Antiques Roadshow guest's jaw drops as ‘magnificent' clothes collection kept in a suitcase gets eye-watering value

Edinburgh Live

15-05-2025

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WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest clutched at her chest as it was discovered her grandfather's extensive clothes collection was worth thousands.
The BBC daytime series saw expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan surrounded by a captive audience as he met with a guest and her plethora of unusual clothing items on display.
'You've got some magnificent pieces here, a wonderful collection of North American beadwork and embroidery,' he began before asking how they came to be in her possession.
She replied: 'I acquired it from my late grandfather. He returned from the First World War unable to get a job in Aberdeen, went to Canada and joined the Hudson's Bay Company.
'And on one of his journeys home, he returned with the beadwork and the outfit.'
The owner showed a couple of pictures of her grandfather and grandmother wearing some of the items in around 1925 when they first met.
(Image: BBC)
Archer-Morgan elaborated: 'He went to Canada to work for the Hudson's Bay Company. That was established in about 1670.
'I think the charter was granted by Charles II for trading there and the trading posts were distributed from north to south and east to west Canada.
'It was one of the biggest trading companies at the time and the trade was based on the fur trade, I'm sure you know that.
'And they also had to trade with the First Nations and they never really fell out. So it was a very successful trading company.'
The guest clarified that her grandfather worked in the office before the specialist continued: 'Because the guys, the traders, were really intrepid and they worked in the harshest conditions, bringing in the furs which were really desired in Europe at that time and America.'
Archer-Morgan then turned his attention to one of the outfits, remarking that it looked custom-made because of the naval buttons.
He went on to comment: 'Most of this work is Cree, there are a few other tribes there but it's just a lot of it.
'So he probably knew people and traded and bought things bit by bit. He's got moccasins here and moccasins there and these Cree gauntlets here.
'I wondered how he collected them, I wonder what his criteria was.'
(Image: BBC)
The guest replied: 'I don't know, I just think he looked at something, liked it and bought it.'
Sadly, she wasn't ever able to meet her grandfather as he died when she was three-months-old and her grandmother knew little about where he purchased the clothes from.
Archer-Morgan went on to query where she kept the items in her house, to which she bluntly confessed: 'It's actually in a suitcase.'
Surprised, he asked: 'You don't have anything on display?', which she confirmed.
It was then time for the appraisal as Archer-Morgan concluded: 'As a collection, I would say this is £6,000 to £8,000.'
After hearing the figure, the owner's jaw automatically dropped, eyes widening and stuttered: 'Wow - wow.'
As she clutched her chest, she joked: 'I think I better buy a better suitcase.'
She thanked the expert before he quipped, pointing at the elaborate outfit: 'It's a pleasure to see all these things. I'd wear that if I had it.'
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.