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” It’s so quiet here,” he said when placing it up for sale. “When I first moved I freaked out because of this strange noise which turned out to be the cows munching grass. 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. Reading and soaking up knowledge is what makes a good dealer. That, and letting it impinge on every aspect of your world. He hit the big time with Salvage Hunters which is shown on Quest and is watched by millions of people across the globe. Mr Pritchard had owned premises outside Glan Conwy for more than 20 years.

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.” Talking about the current crisis, he said: "The rising cost in materials, utility bills and having to increase labour rate to cover our cost of living means we cannot compete with the large furniture manufacturers that mass produce. Currently we have had to loan the business personal money to keep it going and therefore are having to look at what would be financially beneficial to us and seriously consider our future. It wasn’t all plain sailing. In 2017 he divorced wife Rebecca, his co-presenter on Quests’ long-running flagship show. It came in the wake of a ban – since lifted – from every pub in his hometown of Conwy. Rebecca, now living in Chester with her own antiques business, still jointly fronts the show, analysing the provenance of items brought in by Drew and assessing the restoration work needed. 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 honestHe 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.” You’ve taken something that was worthless and made it worth even less. It’s an embarrassment to this country that we do this. Along with pebbledashing. Between the 1940s and 70s, he explains, the Americans bought all our best antiques (presumably while we were investing in G-plan and mid-century modern furniture by designers such as Robin Day and Ercol) and they hung on to them and all that remained in the UK was a “load of old toot” from after the Second World War. North Wales Live has spoken to local business and property owners about whether losing Drew has impacted the town or if Dylan's has been an ample, or not superior, replacement.

The shop was welcomed by local businesses - with Drew attracting Salvage Hunters fans to the area. He had initially looked at plans to expand due to its success but by May 2022 had decided it was time to close up. 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.As well as Stoic philosophy, he’s currently reading about 18th-century cabinetry and garden design in the French court. When I see something old, that I think is beautiful, special, valuable, it's not about the money. It's about being in another time and place.' The move comes just over a year after his Conwy store closed. He had opened the antiques emporium on the High Street in 2017.

Reading Pritchard’s book opened my eyes to how much work is needed to do well. Even when you’ve been in the business for decades. “That’s the reality. It’s flat out,” says Pritchard. You can be a dabbler. “But it’s like dabbling in brain surgery. Saying, ‘I do a bit of brain surgery at the weekend’ is fine, but you’re never going to be good at it.” Whether you are a professional dealer or an amateur enthusiast, and whatever your budget, Drew's on a mission to show you how to enrich your life with beautiful things, that have their own unique story and that bring you joy. And then how to part with them for cash! Read more Look Inside Details And so Pritchard is searching for the next “it” item. “I’ve been around a while. I’ve done a lot of stuff and seen a lot of things. Everything used to be really cool for a while. But everything that’s cool becomes passé. And that’s where I’m at. So I’m just working harder at what I’m doing and being honest with myself.” Hailed a “junkyard genius”, he had the Midas touch when it came to finding treasures in other people’s scrap. The boy who left Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy at 16 with no qualifications, is now a respected international dealer in fine antiques, art and furniture. Clients include Ralph Lauren and the chef Marco Pierre White, reports North Wales Live.Speaking to the Telegraph Drew said: "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. I’ve completely binned my old life and started afresh." He opened up about his childhood and how he found his passion for antiques. He said he and his friends would go and look in sheds in his home village in Glan Conwy, Wales. I like Drew and I enjoy his programmes, I think he is very knowledgeable and has a brilliant eye for quality – which is just as well, otherwise I might be thinking he is a bit of an arrogant ****** after reading this. 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.”

They’re just dreadful. I’ve got great friends who are on them, but they’re auctioneers, not dealers. It’s like saying a painter and decorator is a builder. They both work on houses, but they do different things.”

Retailers:

His collection of classic cars was jettisoned – he had 13 at one time. He stopped drinking two years ago. This summer he told the Telegraph: “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. I’ve completely binned my old life and started afresh.” And yet, when Pritchard started out, antiques was a closed shop. “It was like the Mafia.” It’s not quite the same today, but with his advice he hopes he can get anyone through the door and give them a start. “The rest is down to what you make of it. That’s what I love about it.”