Jonty Hearnden v James Braxton - Showdown 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 Axeman!

..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.

Today, the most formidable antiques challenge ever,

the climax of our week!

Audacious auctioneer James Braxton steps onto the pitch

with premiership profit expert Jonty Hearnden.

They're two of the biggest names in the business

but even they will struggle when faced with the Showdown.

Coming up, James messes up his haggling...

£50.

I thought you might say that. I should have said £40, shouldn't I?

..Jonty meets his twin...

Service!

Table four, please.

..and James gets an unwanted advance.

-Just thought I'd do that.

-Urgh.

That's not sporting. I'm going off you.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Hold on tight.

Two wily warriors are about to enter the arena one last time

to fight for their trading lives.

This is their final chance to prove themselves

the Magnate of the Markets, the Boss of the Bargains

and be crowned the Ultimate Antiques Expert.

To be triumphant, they must flex their marketing muscles

and boost their buying powers and deal like their lives depend on it.

Let's meet them.

First up, a savvy salesman with a shrewd eye for a bargain.

He's a polished professional and a hard haggler.

It's Oxfordshire's finest, it's Jonty 'The Hitman' Hearnden.

It really is going to be tough.

His opposition is the real deal,

an auction ace with masterly moves and an expert eye.

From East Sussex,

the most gentlemanly dealer you'll ever meet,

it's James 'Bingo' Braxton.

It's all about to kick off.

Today, our experts have £1,000 of their own money

to spend across four different locations -

an auction,

an antiques fair, a car-boot sale

and a foreign market.

Once they've hunted down their hoard of high-class items,

they must use all their skills to sell the lot

and any profit they make will go to charities of their choice.

But the Showdown has a nasty little twist -

the terrifying Showdown auction

where they'll be at the mercy of the bidding public.

As the drama unfolds, they can only stand by and watch,

hoping to win big but possibly losing everything.

So, Jonty Hearnden and James Braxton, take a deep breath

and puff up your chests.

It's time for the Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Showdown!

-So, this is it. This is the big one.

-This is the end, isn't it?

Absolutely. The final challenge. "Welcome to the mighty showdown.

"The rules are simple.

"You must each buy two items

"at every one of your regular Put Your Money challenges.

"You have £1,000 to spend.

"You can sell up to four items wherever you want.

"The rest will be sold at auction

"in direct competition with your opponent.

"The winner is the expert who makes the most amount of profit."

-Absolutely.

-Good luck.

-Good luck to you, sir.

-Steer away from those soft furnishings, Hearnden.

-I shall try.

Yes, good luck with that (!)

So, our marvellous marketeers are poised and ready

for their monumental challenge.

Round 1 is the auction.

They're at Cottees saleroom in Wareham in Dorset.

Now, James is an auctioneer by trade so should have the advantage here

and he's already found some brass

he thinks will bowl over the opposition.

Age-wise, mid-19th century, 1850, 1840,

maybe even slightly earlier.

But on an oak table,

a nicely, sparsely-furnished room,

this would look superb.

From a big bowl to a big book.

Jonty's leafing through some famous pages.

This is Mrs Beeton's Book Of Household Management.

This edition here is the 1912 edition so inside here,

we have instructions about how to run a household

but also wonderful Edwardian recipes.

This is what the gentry of the early 20th century in Britain were eating.

They were using this kind of manual.

Hopefully, I can buy it at the right price because that is just superb.

So, they've had a chance to look over the lots,

now it's time to get bidding.

First up, James's brass bowl, but he knows his limits.

I don't really want to spend more than £80 on it.

£20 for the bowl. Thank you. £20 bid.

£25. £30. £35. £40.

£40, gentleman at the back.

£40.

£40 right at the back at £40.

£40.

That will make an interior look absolutely fabulous

and I should be able to make a good profit on it.

Even when you add in the saleroom's commission,

the price is only £47.20,

well within Mr Braxton's upper limit.

Buoyed by his first lot, he's soon onto his second -

a Rye Pottery coffee set and he's the only bidder.

At £10.

Sounds like a bargain.

The set is his for £11.80 including fees.

Probably made in the 1970s by the Rye Pottery.

I'll be going off to Rye, see if I can sell it

to a sort of rather retro hotel, restaurant or maybe antique shop.

