It began as a daytime show on 13 March 2000, hosted by David Dickinson. He later moved to a primetime version that aired from 22 August 2002 to 13 November 2004. Tim Wonnacott (best known for his recurring appearances on Antiques Roadshow) replaced Dickinson as the host of the daytime version; at this time, the budget was increased from £200 to £300, and the extended episodes added a "swap" option, where a team could use the remainder of their budget (if any) to swap one of their items for one purchased by their expert. Later episodes switched to a "bonus item" that can be added during the auction phase.
In 2016, Wonnacott stepped down for undisclosed reasons, and the recurring experts took over as host on a rotating basis (this was also done while Wonnacott was participating on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014).
Not to be confused with Bargain Hunters. See also Antiques Road Trip, which also airs on BBC One as with this series, has Wonnacott as its narrator, and several of the auctioneers and antiques experts who appear on this series appearing on that programme.
This series provides examples of:
- And Your Reward Is Clothes:
- If a team makes a profit on all three items they sold, they win the "golden gavel", which was at first a wooden trophy, but was later changed to a lapel pin.
- This trope could also be played straight with the fleeces or polo shirts that the contestants wear, as they get to keep them after the show has finished, no matter what occurs.
- Artistic Licence – Economics: Auction sales to the sellers are not one-to-one with the winning bid. A buyer's premium (commission) is taken out from what the buyer paid to pay the auction house, and a VAT is also taken out for tax purposes; the rest of the profit is then given to the sellers. Bargain Hunt forgoes those fees for both teams' profits/losses to keep things simple.
- Auction: The whole point of the show is to find items to sell at auction for a profit.
- Bonus Round: Sort of in the form of the "bonus buy", a fourth item purchased by a team's expert using the "leftover lolly" (remaining cash on hand) that the contestants decide on whether or not they want to sell. If they do, it can add to their profits or losses like their first three items. If not, the item is sold anyway, but the item's profit or loss is not added to the team's total.
- Celebrity Edition: Bargain Hunt: Famous Finds
- Colour Coded Multiplayer: It's always the red team and the blue team.
- Cool Old Guy: Tim Wonnacott was certainly a good light-hearted chap on the show, which made his departure all the more disheartening to viewers.
- Game Show: Although the nature of the series is not really competitive in the slightest, considering everyone gets money from any profits they make (unless it's a loss or, in rare cases, a break-even).
- Grail in the Garbage: Some of the items the teams find are bought on the cheap and even appraised just as cheap or even cheaper by the auctioneers, only to turn a big profit. Case in point, this plush 1930s tea cosy in the shape of a cockerel's head
was bought by Jonathan Pratt as a "bonus buy" for £25. It sold for ten times what he paid for. - Heads or Tails?: Frequently used to settle haggling debates on the show when the team's expert and the seller cannot agree on a price.
- Insistent Terminology: There are no "losers" in Bargain Hunt, just winners and runners-up. Justified because it's a relatively casual show that's all in good fun, and if both teams made a profit, then they both earn the profit they each made in cash.
- Long-Runners: Been airing since March 2000 and has over 1,800 episodes over 58 series so far. British Brevity certainly doesn't apply here!
- Show the Folks at Home: The viewers at home will get a sneak peek at what the auctioneer thinks of the items the teams bought, and more importantly what the auctioneer thinks of the expert's "bonus item" that the team may or may not go with. Usually, this is the auctioneer saying just exactly how badly the item in question is going to do.
