Jonty Hearnden v James Braxton - Foreign Antiques Market Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is -

the show that pitches TV's best-loved antiques experts

against each other in an all-out battle for profit...

Yee-ha!

..and gives you the insider's view of the trade!

Who's there?

Each week, one pair of duelling dealers will face

a different daily challenge...

The axe man. R-R-R-argh!

..putting their reputations on the line...

Ready for the ball.

..and giving you their top tips and savvy secrets

on how to make the most money from buying and selling.

Get in there!

THUNDER CRASHES

Today, furniture fanatic Jonty Hearnden goes head to head

with extraordinary auctioneer James Braxton

for a bargain-busting battle abroad.

Coming up - James leaves no bin unturned...

Oh, dear. Always be thorough in your testing, OK?

..Jonty learns about upholstery...

Now you can see where the foam has started to degrade.

Hessian, over time, will rot.

..and James gets a kick out of nettle beer.

Blimey O'Reilly.

HE CHUCKLES

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

Today, it's the battle of Belgium.

Yes, our duelling dealers have crossed the Channel

to buy big at a Flemish antiques market.

It's a place that will test their skill, tax their knowledge

and demand nothing short of buying brilliance.

Once they're back in Blighty, they must sell it on for maximum profit.

So, let's meet today's titans of the trade.

First up, it's an auction action hero!

A man with a passion for prime pieces.

He may be one of the poshest men alive

but he's not afraid to get his hands dirty.

Oh, no! It's the baron of the bargain, the duke of the deal.

All the way from East Sussex, it's James "Bingo" Braxton.

I'm going to get around it very quickly.

Ooh, he's like a coiled spring.

But he's not the only bouncy Brit in Belgium today.

His imposing opponent is a living legend,

fired up over furniture

and always ready to go where others fear to tread.

A keen eye and a sharp brain ensure he always bags the best bargains.

Weighing in, from Oxfordshire,

it's Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden.

It's a treat to myself when I beat James. Yes!

Oh, someone's confident.

Today's battleground is Tongeren, the oldest city in Belgium, no less.

The market itself has been here for over a quarter of a century

and, once a week, the streets are jam-packed with stalls.

Like a box of Belgian chocolates,

our boys must choose carefully to pick out the tastiest treats

and avoid the coffee creams. They shouldn't struggle either -

they each come armed with £750-worth of euros.

It's their own money,

and any profits they make will go to their chosen charities.

So, let the British invasion begin.

James Braxton and Jonty Hearnden,

it's time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

-James, how are you doing?

-Very good. Morning. How are you?

-Very good. Have you been shopping in Belgium before?

-No.

This, usually, is a happy hunting ground for most Brits, actually.

There's usually a lot of stuff that we can buy, which makes a change,

I have to say. We've got 750 quid to spend.

-Is it burning a hole in your pocket already?

-I'm looking forward to it.

-And quite a few items to buy.

-I know.

Now, it seems to be all over the town, somehow.

Are you going to go indoors? Outdoors?

-I'm an outdoors-y sort of guy.

-Yep.

-I'm not an indoors-y... It's all pots inside, isn't it?

-Yes.

I think we're probably the same, really.

I'm going to go indoors if I get really desperate.

I haven't seen any armchairs yet. Have you seen any?

Just a few bits of upholstery.

It's all over! Bye!

So our Brits abroad begin their epic encounter,

and Jonty's definitely up for the challenge.

Now, I've been dealing in antiques for 20...what...30 years,

and every time I come to a market first thing in the morning,

I still get this buzz thinking, "What am I going to buy?"

I see everybody opening up all of their vans,

bringing out all the antiques and there's a lot to see.

Well, you'd better get going then, Hitman,

because the competition isn't hanging about.

Before you can say "Belgian waffle", old Bingo Braxton has

pounced on a milk churn from a stallholder who's still unpacking.

45?

I don't see why not.

Very kind, thank you. Tres gentil.

Well, that was simple. Once you convert the currency,

that 45 euros works out at £37.50.

What do they say? A good guide to an item is,

never mind the quality, feel the width.

Well, this has got some width. This has got some real weight.

It's a milk churn.

It would be lovely to say this is solid copper. I doubt it is.

But I think it's a metal finished with copper,

but it just has a great look.

It's not terribly old.

I would say 1950. It's a good-looking object

and also has very good practical applications.

Yes, no time to sit down on the job.

But he's been quick out of the blocks,

so is Bingo planning a fast and furious day?

Choice, choice, choice all around me.

I'm looking forward to taking Jonty on.

The soft-furnishing king. I, too, have a staple gun

and if I can find an armchair,

get a bit of material, it'd be fun to take him on at his own game.

