James Braxton v Catherine Southon - Car Boot 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...

Elementary, my dear dealers.

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

HE GROWLS

Each week, one pair of duelling dealers will face a different

daily challenge...

Catch me if you can.

The Axeman cometh.

..putting their reputations on the line...

Grr! Ready for battle.

..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 sophisticated squire of the salesroom, James Braxton,

takes on the first lady of fine art, Catherine Southon,

at a car-boot sale.

Coming up, James sits pretty on a bargain...

-You have yourself a deal, sir.

-OK.

I've got a deal. You've got a steal.

Catherine's feeling continental...

-Jolie.

-Tres jolie?

Cycling through your French countryside. Bunch of onions in?

-Baguettes hanging out the back.

-Oh, yes, I like that idea.

..and James throws his profits up in the air.

What I was going to do is I was going to set you a challenge.

I'm going to give you three pieces of paper.

Every piece of paper you get in the basket is a fiver off, chief, OK?

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome one and all to today's boot sale bounty hunt.

We've set sail for the Sussex coast

and it's looking like a battle of the high seas as two antiques

buccaneers go head-to-head in the search for treasure.

Our first profit-hunting pirate is a fearless auctioneer.

He's on home turf here in Sussex and he's hungry for victory.

It's James 'Bingo' Braxton.

I'm keeping an eye out for bargains.

His swashbuckling competitor is a diamond dealer

who lets nothing stand in her way.

It's Kent's own ace auctioneer, 'Canny' Catherine Southon.

Let's hope this is all plain sailing for now. Oo-arr!

Today's battlefield has a salty tang in the air

as we're at Brighton Marina car-boot sale.

With over 200 stalls to plunder,

there's plenty to whet our warriors' appetites.

They each have £250 of their own money to spend,

and, once they've bought, they must sell it all on and any profit

they make will go to their chosen charities.

The sun is shining, the sea air is bracing,

and the stakes have never been higher.

James Braxton and Catherine Southon,

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

-Morning.

-How are you?

-Sleepy. How are you?

-It's very early, isn't it? Far too early.

I know. I'm normally coming in at this time when I'm in Brighton.

-Have you been to this booty before?

-Marina. No, I haven't been here.

-What about you?

-Nor me.

-So you're going to stretch the 250?

-It's going to go a long way.

-250's going to...

I'm not intending to spend anywhere near 250.

I think it's going to be fun. It's looking really busy out there.

-I know. Well, you go that way, I'll go this. Bye.

-Good luck.

Well, they say the early bird catches the worm and the buyers

are already circling this boot sale like a colony of vultures,

but, never fear, as our very own bird of prey has a clever strategy.

I'm coming well equipped with my torch and my eye-glass

because I'm looking perhaps for something sparkly.

Maybe a piece of jewellery?

Anyhow, I'm on the hunt now so wish me luck!

So 'Canny' Catherine is looking for a diamond in the rough.

What about her opponent?

Car boots are fun because you go for the £20

and you're told it's a fiver, so I should be buying quite cheaply.

I've only got £250. I should do well here. Really looking forward to it.

Yes, he may be antiques aristocracy, ladies and gents,

but he's keeping a tight grip on the purse strings today.

Perhaps a small item to start then?

I'm fascinated in your 2CV door.

-It's great, isn't it?

-Or maybe not.

-Isn't it fun?

-That's 85.

-85?

Well, it's not cheap,

but Bingo's spotted another couple of lots on the same stall.

What about your Pablo Picasso?

Pablo Picasso, well, it's only an exhibition print. 25.

I rather like that. I like that. And your bricklayer's trowel?

Bricklayer's trowel, I don't know much about it really,

but seemingly a good name.

-Fiver.

-Fiver.

Yes, a trowel, a painting and a car door.

That's what you call an eclectic mix(!)

If I bought the Pablo Picasso, the bricklayer's trowel,

is there a bit of a deal to be done on the door?

-Could you do 65 on it?

-How about the whole lot for 100?

70, 25 and I think you've got yourself a deal.

Thank you very much indeed.

Well, before you can say Pablo Picasso,

our very own master of the trade has snapped up three items.

Now, the idea, what is the connection?

I have a trowel, I have a 2CV door and I have a print by Pablo Picasso.

Rather interesting. This cheapest item, £5, I like this.

This is a very nice bricklayer's trowel.

My most expensive item and I think my nicest,

the 2CV door and I paid £70 in all for that.

