Forgotten TV channel which sold items that fans made a huge profit from

Fans of Bid Up TV have shared some of their bargains from the former shopping channel - and their "tatty" finds are often worth a lot more than they ever would have thought. Peter Simon was one of the most remembered presenters on the quirky TV channel as he tried to flog all kinds of items.

The channel launched in October 2000 and was known for its format where viewers could bid on items in real-time, either by phone or through the internet. The channel featured live broadcasts and pre-recorded segments, often with auction graphics overlaid. Posting to Reddit, one social media user shared their burst of nostalgia, as they asked: "Today I was reminded of Bid Up/Price Drop TV. Did anyone ever buy anything from them?" They added: "Turns out my father-in-law bought some globes off it for £250 at some point. I remember it, but some of the guys at work said they were hooked on watching it. Did they ever do good stuff or was it just the stuff QVC said no to?"

One fan replied with their own experience, writing: "Yeah, early on in Lionel Messi's football career he bought a pair of signed photos of him from there as well as a pair of Diego Maradona signed photos.

"He didn't pay much for them either. I expect they will be worth a few bob now."

"Yes my ex husband bought a necklace for me for about £80, I sold it for £440 after the divorce. Honestly I was really surprised as I'd thought it would be pretty worthless," another added.

While a third said: "My parents used to buy all kinds of tat off there, though the crazy thing was the stuff they didn't keep my dad sold on eBay for a profit!"

Someone else shared: "I bought four watches off Price Drop, sold them for a modest profit on eBay a few years later. When I say modest, I mean I made about £50 overall, so was hardly worth it."

On April 17, 2014, the channel's owner Bid Shopping went into administration. Price Drop and its sister channel Bid Up TV were closed down with immediate effect with 229 jobs being lost.