So Bingo has got his full house here. Jonty is yet to bid.

But Mrs Beeton's book soon comes up.

£10 on the net. £10. £15 I've got.

£15. £20. £25. £30, anyone else?

HE HITS GAVEL

£25. Last buy.

Yes, he gets it.

The iconic tome costs £29.50 including fees.

Only time will tell if household Hearnden manages a big profit.

No time to ponder, though. The Hitman's got another item to buy

and he's entering uncharted waters.

I'm interested in this beautiful 19th-century sextant

but it's an area of scientific instruments

that I know nothing about.

It's lovely, though, so if I can buy it at the right price,

that will be great.

£170. £180. £190.

£200. £220.

£230 I've got to go. £240 you're in.

£260 anybody else? £240.

HE HITS GAVEL

So he navigates heavy seas

and gets the sextant for £283.20 including commission.

There are many reasons why I love handling and trading in antiques

and this is one of them.

Just look at this beautiful instrument that's sitting on my lap.

This is a lovely mid-19th century brass sextant.

When you get it out of the box as well, it's so tactile.

It's such a lovely precision instrument.

It's in pretty poor condition

but when I say poor condition, it probably just needs a clean.

There are dealers that deal in marine antiques just like this,

precision instruments just like this.

It's going to be a voyage of discovery myself

to find out where I can take this one.

Well, that's an epic start to our sizzling Showdown.

Let's see how much they've spent so far.

Both our experts started out with £1,000 of their own money.

Jonty has splashed out £312.70 already

so he's got £687 left to play with.

James has spent very, very little in comparison - just £59.

He has an enormous £941 for the rest of the game.

And it's straight into Round 2 - the foreign market.

They convert their cash into euros and head to Tongeren in Belgium.

The streets are filled with stalls so there'll be full-on foraging.

The Hitman's not fazed and spots something early on.

Tell me more about this. How old is this?

I believe it's from about 1900.

-It's Art Nouveau. It's French.

-Yes, OK.

-It's for above a door.

Above a door, yes. A big grill to sit above a door. Absolutely.

-So how much is this?

-This is 200.

-If it's 150, I'd buy.

-Right.

-OK.

-Thank you very much indeed. That's brilliant.

Mm. Another big purchase for Jonty.

Convert that figure back into sterling and he pays £125.

And it's put him on a Hitman high.

That is an absolute bargain.

Bingo Braxton's been scouting about

and he's found a model boat but it's not cheap, no.

-Could you improve the price a little?

-I can do 300.

-300.

Yeah, I'll go for it. Thank you.

Well, that's upped his spend.

The boat costs the equivalent of £250.

I like this model. I rather hope it might be turn-of-the-century.

It would be nice if it was 1900, 1910.

300 euros it cost me.

I've got to find the right buyer for this in England but I'm sure I can.

Well, there's confidence for you.

Round the corner, Jonty's looking at some marble book ends.

I'm just looking at a pair of Art Deco book ends.

They're made of different coloured marbles.

Really good quality. 30 euros.

I would just like them a little bit cheaper.

Could you do 25?

-OK.

-OK?

Thank you very much.

Hmm. That seemed easy. The book ends cost £28.83.

James has been wandering around

and just off the Market Square,

he's spotted a large selection of brass candlesticks.

The one thing that everybody does is they let it burn down

and then you have to winkle it out with a metal object of some sort -

corkscrew or whatever.

But these have this great device, this ejector,

where you just take it flush so you never get stuck with that problem.

James is so impressed with the ejectors,

he buys two for 30 euros, which works out at £25.

I'm pleased with those.

And incredibly, that means we're already at the halfway point

of this buying bonanza.

Time for a look at the figures.

Both our experts started out with £1,000 of their own money.

Jonty's four purchases have cost him £458.53

so he's got over £540 left.

James has now spent a third of his budget

so has £666 to play with.

Next up, Round 3, the car boot.

Our boys are back in Britain at Ford Airfield in West Sussex.

This place requires ninja-like skills

to hunt down and catch elusive antiques.

Our superhero of the saleroom, Bingo Braxton,

has donned his protective flat cap

and is quick out of the blocks.

Will his special powers work on a rug?

-How much for your rug?

-£65.

-£50?

-£55.

I thought you might say that.

-I should have said £40, shouldn't I? £55.