Where's it going to go? Restaurant? 2CV restorer? I like this.

This has integrity. It's not just a print.

It's a print for an exhibition. Where does my profit lie?

I think this would be fun on a wall somewhere.

Somebody will have a go at this at £70.

I'm seeing this at 100-150.

So it seems Bingo has thrown his spend-low strategy

out of the French car window all in the hope of some prodigious profit

and it seems old 'Canny' Southon has become a Francophile too.

This little yellow post bag, La Poste, so French.

Yeah, they were French. Put on your cycle.

-Maybe to put your bunch of onions in.

-Baguettes hanging out the back.

Oh, yes, I like that idea.

You could even wear a little French hat at the same time.

-It'd look very jolie...

-Tres jolie?

..cycling through your French countryside.

-So where exactly would this go? More on the side of the bike?

-Yes, yes.

When you've got a little cycle rack there, you'd attach that

to either side of your cycle rack to give you the extra carrying room.

Can I give you £6 for the two?

We'll go for eight and I'll shake your hand on it.

All right, I will shake your hand.

So, that's her first purchase in the bag. Get it? In the bag(!) Yes.

What a way to start!

My first colourful purchase and £8.

Maybe we won't be selling in Marseille

but I think these have perfect potential.

And 'Canny' Catherine doesn't take her foot off the gas

and quickly nets item number two - a copper jam pot for £12.

I'm rather chuffed with this for £12.

Can you imagine you're bubbling strawberry jam in this

on the Victorian stove?

Well, I think I can make quite a bit of money out of this.

Well, Catherine's taking this boot sale by storm,

but Bingo is hot on her heels.

I think I am feeling confident. Is it my natural environment?

Probably not, but I'm a good adaptor.

We never doubted you, Bingo.

He may not be in his comfort zone,

but James won't let anything stand in the way of his quest for profit.

-I think it's for thistles, isn't it?

-Is it?

Yeah, for taking thistles out of the... So you've got a good purchase.

It's had some wear.

-They normally make about a fiver, I'm told.

-Do they? Call it six quid?

-Seems fair, doesn't it?

-It does.

-I'll take it. Thank you very much indeed.

No more thistles on my ground.

Back on strategy,

our auctioneer action man bags his fourth item for just a few pounds.

His opponent is lagging behind with just two deals done,

but she's taking her time and surveying her hunting ground.

It's interesting here. You do get the real car booty people.

You get the people who are selling items from their house, having

a good clear out from their loft,

but you also get a couple of antique dealers, so there is a real mix.

And our sharp-eyed predator soon fixes her sights

on a shiny skating coin.

I like your medal here. Your speed skating...

Quite interesting, isn't it? Would be nice if it was silver.

-Just quite quirky. How much is on that?

-I've got 12 on it.

I'll do it for six.

I'm going to take that because I think that's an interesting story

there and I shall test that and see if it's silver

and then I might have struck gold.

-You might have done.

-What about these? These are nice.

Lantern slides. I'm really passionate about things like this.

I get very excited.

I have a very warped sense of humour when it comes to this,

but if you think, going back to the Victorian era,

they didn't have TVs, didn't have radios.

They had things like this to entertain the family, didn't they?

Get your magic lantern out, put your slides in and the whole family

would sit there amused by these strange little scenes going on.

Lynn, how much would you like for these?

They're £18 each and I really would like 15.

I'll give you 60 for everything.

-How does that sound?

-I can't do it really.

Can not do it on those.

But 'Canny' Catherine's not one to let a purchase

slip through her fingers and she quickly seals the deal at £70.

60, 70. Perfect.

It's almost a third of her budget in one go,

but the medal is right on Catherine's sparkling strategy.

Well, this is actually quite the curious item cos I'm not sure

exactly what it is.

I think it's almost definitely silver

and I would say possibly a sort of medal once upon a time.

It'll be interesting to know whether it is silver or not

and it will be interesting to try and put it into its context,

but I think the detail on this is absolutely super.

It's a really classy thing.

Whatever this turns out to be, I think I've definitely struck gold.

And, on the same stall,

I went and bought seven comical Victorian magic lantern slides.

Now, the thing about these is every single one is hand-painted

and the colour is superb.

It's as clear and as crisp as the day they were painted.

They probably date from about 1870-1880.

This is definitely going to be another winner.

So, savvy Southon's levelled the playing field

with another two items in her stash.