Ooh, hello! A little upholstery challenge ahead, eh?

Hmm! The Hitman hasn't found any fabric just yet,

but our market master is in the frame for a potential purchase.

I want to know more about it.

I think it's Flemish.

-OK.

-19th century.

-OK.

It would have had a picture in there?

-Flemish.

-A big Flemish painting?

-Inside.

-OK.

So, can we have a look at it?

-The size is good, everything is good.

-Yeah.

The corners are a bit worn.

Yes. It's normal. It's older.

If I was 100 years old, I might have a few worn edges.

Without a picture in it, how much is it?

The best price is...100 euros.

100? I'm interested, but it has to be a good price.

90 euros.

-Pff. That's not a good price.

-No?

-What about 70 euros?

-No. 80 euros is the best.

-Or I can...

-Let's do 75.

-No, no, no.

-75?

-All right, 75.

-OK.

Yes, The Hitman haggles hard and it pays off.

Do the foreign exchange and the frame costs £62.50.

That's brilliant. That is my first deal done

and I'm so pleased with that purchase.

Now, I'm not going to be using it or selling it as a picture frame.

Probably, I need to find a buyer who's going to use this

as a massive great big mirror.

It will look so impressive back in the UK.

That is an absolute steal.

Wow! I think today is going to be a great day.

Wow! Jonty's positively buzzing with bargain energy.

Up the street, Baron Braxton has been surging through the stalls,

and he couldn't help noticing an enormous pair of communion rails.

This is rather fun.

I like items with architectural elements.

It's solid oak.

We've got a brass plaque, which is dated 1924.

You can always tell old wood, especially oak,

because the grain is filled with years of polish and use.

This one is still quite rough.

I like these. You can divide a long room, put these either side,

have a two-metre gap in the middle

and it's like a screen - you divide it.

It would have been in a church at one time

but I think it has domestic applications.

Mmm. Whatever its use, it's an almighty piece,

but will it have an almighty price tag?

It's 550.

-550 euros?

-Yes.

Ohh.

I was hoping for less.

-What about 350?

-No, no, no, no.

-No?

-475 is the best price.

-475?

400 would be my best.

I'll have to think.

Didn't go as well as I hoped.

I was rather hoping to get it for about £250.

He is more at the £400 level at the moment

but it's very early days in this market,

so I'm going to carry on going round.

It may be my big purchase, it may be not,

but let's give him time to think about that price.

Mmm, useful little tactic there, James.

But he runs the risk that the rails will be sold to someone else.

Jonty is taking no chances because he's spotted something he likes.

Could it be...? No, surely not. He isn't that predictable.

Oh, actually, he is.

As sure as night follows day, The Hitman's looking at upholstery.

So, how much is the chair, sir?

It's 195.

Euros.

-195 euros?

-Yes.

-You're now disappointing me.

Oh, dear.

Aw, keep tugging at those heartstrings,

Jonty, it might just work!

-If you give me 135, it's yours.

-OK. You can't do 125?

No.

Cos I'm a poor Englishman.

-Yes, I know, but...

-You know?!

But I am a very poor Belgian.

So, that's what I pay for it, so...

135? You're being very generous.

I tell you what. I'll buy it from you. It's a nice chair.

Well, pleading poverty only got him so far.

The seller needs to make some sort of profit.

Though, fair play to Jonty, he did manage to get almost a third off.

In sterling, the price is £112.50.

I can buy chairs like this all day long

because the shape is just so fantastic.

This barrel back is such a pleasing back.

It's a small chair, as well,

so this is just perfect for a bedroom.

I buy chairs like this for the frame, not for the upholstery.

The upholstery needs changing. It needs a modern fabric on there.

It's a lovely, great beech frame.

It has that 19th-century feel.

It's a 20th-century interpretation of a 19th-century chair.

It's just a lovely form. Somebody will buy this from me.

And at 135 euros, it's another great deal.

And the deals don't stop there.

Jonty's third purchase of the day is a ladder from the inter-war period.

He pays 15 euros, or £12.50.

That's brilliant. Thank you very much.

James, I'm STEPPING up the pressure.

Hmm, that's for sure. Three items to James's one.

But Bingo is nonplussed.

I have spied Jonty securing some sort of ladder.

I thought we were in Tongeren for antiques, not building materials.

Hmm, Bingo can belittle all he likes

but he's two purchases behind, so he needs some bright ideas of his own.

What about an intriguing-looking ceiling light?

This is a really fun item, isn't it?

Yes, it is a nice decoration.

-A design like an Arabian design.

-It is, isn't it? Yeah.

At first I thought this was lead

but it's all part of the glass.

-It's one...

-Yeah, I bet it is.