-£55. It's yours.

I'd like to give you £55 for that, young man.

So, he's off and running, but will his carpet fly?

It's not the finest rug in the world. The weave isn't really there.

Where's it come from?

Probably come from somewhere like Turkey maybe.

Age of it, not very old.

Probably 1920s, '30s, but it's got hot colours.

Like the hot red.

Like the yellow, antimony yellow.

And you bring colour into a room, bring colour into a room with rugs.

Now, across the airfield, everyone's favourite furniture fancier

is looking at a corner cabinet.

What's your best on this one?

-I'd like to see £50.

-£50?

-I was thinking more like £25.

-No, I can't do that.

You can't do £25?

-No. I can do £45.

-You can do £45?

That's not your best.

What about £35, then?

No. £40. I'll do it for £40.

-40 quid?

-Yes.

I tell you what, I'll buy it for £40. I really like it.

The Hitman haggler strikes again.

Oh! Take a look at my gem.

This is a really lovely hanging corner cabinet.

It's made in the early part of the 20th century

so it's possibly about 100 years in date.

It's lovely mahogany and it's in the Georgian style.

This object here is extraordinarily saleable

and at 40 quid, my word, that's an investment.

So, both our boys are one item down, one to go.

James is next to pick up potential - yet more brass.

-How much on that?

-What was this, Mike?

-For you, I can do that for £25.

-£25?

I'll have that. £25.

That was simple but it's his third brass item.

Is he restricting himself here?

I've bought a very nice bowl.

I think on balance, very much Chinese but heavily influenced.

Probably late 19th century but what a European shape, really.

We've got this girdle moulding here. It's roughly cast.

It's got a good weight to it.

So, James has his two items

and Jonty wastes no time with his second boot sale purchase.

He buys more furniture. This time, a marble-topped console table.

This is an object that needs a bit of TLC. The veneer is slightly lifting.

It needs a jolly good clean. It needs a jolly good wax.

But this is an object that ultimately will really shine.

It's late 19th-century, mahogany veneer.

This object here has cost me £35.

You are looking at a bargain.

Mm. The Hitman is confident. So they have conquered the car boot.

Before we move on to the final round, let's do the numbers.

Both our boys started the Showdown with £1,000 of their own money.

Jonty has now spent £533.53

so has a chunky £466 left to spend.

James has forked out £414 so far

so has a massive £586 to take through to Round 4.

So their final chance to buy is at the antiques fair.

Our agile antiques hunters are pumped up

and ready to race round Donington Antiques Market in Leicestershire

and this should be fun.

It's a fast and furious fair

with little time to ponder potential profit.

So, I've got two more items to purchase.

I've got an awful lot of money to spend.

I've got a lot of choice so I'll have to think very, very carefully

and I haven't got a lot of time left.

Well, best get to it, then.

And James is feeling equally anxious.

I think I'll struggle here today.

So two items and I've got lots of money.

Our demon dealers race around

and it's James who makes a pit stop first.

He has spotted more metal. Not brass this time, but copper.

Nice thing about copper - it's a very warm material.

It has this sort of reddish glow about it

and it looks great with country furniture.

On oak, it looks superb.

I think it was probably one of three, originally.

Normal Arts and Crafts design. Would you do £35?

£35. Got a deal.

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

Not a big spend but he seals the deal.

Jonty is yet to buy his first item here.

James is already onto his second -

a wicker flower basket that costs him the princely sum of £10.

Lovely, isn't it? Look at that. £10!

There, that wasn't such a struggle, was it, Bingo?

And he's all bought up.

Jonty, however, still has two to find

but something unusual has caught his eye.

-20 quid?

-You're a hard man.

-I'm a very hard man.

Go on.

Are you happy about that?

They're nice and decorative. Thank you very much indeed.

This was a definite must-buy - a pair of soapstone tablets.

They are matching. Look at the detail.

Look at the depth. Really fabulous.

A tiny bit of damage on the top corner there

but that's not really an issue.

The fact is that they are really good quality.

These tablets are dated probably around the turn of the century.

They're a good 100 to 80 years of age.

What they were originally used for, I'm not quite sure

but at 20 quid, it doesn't really matter.

Well, he seems happy and that creates momentum

because it's not long before he swoops on something else.

A big swan with the wings outstretched.