Time for Bingo to bring out the big guns!

-How much for Tony the elephant, the stool?

-30.

Ooh!

-It could be a seat. It could be a pot holder.

-Could be a pot holder.

It could be yours and you look very comfortable on that, I have to say.

-I feel comfortable. Thank you. I do.

-Yes, you DO look comfortable.

-Will you take a fiver off? 25?

-Yes, absolutely.

-You have yourself a deal, sir.

-OK. I've got a deal, you've got a steal!

And a bit of poetry chucked in for free!

I like this. Why do I like it? I love the elephant mask.

There's something very attractive about elephants.

It's not the smartest garden seat you'll ever find.

It's a bit wibbly-wobbly, but it's all about character, isn't it?

I think it's made in China. It's made quite recently.

But you're getting quite a lot for your money.

You're getting a seat, ceramics and three elephants for £25.

What am I going to do with this? Tony the elephant. I'm hoping to sell it.

This is not the finest fellow.

Where does the great meeting of taste happen?

In your local Indian takeaway.

Ah, clever. Lining up the buyers before he's even left the boot sale.

A master at work. Now, Catherine had better keep an eye on him.

Let's try and find that Bingo.

But, before she locates the opposition, let's see who's on track

to find the gold and who's looking likely to walk the plank?

Our experts each arrived with £250 of their own money.

James 'Bingo' Braxton has been flash with the cash.

He's bagged five items for a sizeable £131,

leaving £119 to spend.

'Canny' Catherine Southon may not have liked the early start

but she quickly got into gear,

buying four items for a pocket-friendly £90,

leaving her £160 still to spend.

Our duo are taking this seaside car boot by storm.

-Ah-hah-hah!

-You're out-smiling me. What's going on?

-I am so chirpy.

I've woken up, I'm alive. There's some brilliant things to buy.

I've spent money. Notes have been exchanged here. Not single coins.

-Notes.

-Really?

-Oh, yes.

-I've rather plodded, I think.

-Have you spent coins?

-No, I spent notes.

-Good.

-I have spent notes.

-I've bought some interesting things that I'm slightly bemused by.

-Right.

You've slightly shattered...

Your confidence, your smiles, it's wobbled me.

-Don't worry, James. Don't worry.

-Be gone! Be gone!

-It's all a face, honestly.

-Be gone! Take your cheerfulness away!

Carry on buying.

Mm, looks like 'Canny' Catherine has got old Bingo rattled.

I didn't like way Catherine was so smiley and cheerful.

It would suggest that she's having an easy time and a successful time

at this car boot, whereas I found it more difficult.

I think I've got to smile more, be cheerful and just get on with it.

Where's he off to? Cheer up, the game is far from over

and on the other side of the market, having done the rounds,

Catherine's confidence with Bingo

seems to have been a bit of a front.

I've done one circuit of this and I was on fire to begin with

and actually bought some really good things

but I'm getting a bit nervous now

because people are starting to pack away and there's only

sort of the tail end left, so I need to get working very quickly.

Let's hope James is in same situation.

Yes... But you know what they say about auctioneers and tea bags -

you never know how strong they are

until you put them into hot water.

Or maybe that's just tea bags.

I'm liking these, these are good.

These are Olympic gymnas...

gymnasium...type pommel horse type of things.

-Yes.

-So you put them on... You fix them on a beam?

-Yes.

I like them. They've got a good look about them.

I'm not sure what I'd do with them, but they are good.

-How much do you want for them?

-£40, dear. Yeah. Each.

Each?!

Oh, no!

I'd take two...

but I can't pay that much.

50 for the pair?

Catherine, I love you to bits, but I can't do it.

55.

OK.

I like those.

The auctioneer extraordinaire does it again!

Our daring duo now have five buys each in the bag,

but with money left to spend,

Bingo has set his sights on a little French jug.

-I like that. Isn't it a great shape?

-Yeah, it is.

It's a funny glaze, isn't it?

It's quite sort of grippy,

but it's just a lovely shape, isn't it?

Looks as though it's on the move.

And good design should almost always have humour.

It's a lovely little pitcher.

-Ricard, which is the aniseed-y aperitif, isn't it?

-It is.

How much have you got on it?

What would be your offer for it?

I was going to say 10, but I don't want to insult you.

Oh, sacre blue!

-Pour vous quinze euros. Quinze livres.

-Can't.

-Quinze livres.

-Oh! Yeah.

-Quinze?

