BRIAN Lynch still has the first major item he collected 32 years ago – a vase commemorating the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
The vase has lasted longer than the royal marriage, which ended in divorce in 1996, and is a treasured piece in a $1 million memorabilia collection owned by Brian and his wife, Barbara, to be featured on the television program Aussie Pickers at 7.30pm Thursday.
“I bought a good collection piece for the wedding and it all started from there,” Mr Lynch said of his hobby yesterday.
“It (the vase) cost me $1400 in 1981.
“If I got $50 for it now it would be a miracle.”
Hosts of Aussie Pickers, Lucas Callaghan and Adam McDonald, dropped in to visit Mr and Mrs Lynch in January as part of a sweep through the Riverina which also included checking out the hidden treasures of Simon Whyte and John Gillfillan, of Wagga, Jim Crocker, of Coolamon, and Jack and Terry Whyte, of Urana.
The film crew spent more than four hours in the Lynch house filming their collection of, well, just about about everything from cutthroat razors to a Nazi armband, rare metal signs, ABBA bubble gum and cards, toys, food containers and haircream jars (boys raised in the 1960s would cringe at the Brylcreem jar).
Mr Lynch was not out to make money from Aussie Pickers, but given the nature of the show his arm was twisted to sell something to the hosts.
“We don’t sell, as a rule, but we did sell some stuff to them,” Mr Lynch said.
“They spent more than $700 buying signs and a watch.
“I was very surprised.”
It is not the first time Brian and Barbara Lynch have appeared on television because of their collection.
They have featured on the ABC and just about all the commercial networks in the past.
Mr Lynch said the couple still collected, although it’s getting harder to find worthwhile goods.
“There is big money in advertising signs and bottles,” Mr Lynch said.
“Ten thousand, 20,000, 30,000 dollars is nothing for a rare bottle today.
“A friend of mine sold two old Wagga cordial bottles and got $10,000 for each of them.”