You can definitely feel it's got age because look at the dirt on it -

that sort of black, grimy, sooty dirt.

You can't replicate that, insofar that this bird has age

and it's really nice and decorative too.

So the Hitman loves the look of this dirty bird

but will he like the price?

-How much is your lovely swan?

-£200.

-200 quid?

I was thinking more like £150.

-I can do £170.

-£170.

-£170.

-Not £160?

-No, absolutely not.

-I'm not going to swan around anymore.

-Very good.

-170 quid it is.

Thank you very much indeed.

Yes, he's done it.

Our elegant expert ends the day hoping for a cast-iron profit.

So there we go. They're all brought up.

Eight epic items each across four stunning locations

but who has mastered the challenge and is destined for glory

and who will end up in the gutter of Showdown despair?

Let's look at the figures.

Both our experts started with £1,000 of their own money.

Jonty made a number of big spends.

All up, he handed over £723.53.

James wasn't so flash with his cash

and spent less than half his total budget,

just £459.

So now it's all over, what do they think of their buying bonanza?

-What were your best buys?

-My best buys? I do like my carpet.

It's got a bit of colour

because it's about the only bit of colour I have.

The rest is generally yellow and it's made of brass.

It's quite interesting, though,

because I have turned into a scrap metal merchant as well.

I bought the sextant at the auction sale.

Of course, there was that grill in Belgium and today,

I bought a massive great big cast-iron swan

so I am officially a scrap metal merchant.

Have you decided what you're going to put into the auction sale yet or not?

Not quite. Whether it's going to be the nice colourful carpet

or the other four brass items I seem to have accumulated.

I'm exactly the same. I haven't quite decided yet.

One thing is for certain, I'll see you at the auction sale.

See you at the auction.

Well, boys, there's a long journey before you get there.

They must now make a dazzling display of selling, and that

means squeezing every last penny of profit out of their purchases.

And they can't afford to doddle.

They must be fearless in their approach because they want to

arrive at the Showdown auction with good health,

and a comfy cushion of cash from their private sales will make

that much easier,

because whether they profit is down to the bidding public, and that

means the decision over what goes into auction is very important

and requires detailed thought.

At Hearnden headquarters, our Don of the Deals is confident,

some would even say cocky.

Here we are. Now, do I count my chickens before they hatch?

Well, I think I am genuinely pleased with my purchases.

One of my first purchases was this lovely sextant.

What a decorative object that is.

There is bound to be somebody out there that will love it.

Now, likewise with my Mrs Beeton's cook book, I am definitely

going to have fun finding the right buyer for that sort of thing.

Console table - was so cheap, there must be somebody out

there that will give me a return for my investment.

Likewise, my decorative swan.

Wow, what a lovely object that is!

Now, the objects for the auction sale.

This, although decorative, is quite tricky, actually, to find

the right buyer. So I'm going to put that straight into the auction sale.

Quality corner cupboard - so cheap, must be a return.

Likewise with my soapstone and my bookends.

So those are my four items for the auction sale.

I am ready to do battle, James.

Over in East Sussex, our own auctioneer should have a good

idea of what will sell well in a sale room.

I like this little pair of graduated copper trays.

It has a Newlyn School look about it.

So if I can sell those in Newlyn, that will be a bonus.

I've got this very nice sort of wicker work,

rather nice cane flower basket.

I need to sell that to a florist.

I've got the rug. Anybody loves a rug.

And then the big boy amongst this lot is this lovely model boat.

I'm hoping to sell that to somewhere by the sea.

So out of this little cluster of items,

I want to send four items to the auction.

I like this big brass bowl. That should do well.

The Chinese brass bowl. Seems to be all brass, doesn't it?

But Chinese is very much flavour of the month.

Pair of candlesticks. These were quite cheap.

I bought these in the foreign market.

The Wright Pottery coffee set

I only bought for £10, albeit I bought it at another auction.

I think I can do better, I can improve that price.

So, all his brass is going to auction. Interesting.

Right, first they must sell everything else.

They need to phone bash, e-mail everyone, send a few pictures

and basically hassle their richest contacts.

Remember, until they've shaken on it and the money has changed hands,

no deal is ever sealed.

Jonty wastes no time.