-Oui.

-Quinze livres is 15, is it?

-Correct.

-No! Is it?

-Yes, of course, it is.

-Really? Oh..!

Merci, monsieur.

In case anything was lost in translation, Bingo paid £15.

But is Monsieur Braxton having doubts already?

What attracted me to this jug...

I like the shape of it. It has a sort of beaky, animal-like look.

£15.

Profit...

looking pretty fragile.

There's no time to dwell on it though

as the boot sale's drawing to a close.

So our brave knight goes straight into battle over a bamboo basket.

How much for this lovely fellow?

£10. £10.

Any movement on that?

A fiver?

No, sorry. £10.

Ten's cheap.

You have a deal, man.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Rather nice, what, wastepaper basket - whatever you call it.

Made of bamboo, very resourcefully.

I like it. And I'm sure somebody else will.

And at £10, I see good profits in this.

And with that, Sir Bingo's day is done.

He's got seven items under his belt and he's feeling confident.

My day has improved, rather like the weather -

the sun's out, the smile became broader.

I found unusual items at cheap prices but great quality.

I wonder if Catherine was able to match it?

Well, with the end of the sale in sight,

Catherine's feeling the pressure to root out some last hidden gems.

I don't like that bit!

It's all the real house clearance - your hoovers...

I don't like it very much.

She seems rattled,

while her opponent is kicking back and relaxing.

Never underestimate our Kentish queen though,

with minutes to spare, she spots a pair of pots with a seaside twist

and she's quick to add them to her haul.

£10. OK.

Yeah? Put it there.

Well, being by the sea, I thought I might buy something nautical today,

but I didn't quite think I would be buying a pair of whelk pots.

Nevertheless, these are pretty damn special.

The chap I was speaking to said maybe paint them black and sell them as plant pots,

I think I would probably sell them as plant pots -

maybe to a fish and chip shop.

But I don't think I will paint them black.

I think they look wonderful as they are.

£10 a pair?! You can't say fairer than that.

That final catch of the day

brings our buying bonanza to an end.

As they get ready to show off their wares, let's tot up the totals.

James and Catherine each arrived at Brighton with a budget of £250.

James bought seven items and kept his car-boot-cool,

spending just £156.

Catherine had a second-half wobble but bagged six items,

spending just £1 less than Bingo, at £155.

It's a close run race so far - now our battling bargaineers

have a chance to check out each other's spoils.

Well, the sun is shining, the jackets are off...

I've had so much fun, James. I don't know about you.

-Have you?

-It's been brilliant!

The best car boot ever, one would say.

-Really?

-Yes!

-That good?

-That good!

But your items, I have to say, look fantastic!

Love your deux-cheveaux door!

-Great colour!

-Great, yeah.

-Brilliant.

French. Green...

See, I can see that on the wall of a French cafe or something.

That is rather classy, I think.

That, on the other hand, I would put that in the not-at-all-classy camp.

-Really?

-Why did you buy that, James?

-I like garden seats.

It was comfortable, I was tired, a bit grumpy and I thought...

There will be an Indian restaurant somewhere

that will see great beauty in this.

Is this a hoe of some description?

No, they've got holes... That's bigger, a hoe.

It's small, isn't it?

It's called a thistle dodger. This is what you...

Good husbandry is all about keeping thistles and ragwort away.

You just get them on the roots.

Your magic lantern slides are beauties!

Thank you! What really stood out, was the colour.

I think the colour on these is super.

Pommel horses, down there - 55.

-55?

-Is that a lot?

You'll have to do something cunning with those?

-Well, they don't call me cunning for nothing, James.

-Ohhhh...!

Come on - ice cream

Let's do ice cream.

So, our car boot bounty hunters head home to plan their selling strategies.

This is where the Put Your Money challenge is won or lost.

As our experts now have to find buyers for all their items,

and eke out every possible penny of profit.

They need to hit the phones, pound the pavements,

and prepare to haggle their way to victory.

In East Sussex, the sun is shining on Braxton Towers.

Ah, there we are, the dear old car boot.

In spite of there being lots and lots of goods,

we managed to refine it,

and my most expensive item was that door.

But I just don't know who to sell it to.

I'd love to sell it to some sort of bistro

where they just sort of mount it - hang it on the wall.

And my lovely elephant stool.

I rather like this.

I'm hoping to sell this to my local Indian restaurant.

So, from the stool, go to the jug - a nice little Ricard jug.