I can't work out whether it's 1970s or older.

-Yes, 1960s, 1970s.

-1970s.

And how much do you have on it?

The best I can do for you is 90.

90? 90? You have a deal.

No haggling, eh?

And that's the second time he's paid the asking price.

Well, he must like what he sees.

The spherical light cost him £75.

And Bingo soon draws level with Jonty -

he buys a round garden table

that's encrusted with moss and lichen.

Where there's muck, there's brass.

James pays 35 euros, or £29.17.

This has been painted many, many times.

It's done very good service. It's got a very heavy base.

I think, definitely, it would have had

possibly another stretcher here

but it's sound enough. Three legs always work for me.

Well, it might have three legs but the rest of it looks a bit ropey.

Anyway, the competition - like the day - is hotting up.

So, time for our buying buccaneers to have a catch-up.

-Ah!

-It is heating up, isn't it?

You're looking remarkably cool.

You're looking like an Englishman abroad.

-I think I should do this, really.

-I think you should.

-Metaphorically gloves-off time, I think.

-I know, it is.

-How's it going?

-Struggling. How are you doing?

-I'm all right.

This is kind of my market, decorative antiques is what I love.

-The odd bit of upholstery...

-No!

-..might have crept in there.

No!

It's game over, isn't it?

Game over. Oh, dear.

I think I'll stop for a cup of coffee

and then redouble my efforts.

-Shall I join you for a cup of coffee?

-That'd be lovely.

Ah! How very civil! A brief truce.

And did anyone notice James making out he's struggling?

Trying to lead Jonty down the garden path. Tactics, tactics!

While our boys have a coffee and a cake,

let's see how the money's stacking up.

Our experts each started the day

with the euro equivalent of £750 of their own money.

Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden has bought three items

which cost £187.50,

leaving him £562.50 to spend.

James "Bingo" Braxton has also snapped up three items,

spending £141.67.

He has £608.33 to hunt down more bargains.

So, there's an awful lot of money still sloshing around in the game.

And as they start prowling for purchases again,

James is feeling pleased with his little fib to Jonty.

Dear old Jonty. He's all smiles back there

and he'll be smiling even broader,

knowing that I'm struggling today.

But, as we know, I've bought quite a few nice items.

I'm having a lovely day here.

The sunshine is coming out,

I've just got to find some more.

Maybe I should be a little harder,

tougher on the negotiations.

Yes, watch out, Belgium! He's coming, and he's feeling mean.

Yes, battle-hardened Bingo looks determined to up the ante.

And Hitman Hearnden is heading for cover.

So, I think I've been round the whole of the outside of the market,

which means I really do have to go inside, which is such a pity

because it's so fabulous out here,

because I've still got more purchases to make.

Hold on! What did Jonty say first thing this morning?

I'm going to go indoors if I get really desperate.

Maybe James's deceit has worked. Is Jonty coming unstuck? We shall see.

Still out in the sun, Braxton's form is flowing.

He finds an enamel washbowl and stand for 25 euros -

that's £20.83.

It's a lovely little washbowl with the stand, on the three legs,

it is what the glamper needs, I think.

Yes, Bingo's not just any old camper.

Glamping's more his field.

And he soon pitches up at another stall.

And like the milk churn, the light and the table before,

he's looking at round things.

We've got these fabulous big bins,

and they're shapes that we don't really see in England.

You normally get these sort of bread bins

but these are on a different scale. They're big fellows.

So, 20 euros, if you were buying one of these,

what would you go for?

Well, I'd go for the biggest one, wouldn't you, at 20 euros.

This is the biggest one.

It's got a lovely weight to it.

Oh, dear.

Always be thorough in your testing, OK?

Any normal man would walk away from this purchase now,

but it fought back and I respect that. I'll give you 20 for that.

Yes, he gets a square deal for his round bin -

and a face full of dust and dirt.

He pays £16.67.

The lady said, typically, this is very Dutch or Belgian,

and it was for doing your whites in.

It seems very large, doesn't it,

but I suppose when people wore the larger pants,

the apple-catchers, you could probably fit about ten in there.

You can see evidence of heat,

so this was put over the fire,

the bottom was put over the fire,

and the water warmed up

and there's evidence of it.

But luckily it hasn't burnt the bottom.

And let's hope it doesn't burn his fingers.

Jonty's desperation indoors has borne fruit.

He's bought a glass dish for 25 euros, or £20.83.

It gives him the confidence to venture back outside.

And he soon gets up to speed with the round theme

when he spots some side tables.

Just looking at a pair of probably 1950s rather than Art Deco tables.

Gentleman was asking 160 for them, which is quite a bit of money

but anything in pairs is a really good idea.