He's straight over to Sonning-on-Thames, in Berkshire,

to The French Horn Hotel, which is on the bank of the river.

And it is perfect weather for ducks. Or swans, funnily enough.

Jonty paid £170 and is here to meet the hotel's owner, Michael.

-Good to see you.

-Good to see you.

I see that the bird has flown in specially to greet you.

It did, in this rain, and it looks fantastic.

-I am really excited.

-Are you?

-I saw the pictures.

-Yeah.

I've seen this. And it really is quite special.

It is. It is cast iron.

-OK.

-And my hunch is it was not made in Britain.

My hunch is that it was made in the old Eastern European Bloc.

Because when the Berlin Wall fell,

a lot of cast iron and bronze work made its way to Britain.

I just think this would be perfect for us.

I'm saying all the wrong things, I know.

Well, I'm looking for £400 for my casting.

I'm not going to be silly.

-350?

-I'm really comfortable with that. Perfect.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well, that is an incredible start.

The swan feathers Jonty's nest with an enormous £180 profit.

Wow, what a fabulous result.

Now, I have over doubled my money, which I am

so thrilled about because it is such a fabulous item.

Now, I just wonder how that Braxton is getting on.

Is he still swanning around, trying to make sales?

Well, he is only just starting.

James is in Cornwall with far and away his most expensive item -

the model boat that costs £250.

So this could be a bumper profit, too.

He is in Falmouth, at The Boathouse Inn.

And the pub's view suggests the model boat could fit in well.

-Hey. Good to see you.

-Hello, James.

-What a view!

-Not bad, is it? Not bad.

-This is a funny fellow.

-It's about 40 years old.

-OK.

It is a mixture between a whaler and a ship of the line.

Now, this is... I couldn't think of a better place to come to.

Well, absolutely.

And you don't realise, but it is our 300th anniversary.

-We are 300 years old this year.

-Really?

So we can do with something as a flagship.

As a flagship, that would be very suitable, Nick.

I was hoping to get £300.

Well, I was thinking more like the 220 mark, really.

I tell you what, how about 260?

-250 and we're there.

-250?

-Yeah.

-I hate to push you on this.

-Nick, could you in fact do 251?

-Definitely, yes. That's it, OK.

-Thanks a lot, Nick.

-No problem.

James just squeezes a profit of £1.

And let's be honest, it is a dismal start.

However, things get better when he sells his copper trays.

A gallery owner in Marazion pays him £60.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

And that equates to a profit of £25.

Back to Jonty, who is now

at an antique centre in Tetsworth, in Oxfordshire.

He has brought his console table

and its marble top to see furniture restorer Charlie.

-So, Charlie, here is my console table.

-Hm-mm.

A really nice quality marble top. So it is French.

-It is about 1850, 1860 in date.

-OK.

-Do you like it?

-Do we like it, Frank?

-Yeah, what is... Is this Frank?

-This is Frank. Frank the dog helps us paint.

-Your assistant?

-Oh, Frank paints as well?

-She is our financial director as well.

-So she'll be paying you if I wish to have it.

-So price?

-Do you want a price?

-Yes.

-180 quid.

-Oh! I was going to say 80.

THEY LAUGH

To be honest, the top I would pay for it is 120.

Can you squeeze... Can I squeeze you up a bit more?

-125.

-125?

-Yeah.

-There you go. Shake his hand?

-Thank you very much.

-There go.

Thank you very much, financial director, thank you very much indeed.

Mm, our trading terrier licks another deal.

His car-boot console more than trebles its money,

and Jonty leaves £90 better off.

That ramps up the pressure on James even more.

His next sale really needs to bring in some proper money.

Let's see how he gets on with his Turkish rug in West London.

Not the normal place to bring a rug,

but I am coming to a busy workshop on Golborne Road, Notting Hill,

to see Simon. He's a bit of a magician.

He'll make this rug into a coffee table or very special sofa.

Yes, Simon is an upholsterer who James has met before.

Bingo paid £55 for the rug.

-Hey. They are pretty narrow old stairs there, Simon.

-James.

Yeah, they're not bad, they're not bad.

I can get dining chairs up them, but I can't get big sofas unfortunately.

How are you?

-Put it over the whole bench.

-So, what will you make it into?

I'm going to make it into a giant footstool.

-How about sort of 140?

-Is that the time?