Paid quite a lot of money for that.

It's a nice shape though.

So, nice jug there.

Then we go on to the bricklayer's trowel - rather nice.

I need to find a bricklayer for that.

And then this fellow. I said it was a thistle dodger.

I've been corrected. It's a thistle spud.

Bought that for no money.

Six pounds.

The wicker bin is going to go to somebody

who has quite a smart, maybe, study,

or they want a litter bin somewhere in their home.

But I like that. I like that Picasso poster.

I'll sell that to a...Picasso, or modern art lover,

who doesn't quite have the 40 million for the original.

How did I do at the car boot?

I think I bought a very eclectic mix of items!

Thistle spuds and car doors -

eclectic is one word for it!

Over in Kent, canny Catherine's feeling buoyant.

I couldn't have had a better day than the day that I had

at Brighton car boot.

Probably the most weirdest of them all are these pommel horse things.

I've got the idea of selling them to someone,

perhaps an interior designer

and maybe they could reupholster them

and make them into little cute seats?

But the item that I think will be the hardest to sell

is this little medal down here.

I've got to find people who are interested in speed-skating

or perhaps people who are interested in sporting memorabilia.

I think I've given myself a bit of a problem there.

Now these little babies...

I think they would look wonderful outside a fishmonger's

or maybe outside a fish and ship shop? Are you with me?

The slides are one my favourite items,

but if anyone out there collects magic lantern slides,

he is going to love these.

The postbags - they're a bit of fun.

And I need to find somebody who's interested in cycling.

This is my final item.

It's a Victorian copper jam pot.

I'd like to sell it to someone who makes jam or that sort of thing,

because really that's where it belongs.

Overall, really strange items,

really unusual...

but I think a pretty damn good selection.

So it's shaping up to be a battle of the bizarre,

and a war of the wacky!

Our duo need to dig out their little black books of contacts

and find buyers for their booty.

Any profits they make will go to their chosen charities,

and, remember, until they've shaken on it, the deal's not done!

Bingo kicks off his selling with the porcelain elephant seat

which cost him £25. Poppadom anyone?

I'm in my local village at my local curry house

and I can say I'm no stranger here.

Prawn balti, is it?

Or maybe Bingo's a vindaloo kind of guy!

Anyway, what will owner Ahmed think of the seat?

Now this is the mighty elephant I spoke about. I bought this

fabulous fellow, and I do love...

I like the elephant mask.

I like stools.

I always think stools are rather good.

Yes, and it's a nice one. Very nice.

-It is nice.

-The colour is very nice. White.

Quite heavy. Look, what I was looking for, Ahmed...

I thought I might get somewhere around £100 for this.

How does that grab you?

Yes, that's OK. £100 is fine.

-£100?

-Yes, I can take it - £100.

That would be very kind. It's yours now!

Well, Bingo must be a valued customer,

as Ahmed didn't even haggle,

and that's a £75 profit.

He soon tops up his profit pot again

when he sells his little trowel to his local bricklayer Lawrence

for double what he paid for it.

Go on put it there, chief. Well done.

-Thank you, James.

-Thank you.

Making James another fiver in profit.

So with Bingo off the starting blocks,

Canny Catherine needs to get out of the gates.

She's lined up a potential purchaser for those French post bags,

but just where is she?

Je suis ici, en Angleterre.

Er... Excuse moi?

Sorry. I'm here in north London

to see Graham who has a vintage bike shop.

Now vintage is very on-trend at the moment.

Let's just hope he goes for these babies.

The trendy bags cost Madame Southon just £8,

but will owner Graham think they're fantastique?

-Hi, Graham. Hi.

-Hi.

-Wow, look at this.

This is a real Aladdin's Cave, isn't it?

But I brought you something which I think is a bit more exciting.

-What do you think about these?

-They are certainly very bright.

They would brighten up the shop, wouldn't they?

And that's because they are the postal colours of France - La Poste.

Now, are these actually...? I've referred to them as saddlebags,

-but are they saddle bags or panniers?

-They're panniers.

-Panniers.

-You can see by the straps on the back,

they are meant to be fixed to a pannier like this.

Oh, I see.

And would remain in place during the day. They wouldn't be taken off.

-So, tell me, are you interested in them?

-I am.

If I saw these in a French market,

I doubt I'd buy them for more than £20.

That's fine.

But before I hand over some money,

what I would like to see is you, perhaps...

See them in action.

