Paul Laidlaw is a Scottish

auctioneer An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition exi ...

, known for his appearances on television game-shows related to antiques.

Early life

Laidlaw was born in Edinburgh, obtaining a degree in mathematics from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

with a view to working for

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

Career

Laidlaw developed a career as an

, joining H&H Auction Rooms of Carlisle in 2002, and leaving in 2012 to set up his own auction house, Laidlaw Auctioneers and Valuers. In 2006 he was filmed for the BBC Television show ''

Bargain Hunt ''Bargain Hunt'' is a British television programme in which two pairs of contestants are challenged to buy antiques from shops or a fair and then sell them in an auction for a profit. It has aired on BBC One since 13 March 2000 in a daytim ...

'', conducting an auction. He was subsequently asked to screen test for the show, and now makes regular appearances as an expert advisor, where his role is to assist a team of two lay people in competition with another team, who aim to make the most money by buying antiques and

collectable A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms ...

s, then selling them at auction. He also makes regular appearances on the sister show ''

Antiques Road Trip ''Antiques Road Trip'' (also known as ''Celebrity Antiques Road Trip'') is a BBC television series produced by STV Studios. It was first shown on BBC Two from 2010 to 2012, and has been shown on BBC One since 2013. This show is not to be conf ...

'', competing in a similar fashion against another expert, one-to-one, and appears in its celebrity spin-off version. He also appears on ''

Flog It! ''Flog It!'' is a BBC television series that has been broadcast since 27 May 2002, presented by Paul Martin (although the first five episodes were presented by Mark Harnden). Description The show follows a similar formula to ''Antiques Roadsho ...

'', and has been a guest on ''

For What It's Worth "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)" (often referred to as simply "For What It's Worth") is a song written by Stephen Stills. Performed by Buffalo Springfield, it was recorded on December 5, 1966, released as a single on Atco Reco ...

''. As of May 2021, he holds the record for the biggest profit on an item on ''Antiques Road Trip''. In a 2017 episode he purchased a Chambre Automatique De Bertsch sub-miniature camera for £60; it sold for a

hammer price In auctions, the buyer's premium is a charge in addition to the hammer price (i.e. the winning bid announced) of an auction item, or lot. The winning bidder is required to pay both the hammer price and the percentage of that price called for by th ...

of £20,000, to a private collector in Switzerland. As with all profits on the show, the money made was donated to the charity Children in Need. In an earlier episode, screened in 2016, he purchased a Georgian drinking glass for £1, whose hammer price was £360.

Personal life

As of June 2021, Laidlaw lives in Carlisle, with his wife Maureen and their daughter and twin boys. Among the antiques he collects for personal interest are arms and armour, Georgian glassware, Georgian silver, and watches.

References

External links

Laidlaw Auctioneers and Valuers

Speaker profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laidlaw, Paul Living people BBC television presenters Scottish auctioneers Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Television personalities from Edinburgh People from Carlisle, Cumbria Year of birth missing (living people)