-How much is cheap? How much is...?

-These?

-Yeah.

-140.

-Oh, no. I was thinking more like 100.

Oh, no. Not possible.

135?

Oh, that's not low.

Last price - 125.

-Can we come lower for me? 110, I want.

-125.

-125? We're near.

How about 115?

-120, last price.

-120?

-Yes.

-Come on, then.

-OK?

-We're sold.

Yes, he's back!

The Hitman haggles and gets a 25% discount.

He pays £100 exactly.

Side tables are always very, very commercial

back home in the UK.

Another wonderful purchase in this wonderful market.

Mmm, he's in his element.

On the outer reaches of the market, and next to a ROUND-about,

James has found something, um, ROUND.

Oh, and it's got three legs.

Is this the bit of upholstery I've been looking forward

to take on old soft-furnishing Hearnden?

It's a nice little piano stool,

so you can adjust the seat. Again, not bad condition.

How much for this stool?

-50.

-50 euro?

-Yes.

It's rather nice. I quite like it.

And I can probably add some value to it,

sort of upholster it nicely.

Would you do 40 on it?

-45.

-45? You have a deal.

Thank you.

The piano stool is James's sixth purchase of the day.

He pays £37.50,

and while he walks ROUND and ROUND the market,

there's something eating away at old Bingo,

something he just can't leave behind.

I'm happy with what I've got,

but those communion rails still keep niggling away.

I might just offer him 400 euros

and see whether he takes it.

So, he sets off back to the stall but the owner's gone.

His colleague calls him

and, fortunately for Mr Braxton, his prayers have been answered.

-It's OK.

-OK.

-400 euros.

Thank you. That's very kind. Thank you.

And at £333.33, that's a hefty chunk of cash.

He must be confident. He's left his biggest purchase till last...

Ohh... Ohh!

..now he's just got to get it home.

All this time, Jonty has been trawling the stalls.

And now he's reflecting on a 19th-century gilded mirror.

-How much is this?

-I can give it to you for 50.

50? 50 euros? Can you do it for less than that for me?

-Cos I'm after bargains.

-What do you want to give?

-I want to give you 30.

-30? Give me 40.

-Make a deal.

-35 and it's sold.

-Make a deal, 40.

-35.

Then I earn also five euros.

-OK, thank you very much.

-40 euros, OK.

Oh, another hard haggle.

But he strikes a deal and pays the equivalent of £33.33.

Wow. Who would have thought it?

Buying a mirror for 40 euros. Quite extraordinary.

This is a 19th-century French mirror,

it's been repainted, it's been re-gilded in effect.

What needs to happen to this mirror

is that it needs to be painted again.

It needs to be painted an off-white, a cream colour.

The kind of colour that makes items like this

back home shabby chic.

This is shabby, it's certainly chic,

and it's even chic-er because it's 40 euros.

As the market mayhem draws to a close,

our battle-weary bargain brothers get ready to

set off back to Blighty.

So, how did the their Belgian adventure end?

Our experts each arrived with £750 of their own money.

Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden made six purchases

but didn't spend all that much - just £341.66.

James "Bingo" Braxton, however, went further -

seven deals done for £550.

Can he turn that extra investment into extra profit?

We'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, how do they think it's gone?

-James, what a collection!

-It is.

-Look at it.

It is a good collection, isn't it?

You could furnish a home with this.

Now, tell me about these railings. They're amazing.

I know. That's my big architectural find.

They're, I think, communion rails,

and I need to find somebody with a large room

that needs subtle division.

-They're great. Really nice.

-And I like your tables.

They're not bad. I really like the shape, I love the form.

I think that they're 1950s, really.

They've got age to them, absolutely.

And how much were they?

They were just over 100 euros.

-120 we ended up at. That's for a pair.

-That's a good price.

-Yeah.

What's your favourite item? What's this disco ball thing?

I rather like that. I think it's 1960s,

-it's a shade or a light with a difference, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Individual pieces of glass in there, too, I see.

-Yeah.

-It's in fact all one piece of glass.

-Oh, is it?

-Quite an achievement, I would have thought.

-I like that.

-Oh, watch out.

-I know.

-The Hearnden soft furnishings.

-They saw me coming.

They saw you coming.

-But we've got a competition. Or I've got a competition.

-Yeah.

I'm going for the starter one, so, head to head on the reupholstery,

but mine is a simpler job.

Are you pleased with the market today?

Tongeren is my favourite market.

-It's great, isn't it?

-It's really lovely.

-We had glorious sunshine.

-What a day.

-People are so polite.

-I know.

-Best of luck.

-Enjoy selling.

So, our two English gents return home,

and they've now got their work cut out.