-See what they look like.

-Oh, come on...!

No, I'd like to see them on this bike, which is a French...

-What, me on the bike?

-You on the bike riding around.

-Oh...

Outside. So I can...

-Go on, then.

-Yeah?

-Deal.

-Is that a deal for £20?

-Absolutely.

That is a deal.

Well, it's un petit profit of £12

and now she has to take them for a spin.

So are you happy, Graham?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Happy with them?

You've done a good job. Good modelling.

-They look good, don't they?

-Yeah, they're fantastic, thank you.

The things these experts will do for a profit!

Now, down in South London,

Bingo is also on a quest to sell his French fancies.

I'm here in Battersea, London, to see an old friend called Jules.

I'm hoping to sell him my 2CV door.

He has aspirations that he might do some artwork on that, plus,

if he's game, this mystery buy.

Ah, a hidden mystery buy.

Just keep 'em guessing, eh?

The door and jug cost £70 and £40 respectively,

but will art collector Jules be up for buying?

-Julesy, bonjour.

-Bonjour, mon ami. Mon ami, mon copain.

-Yeah. Er.

-Tres bien.

-It is, actually, I will say it's a beautiful colour.

-And I do like the green, funnily enough.

-You like the green?

I like the green. And I like

this sort of post-industrial distressed look as well,

with some genuine French rust on that.

It is a bit of European post-war history.

Exactly what one could do with a door, I don't know.

-But you've got an idea.

-I've got two ideas, actually.

One of them is that my son is going to learn how to drive

in about two years' time, and I could start him off

with this and say, "I'm getting you a car, lad.

"Here's the door!

"And by the time you're 17, you might have a complete car."

Or, alternatively, my other love is that I do love contemporary,

urban art, it's called.

And there are a few artists out there and I do have a friend

of a friend of a friend that knows them quite well.

So one could actually take this piece of door

and actually maybe take it back out to France where it belongs

and get it worked on by one of these local artists.

-That would be fabulous. Another installation.

-Exactly.

Now, are you going to love it, Julesy, when I say 150 quid to you?

Ooh!

I was going to go more 50 actually.

-Really? That low?

-It's a bit low, actually, isn't it?

-That's a bit low.

-Can you come down?

-How about 120?

-120?

-120.

And I tell you what - 120, add another 15 to it,

and I've got a little mystery buy for you.

135 and you can have the mystery buy as well.

OK, well, you say... How about 120? Includes the mystery buy.

-120.

-Includes the mystery buy.

-I'll tell you, 125 and you can have both.

-125 for both? OK, 125.

-125.

-OK, I'm happy with that.

Bravo, Bingo. Time for the big reveal.

And here is your mystery item.

HE LAUGHS

Oh! Really nice, actually, yeah. Ricard Anisette.

What a lovely view - French jugs and a French door.

THEY LAUGH

-Thank you very much indeed.

-My pleasure.

So the mystery buy paid off,

and that makes James a profit of £40 on the pair.

Je t'aime le challenge. That was a challenge.

Two French items to the Englishman. Catherine, comment ca va?

She's doing very nicely, thank you, Bingo.

She's galloping on to her second potential profit.

Well, I'm here in Sussex

and I've come to see Laura who's an interior designer.

I'm hoping she'll have some good ideas for these,

and more importantly, a profit for me.

The pommel horses were our antiques acrobat's second-most expensive buy

at £55 for the pair, so she's hoping for a gold medal worthy profit.

Well, I've brought you these. They're sort of...

I mean, I found them and I thought what they were was...

-You know when you have the pommel horse?

-Yes.

-I think they're for training.

-What sort of age do you think they are?

-'60s or '70s, I'd like to say. Straight out of a gymnasium.

-Nice.

What do you think?

I mean, what would you do with something like this?

I've got a couple of ideas.

One might actually be to almost use the two of them

and create a table or I think they'd make great little footstools.

I just think that something like this could possibly work for you?

I think so. It depends on the price.

For me, somewhere between 100 to 120 ish would be nice.

I was thinking more around the 70 mark.

-70 mark, right.

-Yeah.

-OK.

I prefer somewhere around 85.

-How does that sound?

-Could we settle on 80?

We could settle on 80. Yeah.

-You've got a lot of work to do there, but...

-OK, lovely.

I am sure that these will be amazing.

Well, it's a modest £25 profit for Catherine's coffers.

So with both our wily warriors up and running,

let's take a peek at the books.

