Man with a Van: My Story

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Of all the people who read the book he hopes just one person might get “it” and go on to be brilliant. So far so good. Then: “And don’t be a tourist; you see these ladies turning up at Ardingly at about 9am in a silly hat, expensive coat and wellies and you know ‘everything went four hours ago love’ so –get there early. I’ve had a blip in the middle where everything just got too much for me, which I’m over now and working on. I’ve started again from scratch. Rebuilding myself again.” Pritchard has arguably had the trajectory and supernova explosion of a superstar. He and his ex-wife Rebecca, who worked alongside each other and co-starred in Salvage Hunters, ended their marriage in 2017. A turbulent period in his personal life followed, culminating in a ban (now lifted) from pubs in Conwy after a fracas in 2019. I was talking to a dealer friend the other day who said so far this year he has turned over a million quid but he said he hasn’t made any money at all because he just keeps buying more stuff. And that’s what I do. It’s a passion and it [the selling] allows us to keep hunting for more”

READ MORE: Salvage Hunter Drew Pritchard born to find gold in junk is 'starting again from scratch' At every car boot sale and junk shop, salvage yard or antique fair there is one gem; one thing that is remarkable that isn’t where it should be. It might have been lost in the hands of someone who didn’t understand it and it the right hands it is amazing but it isn’t junk.” Having simplified his life, Pritchard has big plans in the pipeline. There’s a house in Bath that he is currently restoring, which will take him away from his beloved north Wales.Craig has also been dropped from the hit shows by the production company - although remains on good terms with Drew. Apparently he's "too good" for TV, with him making light work of the challenges posed to the team.

The former Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy pupil has been an independent antiques dealer since 1993, having trained initially as a stained glass restorer and designer.

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TV star Drew has found fame through being an antiques dealer and appearing on Salvage Hunters. He published a book in May called How Not to Be an Antiques Dealer: Everything I’ve Learnt, That Nobody Told Me. In this engaging and informative narrative, clearly structured into practical themes, Drew reveals what it takes to start with nothing but an obsession and a dream. He shows you how to create the opportunities, establish a network, get the best out of auctions and fairs, spot the fakes, develop your eye, build a reputation, buy and sell and yes, make a profit. He describes his new life as a palate-cleanser. “I’ve completely binned my old life and started afresh.” Has it made him better at what he does? “Yes, definitely. I’m more concentrated.”

There’s still stuff being lost. “Every minute of every day something is going to the landfill that shouldn’t be. It’s not the people’s fault, it’s just society and education.” There's a lot in there you may have heard and a lot you won't have... some wrongs righted and some myths dispelled... Thanks for reading... and here's to the next one... NOW that's really something I want to share... A Volvo estate is part of any antique dealer’s essential kit. When Pritchard was starting out in the 1980s it was that or, if you were slightly posher, a Mercedes estate, but today’s Volvos are better, he says. At the age of eight his mother took him to buy shoes in Conwy, getting them from a double-fronted shop. More than the shoes, young Drew was entranced by the look of the building and, almost four decades later, it was his. Too many would-be dealers today, he finds, look up the value of an item and think that’s what they should be asking for it. Not realising that there is a chain of dealers through which an item’s value will rise, each making a modest 20 per cent profit, until it reaches the London showroom which has the expensive clientele but also the costly overheads.Pritchard lovingly restored the building, getting everything from the panelling, to the lighting and the music perfect, but now it’s gone. Sold to a local businessman who offered him a price he couldn’t refuse. “Everything is always for sale” is another piece of antique-dealer wisdom. So what are his tips for buying old? Firstly, if you buy an old light he suggests taking it to the “bloke on the high street who fixes your microwave and your telly. Electrics is three wires, there’s no mystery. Clean it up, take it to him and he will fix it for you.”