Everything they bought in battlefield Belgium

must be sold on for as much profit as is humanly possible.

Yes, little black books at the ready,

this calls for concrete concentration,

flat-out phone-bashing and, let's be honest,

being in the right place at the right time.

And at Hitman headquarters in Oxfordshire,

Jonty is feeling very confident.

What a fabulous market Tongeren was.

My first purchase - this lovely frame. It was so cheap.

Back home, people are always looking for great frames to put mirrors in.

I need to find somebody who really gets that, too.

My stepladder, that's so cheap.

These are very, very sellable at the right price.

My chair is lovely. Great shape, and sitting on the cushion

is this lovely shape.

It's really a fruit bowl

but I just think they're so commercial, so sellable.

I paid quite a bit of money for my pair of tables.

Those were a good £100.

Now I've brought them back to the UK, will I make a profit?

I'm not sure. But another sure-fire bet is this mirror.

My last purchase of the day, and it is really interesting,

cos I'm surrounded by the objects I feel very comfortable with.

This is me hopefully trading my best.

Hmm. James doesn't seem to be too bothered, though.

He's analysing his antiques over at Braxton Towers in East Sussex.

That was an amazing street market on such a lovely, sunny day.

Anyway, that influenced my choice of the table.

Nice garden table with lots of lichen on it.

Not a lot of money.

This fellow, a laundry boiler,

a very Continental spirit to it.

Lovely ceiling light, 1960s, sort of bang-on trend, that.

Washstand, with a little bowl.

Great for an outside-liver,

camping enthusiasts.

The copper-finish milk churn, one of the smartest I've ever seen.

And what am I sitting on here?

A lovely piano stool

with a rather nasty plastic upholstery at the moment.

But I'm going to take that off

and put a bit of leather or suede on it

and I'll take on Jonty at his own game.

This was the item that cost me a lot of money.

Looks as though it's come out of a church.

I want to try and double my money on that,

but I'm going to have to work hard.

Well, no-one said this game was easy.

In fact, sometimes it's a jolly ghastly fellow.

Remember, our excellent experts can set up all the meetings they like,

but until they've shaken on it

and the money has changed hands, no deal is truly sealed.

James gets going first with his laundry boiler.

And he's keeping it local - just outside Herstmonceux.

I've come to see Jo.

She's one of the most industrious people I know.

She runs a shop, a smallholding,

and when she's not doing either of those,

she's painting things.

Yes, Jo uses her artistic skills to spruce up any number of items.

Today, though, James finds her feeding her Maran chickens.

The bin and lid owe Bingo around £17.

You, as a decorative artist, here you are.

I spoke about this on the phone. You haven't seen it yet.

The big reveal...

Oh, wow!

-It's big, isn't it?

-Yes.

-I like the domed lid, as well.

-Yeah.

I'm told that... I bought this on the Continent,

-but they use this for laundry, so like a copper.

-I'm not surprised.

Now, is that something you might paint?

Yes, because galvanised, once you've prepped it properly,

-is lovely.

-Is it?

-Hmm.

-And what do you prep it with?

That's all sanded down, undercoat it,

rub it down, couple of coats.

-Top coat.

-And then do you stitch things on it as well?

If I'm doing it for outside, then I'd hand paint and enamel.

-Yeah.

-I would think that would be a lovely outside thing.

And what would people use that for? What would you sell it as?

Well, I've done things that size for keeping dog food in,

-cat food in.

-Oh, I see. When you've painted that all up,

how much would you sell something like that for?

-I would say about £45, £50.

-Really?

Would you give me £25 for it?

-Oh, absolutely.

-Would you?

-Yes.

-You can have it.

-Oh, thanks very much.

Well, a very straightforward sale -

and the bin will get a new lease of life.

The profit's not massive, though - £8.33.

So, will Jonty do any better with his first foray?

He's in Henley-on-Thames with his 19th-century picture frame.

So, here she is.

Lovely good-quality frame, this.

I'm really excited about this.

Now, I've come to show this frame to Sara.

Now, she's an interior designer.

It's the perfect, perfect potential customer, an interior designer.

Sara runs her business from home.

But will she give Jonty a profit on the £62-odd he paid?

Gosh, it's huge.

-It's big, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So it's bigger that you thought it was going to be?

Yes. Yes. But it's lovely.

It kind of has that 18th- and 17th-century Dutch feel to it.

-The heavy frames round the Dutch old masters.

-Yeah.

If this had been British, you would think it would be more gilded,

Rococo style. That was very much the fashion.

-I like the fact that it's quite simple.

-So do I.

-And chunky.

And actually, in houses now,

that looks much more contemporary but being an antique, almost.