James has done an impressive four deals and made a profit of £120.

Catherine is trailing behind, with only two of her items sold

so far, and her profit pot stands at a very modest £37.

Our diamond dealer may have had a slow start,

but with four items still to sell, the game is far from over.

She's come back to Brighton with her copper jam pot

and she's fired up for the challenge.

Let's turn up the heat and get cooking.

I've come to see Michelle, who says she's interested in my jam pot,

so let's just keep our fingers crossed.

Now, our ace auctioneer pays just £12 for the copper pot.

Time to unveil it to jam-maker Michelle.

-Hello, Catherine.

-How are you?

-Good, and you?

-Yeah, good.

-You're busy cooking?

-I am.

-That's what I like to see.

-Right, I know you make chutneys and jams.

-I do.

And I thought of you, cos I saw this in Brighton

and I just thought it was a really nice jam pot.

It's got VR on, which tells us it's Victorian.

But I'm not sure that this is definitely the lid for this,

cos it doesn't sit quite flush,

but then that might just be how it's been over the years.

Do you use copper pots when you make your jam?

I don't, because I haven't been able to actually ever find one.

-So actually, you've done me a real service here, as they say.

-Oh, good!

Good. Oh, well, the price is going up and up and up.

-No, no, no!

-So it all comes down to money, then?

-Yes.

If we said somewhere around...

..50-60?

-What does that sound like?

-I'm thinking. I was thinking more...

-..35-40.

-I was thinking more 45-50.

-£42.50?

-£42.50 sounds good to me. Let's go £42.50.

Well, that's more than three times what she paid for it

and a very tasty £30.50 profit for our jammy dealer.

Well, Bingo, I am seriously cooking on gas.

Yes, we love a kitchen pun.

On a sugar high, Catherine heads down to Brighton's sea front

with her pair of whelk pots and, quick as a flash,

she sells them to the first fish restaurant she goes to.

-25.

-25?

-Is that it?

-Yes.

-Is that your best offer?

-Yes.

They're blooming heavy, so I'm going to let you have them for 25.

That's more than double what she paid for them,

and nets our daring dealer another £15 profit.

She's having a Brighton bonanza.

Meanwhile, Bingo's been a busy bee too.

He's found a new home for that thistle dodger -

sorry, thistle spud -

selling it to a farm in East Sussex for a tidy £14 profit.

But his luck runs low when he sells his Picasso print

to antiques dealer Mark in Lewes for just £22,

losing him £3 from his pot,

which, in such a closely contested game, could make all the difference.

But now Bingo's heading back to the bright lights of London Town

to take his final item to see an old school pal.

I'm in Battersea, London, to see my great old school friend, James,

who in the early part of his working career

was a political speech-writer

and that's when you wrote with a pen and paper.

Well. Let's see what he makes of the bamboo basket.

It cost Bingo just a tenner.

James, although we've been friends

for almost the fat end of half a century,

we still have that formality, don't we?

-You refer to me as Mr B. You are Mr C to me.

-I would always do so, yes.

Anyway, Mr C, I have brought you this wastepaper basket.

Why have I brought you this wastepaper basket?

Former speech-writer, before the computer.

Yes. No, one used to get through a lot of paper.

What I like about it is it's got a sort of brass rim,

so if you're chucking something in anger, it'll spin in.

Do you think it might favour the hooper?

Er, very much so. It could favour anything.

Or, again, against a wall, you could get a sort of back drop in.

-I put to you, it's a very handsome fellow. It's a nice big size.

-It is.

-No, no, it's a decent size.

-I was going to charge you 40 quid.

-Were you?

-40 quid. But...

What I was going to do is I was going to set you a challenge.

I'm going to give you three pieces of paper.

You can scrunch it up in a ball.

Every piece of paper you get in the basket, it's a fiver off, chief. OK?

-Oh, OK.

-So I'm going to put it there. Hold on. Steady on, steady on.

-You're going to come back a bit.

-I'm looking forward to this.

-Right, OK.

Every hoop in is a fiver. You're happy with that?

Oh, I'm down a fiver.

-That's £35.

-I'm extremely happy. And...

-Got lovely action, if I might say so.

-Fire up your abacus, Mr B.

THEY LAUGH

Well done.

Ah, £15 down, but Bingo is still happy with it.

So three clear hoops, that's £25 to you.

-I think I'll go with that.

-HE SPITS

-Deal.