Oh, I thought you were coming earlier than that.

Anywhere near 100?

-100? 110. 110?

-Yeah, we'll do it.

-You all right?

-Absolutely.

-Thanks a lot.

-Done and dusted.

-Really good.

-Thank you.

That is more like it, Bingo.

He doubles his money and flies off with a profit of £55.

But he is still well behind The Hitman, who is pressing onwards.

He has now come to a pub in a rather famous village.

I'm in the sleepy Berkshire village of Bucklebury,

which in fact is the home of the Duchess of Cambridge.

Now, I'm going to show this book to the landlord of the local pub

here to see if he is going to be interested in a possible purchase.

Jonty paid nearly £30 for Mrs Beeton's look.

-Kieran, how are you doing?

-I'm well, Jonty, how are you?

Nice to see you. Look what I brought you -

Mrs Beeton's Book Of Household Management. This book here...

This edition is 1912.

But this is a very familiar book to a lot of chefs like yourself, isn't it?

This was one of the first books that actually spelt out how much

things are going to cost, where the costs should be,

so you could actually budget for a family,

and, well, as it says, a household,

which is important with any business, not just a restaurant.

-But it is as useful today as it was back then.

-I thought

around sort of a figure like 100 quid was suitable for a book like that.

-I was thinking more around the 80 mark.

-The 80 mark? OK.

-Well, I'll be happy with that. Shall we do a deal?

-Let's do a deal.

Brilliant.

So he cooks up a profit of £50.50,

but Kieran doesn't let him go that easily.

Our very own Mr Beeton tries his hand in the kitchen.

Ew!

Service!

Table Four, please.

There you go, sir. Bon appetit.

Thank you very much. Compliments to the chef.

Oh, blimey, there are three of him! One is quite enough, thank you.

So, while Jonty seems to have found the recipe for a profit success,

James has hit the profit wall.

And as if things weren't going badly enough,

he has made a disastrous discovery.

His flower basket has wood worm.

When I bought this basket, I didn't realise it was still alive.

And it has continued to remind me of that fact by constantly

producing dust.

So the worm is very much there in the handle.

So it has remained unsold and probably going to the nearest bin.

Oh, Bingo! That is the last thing he needed.

He forfeits the basket and loses all the money he invested -

£10 down the drain.

No problems for Jonty, though,

he's back by the Thames with his most expensive item - the sextant.

I followed the Thames all the way to here, Hammersmith, in London, to show

my sextant to Peter,

who incidentally, I happened to meet on a cruise ship.

And to keep the nautical theme running, I'm actually going to

meet him here, in this pub on the embankment called The Old Ship.

Yes, Peter is an expert in GPS systems,

the modern-day method of maritime navigation.

Jonty's sextant owes him more than £280.

-I showed you some pictures.

-Oh, there it is.

But here is the offending article.

And the best part for me is this lovely label.

And I love this paper label because this is an original label.

And my hunch is that this dates this, therefore, to around 1840, 1860.

And every ship at the time had one of these.

Well, sextants were the main instrument for defining

your position when you were out of sight of land.

You used the sextant to take sight of a star or the sun, and you could

then, using spherical trigonometry, calculate your position.

So, Peter,

-do you think you might be interested in a purchase?

-Well, I would be.

Well, I thought a fair and reasonable price would be £475.

I think 450 would be probably a bit more realistic.

-Peter, I am really happy at £450, so thank you very much indeed.

-A deal.

That's great.

Well, that is another amazing figure.

Jonty's sextant brings in the big bucks. The profit is £166.80.

Jonty rides the crest of the wave

while James splashes about in the shallows.

So just how far behind is he?

James has only managed to sell three items and has had to throw one away.

He is currently sitting on a profit of £71.

Jonty is way out in front - he's made four excellent sales

and, at the moment, has seven times as much profit as his opponent -

over £487.

So, that means the Showdown auction is crucial for James.

And that is a very uncomfortable position to be in.

Jonty's money mountain leaves him sitting pretty.

James needs to make hundreds and hundreds of pounds here.

And let's be honest, the odds are stacked against him.

Our boys remaining items will be sold

at the Chippenham Auction Rooms in Wiltshire.

From here on, they are at the mercy of the auctioneers

and their customers. So, how are our duelling duo feeling?

