Interview with Ronnie Archer Morgan, Antiques, Art, Design and Jewellery Expert

Why did you want to be part of Millionaire Hoarders?

 I like connecting with people and I like helping people - it’s as simple as that. I can use the experience I’ve garnered over the decades to help people raise some money and see how clever they’ve been. I always have enthusiasm for people's enthusiasm, and I've met some fantastic people. When people put together a corpus of objects they've been on a journey and I love to enthuse about their journey, so they can see the value of that journey to other people and not just themselves.

Do the collections reflect people’s personalities?

I know what it takes to put a body of items together and the minute you start collecting, you start to understand an aspect of life that most people have probably never considered. I know that journey because I’ve put so many collections together, so I grasp what they’re doing. I love these people for putting their life's energy into something which is nearly always for themselves. Their collection isn’t to show off or grandstand, but is something which they have become impassioned about and they follow that passion through with their life’s energy and their money. They commit to something they love.

Is one reason you enjoy Millionaire Hoarders because of how it showcases a diverse range of passions? 

It’s bizarre how I grow to love them for their passions. You might see this person walking down the street and you’d never believe the collection they’d amassed. I love museums and, in a way, their collections are like little private museums. 

These collections and homes can sometimes be massive, so do you worry you’ll miss a treasure? 

The only daunting aspect is time - this is a scheduled shoot and time is of the essence. Other than that, if something’s there to be found, I will find it. I used to be called “The Cherry Picker” at markets and fairs, because I would often visit them very late and find a wonderful treasure which everybody had missed. I don’t even have to know what something is to know that it's worth researching and following up; I’ll see an object outside my specialism, or even an object I've never seen before in my life, and think, “Wow, this has potential.”

What do you hope the audience takes from the series? 

I hope they start to see that objects aren't inanimate things with nothing to give but instead hold secrets and tell stories. It’s for people, perhaps like me, to discover those stories and tease them out. People who collect objects have a passion the world needs. They give an energy to the soul of the world which is really valuable and I hope the audience sees that. I hope the audience sees how interesting objects are and, even though we're bringing them to sale, they’re more interesting than money. Money is absolutely vital for people's existence and survival, but the objects can transcend monetary value to some degree. 

Have you learned anything, in your field of expertise or otherwise, while making this series? 

I've learned that if someone puts their trust in me, I will go not just the extra mile, but the extra 100 miles for them. I can't abuse people's trust, and I can't let them down. I’ve learned, more than ever, how much people dedicate their lives to collecting and this series has shown me there are a lot more dedicated and amazing people out there than we know. These collectors are looking for the lost souls in these objects and they are keeping them together, saving them from the dustbin, and nobly becoming the committed custodians of these interesting collections