You're singing from the same hymn sheet.

What would you do with this? Would you put a mirror into it?

-Would you leave it as a frame?

-Stick a bevelled mirror in

and I think it would really... It'd be great.

-Price?

-Where are we going to start?

What do you mean, where are we going to start?

-A couple of hundred quid.

-Yeah...

I'll be really cheeky and say 120.

That's far too cheap.

Far too cheap!

180 quid.

It's got to be worth 180 quid.

I reckon when you put a bevelled mirror in there,

you're looking at £400 to £600. Just like that. Bingo.

Do you know what? 150 - done.

-No.

-Yes.

-160.

No.

150?

-150 - done.

-Go on, then.

It's all yours.

It's exciting.

Oh, Sara really pushed him.

But The Hitman walks away with a chunky profit - £87.50 -

and that puts him way out in front.

Now, old Bingo has decided to travel along the south coast,

all the way along the south coast, as far as you can go, in fact.

His next appointment is at a farm in Treen,

just a few miles along from Land's End.

He's meeting Chris, who's a dairy farmer.

And, you've guessed it, he's brought the 1950s milk churn.

Look at all your lovely fellows.

How many eggies do you get a day?

At the moment, about 200-odd. 220, something like that.

-200 a day?

-Yeah. Quite a few at the moment.

Here's the mighty fellow. Have an inspection.

-It's nice.

-Take the lid off.

-You've got good upper-body strength, haven't you?

-I think so.

Yes, lovely, isn't it?

When I bought it, holding it before I came to see you,

I thought it was copper-finished aluminium,

and I was holding it,

-and I thought, "This weighs quite a lot for aluminium."

-Yeah.

-And then I looked inside...

-It's nice, innit?

-Lovely.

-Good, reddy copper, isn't it?

-It's very nice.

-Lovely.

-So, am I right saying, Chris, copper - antibacterial?

Yes, yeah. Hygienic qualities. Obviously keep the milk clean

-and look after the milk.

-I always want to be fair.

I'd like near the 150.

-120?

-120?

-Yeah?

How about 130?

-Could you do that?

-125?

125? Come here, Chris.

-You've got yourself a deal.

-Right.

Yes, James is quick to shake his hand.

The churn milks a profit of £87.50.

I'm going to celebrate.

-WEST COUNTRY ACCENT:

-Strange ale in these parts(!)

Yeah, strange ale, and a strange attempt at a Cornish accent.

James stays in Treen. He's brought his washbowl and stand to see Jon,

an artist who lives and works in the village campsite,

teaching people about foraging for food.

What have you got in your basket here? What's going on?

-A good selection. I've got some nettles.

-Nettles.

A super-food. Three-cornered leek.

-Have a nibble on that.

-Have a nibble on that?

-It's really nice, isn't it?

-Fantastic, isn't it?

-It's like a spring onion.

-It's abundant.

-Blimey!

I'm getting the onion there.

Cor, that's got the old enzymes going. Lunch!

Yes, and you thought Bingo was all silver service, didn't you?

No, he's a man of the people.

Now, Jon lives in a tepee, so will he want the washbowl?

It cost James nearly £21.

-Here we are, look, Jon, this is what I brought you.

-OK.

Argh! So, it's a little washbowl.

Three legs, always stays true,

and camping's all about hygiene, isn't it?

-You have to...

-You have to wash your hands.

You can't wash your hands until you've bought it, mate.

-The big question, James.

-The big question...

-It's very nice.

-45?

-Well, I'll have to squeeze you a bit on that, James.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-What do you want?

I'd happily buy it for 30 quid.

30 quid? What about 35, Jon?

-Or 32?

-32.

-Special price.

-32?

-Only as long as I get some lunch.

James, you can tuck in.

So, once again that's not the biggest profit - £11.17.

Nevertheless, after a bowl of Jon's nettle soup,

he celebrates with a mug of nettle beer.

Good health. Thank you, Jon, for buying that.

Blimey O'Reilly!

HE CHUCKLES

Yes, he's enjoying himself.

And talking of nettles, Jonty is in the village of Nettlebed,

near Henley. It's like they planned it.

When I bought this chair,

I thought it was great value for money.

So I've brought it here to show it to Gregg,

who's one of my upholsterers,

and I know he buys lovely little chairs like this,

so I'm just going to see whether I can do a little deal.

Now, Jonty's already told Gregg

he wants around £250 for the 19th-century-style chair.

But we all know it's not that simple.

Gregg needs to like it first.

-Hello, Gregg. Hard at work?

-Hi, Jonty.

-You all right?

What you got there, then?

Well, it's the chair I talked to you about.

-Do you like it?

-I do.

