Yeah, this makes sense and he's obviously done the right thing for him. i get the impression that he's not hard up, anyway. I'd think that most of the presenters are looking for a sideline or a possible get-out opportunity. I wouldn't exactly feel secure there in the current shambles.
I think Alex follows in the footsteps of his grandparents. He once said that his grandparents only lived in a house for two or three years at a time before selling up and moving on. His grandad was also an antiques trader too.
Alex has had a few moves in a short space of time too. He's a clever chap. For anyone brave enough, and willing to put up with the upheaval of a move every few years, buying a house, spending a few quid modernising it and then selling up again at hefty profit can be quite lucrative.
I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of it personally - but if you can flog three houses in 6 years with £25,000 profit on each (not suggesting I know anything about Alex's finances - I'm just throwing a random example out there), having a job almost becomes a 'side project' rather than a necessity for income.
I quite liked Alex. I don't think he was a poser. I think he's just generally naturally outgoing and bubbly. He's very much a people person.
One thing is for certain - Andy is spot on - Alex WAS Gem Collector. If it wasn't for him, I doubt very much that Gem Collector would have got to where it was. He was very enthusiastic and proud about it. His annoyances at times (long drawn out stories, repetitive jokes, etc) were also his likeable points. Alex talked to viewers as individuals rather than an 'audience' - he generally showed an interest in people as individuals - and I think that made people want to watch him - even if they were not buying.
Could he bluff and bluster a bit? Absolutely. I think he actually liked to play on that too. But I also think off camera, he was genuine and sincere. I genuinely believe that if Alex thought someone had Cancer or a very serious illness that put them into hospital, if he thought he had that persons blessing to do so, I think he'd go out of his way to visit them in hospital or make some sort of donation if they needed money for treatment abroad.
I remember Alex being very emotional on-air once and dedicating his entire show to an American viewer that he hadn't heard from in a while. He said he'd made a phone call to check that she was OK - and a family member said she'd passed away. It genuinely seemed to hit him.
I thought taking the time out to phone someone to check how they were, was an incredible thing to do for someone he'd never met.
I hate the whole Gemporia 'friend in your living room' nonsense - but to give Alex his credit, he actually did treat people that way rather than saying it to prey on the vulnerable.