-James, welcome to the auction room.

-Good morning, Jonty.

-Isn't it a glorious day?

-I know, it's wonderful.

Now, what have you got in the auction yourself?

-Well, I am quite long on brass on this one.

-I noticed that.

What is all that about?

Well, it is one of those things, it is quite cheap to buy brass -

and, you know, amazingly, miraculously, in the

movement of six weeks, you know, fashion could have swung my way.

I noticed that. It is a bit similar to my items as well.

I bought them out of fashion, will they be back in fashion?

-Well, we'll soon find out, eh?

-Good luck.

Mm, not exactly fizzing with confidence, are they?

Before the auction begins,

our boys have a moment to assess some of each other's lots.

I hate to admit it, but this is a good decorative object.

Chinese brass bowl. He paid £25 for it. That is value for money.

I know Jonty paid quite a lot of money for this. He paid £125.

The auction has an estimate of 50 to 80.

I would definitely pay 50 to 80 for it.

These have changed colour since I've last seen them.

I can only assume that the long-suffering Mrs Bingo

has had a hand in this.

They look like a pair of earrings, really, don't they?

Mickey Mouse's ears. Anyway, there is nothing Mickey Mouse about these.

They are very heavy. They have got £100 to £150 estimate.

I know Jonty paid considerably less than that.

It is probably a typo in the catalogue.

Well, James isn't the only one who thinks the auction house

is being generous.

£100 to £150?

If they make more than £50, I'm going to give James a big kiss.

Well, that is quite a threat. As Jonty prepares to pucker up,

the auction gets under way.

James's 19th-century Chinese brass bowl is first up.

I have a confession to make.

-I quite like this.

-Do you?

-Yes.

I think it is really good quality. Anyway, here it comes.

I have commissions. At 25.

-Oh!

-30 bid.

-£30.

-Come on, keep going!

-30 is bid.

-Is anybody in the room?

That's a commission bid at £30.

-£30...

-Look, 35.

We are still moving. Oh, I'm happy with that.

I am in the black!

Yes, but only just.

James' profit is a teeny tiny 28p,

once you have deducted the sale room fees.

So his run of bad luck continues.

Bingo's 18th-century candlesticks are up next, though.

Will they light up the sale room?

-These candlesticks have changed colour.

-They have, haven't they?

-What's your secret?

-It's chemical cleaners

and the good Mrs Bingo.

The long-suffering Mrs Bingo.

Now, are they going to make the money that they say in the catalogue?

-£50 to £80?

-I would be,

rather like you, rather surprised if they did.

Here they are.

-They look very gleam-y.

-The majesty of them.

-Three commission bids.

-HE GASPS

45. 50. Five. Is there 60?

Blimey, O'Riley!

That is quite a price, isn't it?

At 55...

Everything that passes through my hands comes out better at the end.

-Thanks to Mrs Bingo.

-All right, all right.

Yes, Mrs Braxton's work pays off.

After fees, the profit is £16.44.

Jonty's Art Deco marble bookends are up next.

James doesn't know about the prospective kiss.

Now, these bookends, if they make more than £50,

you are in for a surprise.

...marble bookends,

together forming a heart shape.

Bids from 60, 70, £80.

-Bid at 80.

-I can't believe that!

£80 bid! Ho-ho!

-90 bid.

-And there is a bidder in the room!

£90 bid. 90...

-At £90.

-Go on!

Well, I must say, I am flabbergasted.

I didn't believe it, Jonty. Well done.

-I said I'd do that.

-Ew! Ew!

Some people might like a kiss from The Hitman,

but James isn't one of them.

The profit won't make him feel any better, either. Jonty makes £48.89.

That is indecent profit, that really is. That's not...

That's not sporting. I'm going off you.

Well, will Jonty's 19th-century Chinese soapstone tablets

make it worse?

Well, another pair of bookends, really, aren't they?

-They sort of are, aren't they? Here they are.

-They are lovely.

-They look good, don't they?

-They look good.

Now, these could be sleepers. What do you reckon?

Well, let's hope not, shall we?

-25. That is more the region. 25. How much did you pay?

-20 quid.

Don't be greedy, man!

-Selling at 25...

-That's enough.

-You win some, you lose some.

-Yeah.

Mm, and in this case, he has lost to the tune of £2.80, after fees.