-Lovely cabriole legs, the frame is sound.

-Good.

-So it's perfect.

-Less work for me to do!

-Absolutely. Price - 250 quid, we talked about that.

-Yeah.

That sounds quite reasonable.

A little bit of leeway?

Yeah. I'll do, what, 225?

Yeah. Sounds good. I've got a dealer friend

who's just opened up a shop and he's looking for stock.

I think we could get going on it

-and get it covered and get it to the shop very quickly.

-Short and sweet.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Yeah, lovely.

Yes, it was short and definitely sweet.

The Hitman doubles his money, pulling in a profit £112.50.

And Jonty gives Gregg a hand to remove the old fabric...

and it's hard work!

Right, there you go. I think my arm's about to fall off.

Soon this chair will be like me - TACKLESS.

You said it, sir.

And as they peel back the material,

the amount of work needed becomes clear.

-Now you can see where the foam has started to degrade.

-Yeah.

On the top.

It's been spray-glued on

and then hessian, over time, will rot,

because there's a weak point on the edge of the frame here.

So it has naturally gone.

It naturally goes

and that is why that front edge has collapsed.

Well, good job Jonty didn't try and do the work himself.

But he soon gets another sale under his belt.

His friend Kate buys the glass dish for £55...

-Oh!

-It's all yours.

-Thank you!

-I'm happy with that.

-That's great.

..bringing in another £34.17 profit.

So, our super salesmen are on fire.

Let's tot up their tallies so far.

James "Bingo" Braxton has put in the miles -

and earned himself three sales for a total profit of £107.

Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden has stayed close to home

for his three sales but has more than double the profit - £234.17.

Which - to be blunt - means James needs to pull his finger out.

He's now in Penzance and, unlike Jonty,

has been doing some upholstery work himself.

Final finishing touches to the piano stool.

I've reupholstered it here with this rather nice leather,

which I managed to find on an old dining chair

that was suffering from woodworm,

so I'm just going to give it a final layer of saddle soap.

Why not? It should look at its best.

James has only used materials he's had lying around at home -

so his restoration has cost him nothing.

He's heading to a quirky antiques shop to meet Julia and Zoe.

And he's taking more than the stool.

-WEST COUNTRY ACCENT:

-I've got my stool, I've got my light.

Let's hope everything goes all right.

Oh, that accent!

It's Cornwall, Somerset and Suffolk all rolled into one.

I'll tell you what, let's make fun of James instead.

How many times will he say the word "fellow" here?

-Fantastic. Look at that.

-That's beautiful.

-Isn't that fun?

-Yes. It is.

It's seems to be pretty indestructible, this fellow.

Do you know how old it is?

I hope it's '60s, '70s.

-Right.

-It looks like that.

-Doesn't it?

It's got that slightly odd wrought iron that they had in that period.

It's beautiful.

And this is my other fellow from there.

-I rather like it. I like the ebonised frame.

-Yeah.

-So I've reupholstered it.

-Do you know the age of this one, or...?

Yeah. What would it be? It'd be that Japanese aesthetic movement,

1880, 1890, something like that.

Late-Victorian fellow.

Amazing how they built things, isn't it?

With this fellow, I want to try and get £100, £150 for that.

-Right.

-And this fellow, sort of around 100.

What would you think for the two?

Oh, I knew... Now this is where sums come in.

If I got 190 for the two, I'd be happy.

How about 165?

165?

-170 and you've got yourself a deal.

-Go on, then.

-170. Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, James.

That's the fellow! Well, five "fellows", actually.

Those ladies pushed our pirate in Penzance,

and he leaves with a combined profit of £57.50.

And that ups the pressure on Jonty just a little bit.

But he thrives on that and steps up to the challenge.

The inter-war ladder is bought by an antiques centre in Tetsworth...

-Sold to you, madam.

-Thank you very much.

..for 60 quid, making a profit of £47.50,

nearly four times what he paid for it.

I think I'm quids in.

And he doesn't stop there.

We all know our Hitman likes a spot of shabby chic -

and he's seen potential in his gilded mirror.

He's brought it to Janet, a shabby chic specialist in Benson.

He paid just over £33.

-Can I do a reveal for you?

-Yes.

-Ta-da.

-Yes. A drum roll, please.

DRUM ROLL

Here we go. French mirror.

-Nice shape.

-A pier mirror, really.

That's what they would call a mirror like that.

A small, shaped, often marble-topped table, applied to the wall often,

and then you'd sit a mirror like this above it.

Probably 1860 in date

-and has seen better days.

-Yes, I can see that.

A bit of moulding off there.

Yes, and probably this beading here

-would have run all the way around the bottom.

-Yes.

