show the inflated yuppies will pay for Brik-a-brak in Flea Markets to adorn and impress their friends at dinner parties.

Cheap, pre News Tv with ever changing "Experts" who know nothing, less than the contestants who have access to Google and AI to now provide an opinion.

It's fun, but outdated now, like Antiques Roadshow - we don't get to know the presenters, forming a relationship with them? At least Roadshow has consistent presenters. If I went on, I'd have no idea who my expert was!

Yes, yes..

The pitch befell the rain before the pitch of tents to sell, Eight hundred antique dealers pitched their wares and wants so well. But through the throng, as ancient songs did hum from gramophone Did enter David Dickinson, with Blues and Reds along.

"I hereby give two hundred quid. Go, ye, find me a bargain!" As off did run the Reds and Blues, with cameramen a joggin' And experts following behind, not keeping with the pace, and knowing well some team will spend before they reach that place.

David, he did look abroad, then to his camera, quipped. "This here's the Sheffield's finest sale, but the weather's sunk a bit. "So though the prices would be high, the water's wearing down. "Disaster for the sellers, but Bargain Hunt's in town!"

The Reds, they found an hourglass of minted silver and stone. "That thing's a hundred and twenty quid," the keeper spat, alone. The expert said, "I don't believe its price will come at sale." But when Reds bought it anyway, his eyes did roll and wail.

The Blues, they found a coffret made in eighteen sixty two. "Slightly damaged," said the expert, "But that price will do." So they didn't haggle much as it was only fifty quid. Time was of the essence, two more items left to bid.

An hour passed, and David looked upon the gathered lot, To scour and to scowl at each of the many things they bought. His scrunched up face did quite deface Red's investment there. While Blues were quite content, excitement static'ed in the air.

A week to clean and polish before Red and Blue did seat Along with David Dickinson at a Lime Street auction meet. The hammers snapped, the sales ran, the time had quickly passed. And found the Blues deep in the blues, for they did come in last.

And so, with wry humility, the Duke did sigh and grin. For only time can tell the tale of just which side will win. "The winners this week were the Reds. They netted fifty four." Then flashed his grin, "Come back next week for two contestants more."

February 2021. I've been watching repeats. They confirm what I firmly believe - only Tim can host this show. Charlie's insufferable exuberance and Anita's ponderous baby-speed talk are the worst. But they are all irritatingly bad compared the consummate, cultured Tim with his convincing common touch. Get him back whatever it takes. Oh, and enjoy the silly fun, it doesn't matter that the market-stall buying and the auction-room selling mostly makes no financial sense. Just make some guesses and see what happens.

A very entertaining programme based on the simple premises that you try to buy articles cheap at antique fairs and then sell them at a profit at auction. There are to teams of two each with an expert to help them. My favourite expert is Phillipa Deeley from Tunbridge Wells although she is not that good. My least favourite is Michael Hogben who appears to be a bit of a wide boy from the south coast. I do, however acknowledge the expertise of David Barby and James Braxton. The star is David ( Duke ) Dickinson who presents with warmth humour and knowledge. The programme has been transfered to prime time but it has suffered from two things. 1. It has been up against the very popular soaps 2. They have tried to inject too much humour into it.