But James tries to be supportive.

Well, don't worry, don't worry.

Trying not to smile, but it is just coming.

I don't know where it's coming from.

-There is a smile still sort of seeping out.

-It is. It is misplaced.

I don't know where it has come from.

So, has James' luck changed?

His Wright Pottery coffee set is up next.

He paid less than £12..

-20. At £18.

-Motoring!

£18. Is that a profit?

-20, 20! Somebody in the room.

-22?

-22?

-As long as you don't take sugar.

-And selling at 22.

-That's all right, I'm happy. Slightly, marginally.

Blimey! I seem to be holding all the cards here, don't I?

Well, if that's the way you want to look at it, fine.

But after fees, the profit on the coffee set is £2.98,

which would probably buy you a large cappuccino.

Anyway, Jonty's iron grill is up next.

He bought it in Belgium for £125.

Start at 35. 45.

-That's too low.

-Is there five?

At £50. At 50.

Five. 60. Five.

-That's better.

-70. Five.

-Getting there.

-80.

-It's going up, isn't it?

-Five.

-Well done. I don't think you need worry.

-Well, it's not there yet.

-Telephone bidder!

110.

-120. At £120...

-Don't lose...

120.

What's it like in the red, eh?

Jonty laughs off his loss - £31.04 -

But he knows he has got a lot in the bank.

And with that, we reach James' last item, which needs to do VERY well.

-This is the mighty big brass bowl.

-And Mrs Bingo...

-She has done very good work.

-Here it is.

It is worth pointing out that to come level with Jonty, James

needs the bowl to sell for £550.

No pressure, then.

-Straight in at 40. Now five.

-Struggling. We need somebody else.

Back of the room at £40.

£40. Cut a loss.

-Now, look.

-OK.

-Now look -

smiling!

James ends with egg on his face, a loss of £17.88.

Deary me, Bingo!

The Hitman still has his Edwardian mahogany corner cabinet to go,

but whatever happens here, he now can't lose.

-The room.

-60. £70.

-£70, that's all right.

-£70. 70.

-At £70, and selling at 70....

-£70...

Not the biggest profit - £13.56 -

but quite frankly, that no longer matters.

And that brings the Showdown to an end.

I think you should be smiling rather than I should be smiling,

because my profit definitely is pence

and I think yours is pounds.

-I don't know about that.

-Unbelievable!

Oh, James, there is nothing anyone can say to make it better,

so let's leave him to wallow in his own self-pity

and get on with the admin instead.

Both our experts started their monumental challenge

with £1,000 of their own money.

Jonty 'The Hitman' Hearnden

spent £723.53 on his eight items.

James 'Bingo' Braxton spent much less, just £459.

Maybe he is regretting that now.

All of the money that Jonty and James have made from today's

challenge will go to charities of their choice.

And just in case you've not been paying proper attention

for the last 40 minutes, let's find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Showdown champion.

-Hello, sir.

-Hello, Jonty.

-All right?

-Yeah, very good.

-I was up against you and the missus in the auction sale.

-It was, yeah.

Mrs Bingo, lots of polishing, couldn't stop her.

All right, no exceptions, no great profits on mine.

-What about yours?

-I have to say

-that I was really pleased selling my sextant.

-Shall we see?

-Yep.

-Are you ready?

-Ready. Go.

72.

My word, that was a profit!

So Jonty absolutely smashes it!

Well done, Hitman.

But each of our experts has been building up their profit pots over

a week of challenges, so who has made the most overall?

-Go on, Jonty.

-Shall we go on to the rest?

-I think you may have it.

BOTH: Oh!

Well done. Well, mine is a magnum, I think. And you're buying.

THEY LAUGH

Yes, Jonty is victorious again.

Between them, they've made nearly £2,900.

And every last penny of that will go straight to good causes.

My chosen charity is Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service.

They care for children with life-shortening

and life-threatening conditions.

They are also raising funds for a much-needed hospice in Berkshire.

I've chosen The Landmark Trust that rescues architectural follies,

and I do wish somebody would rescue me.

Yes, you can go and have a lie down in a darkened room now, James.

It has been a week of no-holds-barred combat.

And our excellent experts have really put their money

where their mouths are and shown that they can make

a convincing profit from buying

and selling antiques when their own money is on the line.