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.” A shop is what Pritchard calls in his book “a very expensive gilded anchor, weighing you down”. A distraction from the nuts and bolts of how the money is made in the trade.

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.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. 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. But despite being a master of his trade he faces an uncertain future. He said that like many other businesses he had been hit by surging costs - making it increasingly hard for him to compete with mass producers.

That same year, Drew opened an antiques emporium on Conwy’s High Street. It was an immediate hit, cementing the historic town’s position as a destination for independent stores. The new shop also brought full circle a long-cherished dream. He told Quest: "I was just utterly fascinated with it and it’s never left me. It’s not something I can explain why, I just had to be around this old stuff all the time. My parents are still digging up boxes of old rubbish I found when I was a kid – I’d drag it all home. They even built another shed for me as I’d filled all the sheds in the garden with junk."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.

Drew said: "The next morning they had an open viewing and I was first through the door. The property had been five flats for 48 years and every inch was painted in white gloss, including the original cantilevered staircase.Within two minutes I realised this house was an absolute gem. Just as the estate agent was walking out, I said, 'I'll give you this much for it. No survey. And I'll give you the deposit immediately. Take it off the market now'. I've been working on it ever since." It may be just as well. His remarkable success, and the televisual fame that has accompanied it, have inspired many people to try their hand at what he does. “I have a lot of imitators – and some of them are now doing Drew Pritchard better than me.” Staying honest