If you were to buy this from me, what would you do?

We use a chalk-based paint, which will go straight onto there,

a couple of coats and then light sanding,

-so you see this detail here...

-Yes.

..will come out something like that.

So you get a slightly different colour tone by rubbing it back.

-So you'll get the gilding coming through?

-Yes, if we're careful.

Price-wise, I'm looking at £140 for the mirror.

-£80?

-If I can do a bit more than that, I'll sell it to you.

How about 95?

If we round that up to 100, can we shake hands?

I thought you might say that. OK.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Brilliant. Thank you very much indeed. It's all yours.

Yes, Janet's seasoned at this haggling lark.

But our man with the mirror still makes good money - £66.67.

James returns fire.

Still in Cornwall, he sells the lichen-covered garden table

to Jason, who owns a glamping site at Mawnan Smith near Falmouth.

-I'm at 70, OK?

-Shall we shake on it?

You've got it.

And that means James leaves £40.83 better off.

Both our boys have one item left to sell -

so this is where things get interesting.

Now, Jonty was a bit nervous about the glass shelves

on his mid-20th-century tables

so he's spent £55 on new toughened glass -

making the tables his costliest purchase of the show.

He's near Abingdon to meet Sue,

who's currently building her new home.

Here are the said tables, Sue.

-Oh, wow. They're lovely.

-What do you think?

I think they're lovely.

I think they would work really well on either side

of a modern sofa in a space like this.

I've replaced the glass with toughened glass

so this is brand-new toughened glass.

They have that Art Deco feel

but my hunch is that they're probably more '50s/'60s.

I've had to pay out for the toughened glass,

-so the tables are now £300.

-Ooh.

That's quite a lot, isn't it?

Well, two tables, that's only £150 a table.

Maybe please my husband? Maybe knock a bit off?

-250?

-I'll do 250, yeah.

-Deal.

-Yeah, fantastic. Thank you, Sue. That's brilliant.

-No problem.

And The Hitman pulls it off - a punchy profit of £95.

So it all comes down to far and away

the most expensive item of the day - James's communion rails.

Now, remember he paid over £330

and said he wanted to double his money.

So, let's see if that happens.

He's found a church in Pembury near Tunbridge Wells

that needs communion rails. Bingo is meeting Father Ed.

I was unsure until I saw that plaque

whether it was an orchestra pit or communion rail.

They're very definitely communion rails

and I think what would give it away to me

is the nice broad piece of wood here, perfect for resting the elbows.

So, perfect for receiving... What do you call it?

-The Host?

-The Sacrament, the Host.

The most important moment for a Catholic

is to come to the Mass and receive what we believe is the body of Christ

in the Sacrament, and so doing that on our knees, devoutly,

is a really important thing.

There's a memorial plaque there.

I know it's dated 1924.

But they don't look 1920s to me.

But the acid test for the great housing boom

-was the Edwardian era.

-Of course.

-In most cases, 1900, 1910.

-Right.

And I would say that they're turn of the century.

They need to come somewhere where they're going to be appreciated.

I was rather hoping for about £400, £500.

But will Father Ed pay the big bucks?

We'll find out in just a moment.

James and Jonty took to the town of Tongeren

with £750 of their own money to spend.

Jonty bought six times and including the cost of his toughened glass,

spent £396.66.

James went further. Seven purchases for £550, exactly.

But all that matters now is who has made the most profit.

All of the money that James and Jonty have made

from today's challenge will go to charities of their choice.

So, let's find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

-Hello, James.

-Hello, Jonty. How are you?

-I'm good.

-Now, did you enjoy the foreign market?

-I loved that foreign market.

Belgium should be much recommended, I think.

I really enjoyed it.

The people were lovely, the dealers were lovely,

-and the stock we bought was great.

-Anyway, shall we?

-Yes.

-Are you ready?

-Ready.

One, two, three...

-443.

-Oh, close.

-322!

-We're close.

-Well done!

-We're close.

-First round to you.

Well, a long way to go.

Yes, a convincing win for The Hitman.

So, what happened with the communion rails?

I think probably we could settle about 480.

I tell you what, how about 450?

I don't often give discounts.

-You're a good man.

-It's going to the right place.

And you never know, I might get a second life out of it.

You could do well in an afterlife.

Ah! James is an honourable man.

He still made decent money - £116.67 -

but it wasn't enough.

I've been sadly robbed of victory.

Did well with the communion rails, did well with the copper churn

but it just wasn't enough to take it from The Hitman.

Probably the highlight of the selling was my ebonised frame

and my tub chair. Great day. Great selling.

James has another chance to take Jonty's crown tomorrow,

when our boys fight it out at an auction in Dorset.