-Deal done.

Hmm, sealed with saliva? An old school tradition perhaps.

It may not be a slam dunk,

but Bingo's still more than doubles his money, banking £15 profit.

And that's him, done and dusted,

but his opponent still has two items left to shift.

She's brought her most expensive boot sale buy to Suffolk,

and she's got a particular buyer in mind.

I'm in Newmarket and I've come to see Richard.

He's a member of the Magic Lantern Society.

Now, Richard's bought slides from me before

and he said any time I get some more, to give him a call.

So here I am.

Turn the lights off, get the popcorn out and watch this show.

It could be exciting.

Oh, lovely. As long as it's not a horror flick.

Remember, the slides cost her £64.

-Hi, Richard, lovely to see you again.

-Ah, Catherine.

-Really nice to see you.

-And you.

-Ah.

-I've brought you some slides here. Now, do you call these...

I call them sort of slip slides because...

-Slipping.

-Slipping?

-Slipping slides, yes.

Because they've got the glass in the back to move it from side to side.

-They're beautiful.

-I thought they're actually really bright.

-They've been kept very, very well.

-They have, haven't they?

Yes, they're in nice condition.

-Let's have a look at the...wicked monkey or cheeky monkey?

-Erm...

-I'd say wicked.

-Wicked.

-Really bright.

-He beats it.

Oh, yeah, he's beating...

He's already tied a saucepan onto its tail, and...

-And now he's just beating it.

-Treating it like a racehorse.

Let's try the...

-..the bowl.

-Oh, that one made me laugh. Cos you've got Punch.

-Yes.

-Going in the punch. I think that's brilliant.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-I really, really do.

-We often call these, "What happens next?" slides.

It is rather nice.

-And then you get all the children shouting out, "I know! I know!"

-Yes.

She's going to run away. No, she's not. She's dancing.

Not the best effect you've ever seen!

-She's not the best dancer, is she?

-No.

So before us, it all comes down to money.

And if you're interested in buying them.

What did you have in mind?

I thought they would be worth about £25 each.

I could go to £15 each.

-£15 each.

-That would be 105, would it?

-Could we say...

-What could we say?

-120.

-120, could we? And then that's...

-That's pushing it.

That's pushing it then. That's it.

-Well, that's good enough for me.

-OK, Catherine.

Well, that's nearly double what she paid for them

and makes our selling star £56 profit -

the biggest result yet.

Well, that showing was a great success.

Richard's happy and I'm happy and there's more money in my pocket.

Yes, a thigh-slappingly good sale.

And, buoyed up by her success,

she hot-footed it to Hungerford to find a buyer for that skating coin.

It turns out to be solid silver and antiques dealer Pete is interested.

-Shall we say 15?

-Go on, then.

-If you're happy with that.

-I'm happy with that.

So that's a final £9 profit

and both our enterprising experts are sold up.

But who will be worthy of a golden sovereign

and who will be a mere threepenny bit?

First, let's remind ourselves of what they spent.

Both our experts took £250 of their own money to the car-boot sale.

James bought seven items and spent £156.

Catherine only made six purchases, but spent nearly the same at £155.

But now it all comes down to profit and who sold well.

All of the money that James and Catherine

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.

-Good to see you, James.

-Good to see you, Catherine.

-Keeping well?

-Very well, very well.

-Good.

-What a lovely day that was, wasn't it?

-The car boot.

I have to say, I think

-that was one of the best car boots I've ever done.

-Really?

The sun was shining, what a great place,

-and we bought some really interesting things, didn't we?

-Yeah.

Loved the car door. What happened to that?

The car door, I sold it to an Englishman.

What about your funny pots?

-They weren't funny, James. They were whelk pots.

-Fishy pots.

Whelks, whelks.

I went back to Brighton to sell them, which was quite funny.

And I had a nice... Do you remember the lantern slides?

-Oh, yes.

-They did all right.

-Did they do all right?

-Yeah.

Let's have a look. One, two, three.

Oh-ho-ho-ho!

-That is close!

-How close is that?

-Very close.

-Oh, that is so close.

-Still a margin.

-Enough for me to buy you a cup of tea.

-That's very decent of you.

-Sugar?

Oh, only £1.50 in it.

So, Catherine drives away to car boot success

while James was left peering under the bonnet

wondering what went wrong.

To lose the car boot by only £1.50 is... Well, it's too close.

And the reason I lost that was that Pablo Picasso print.

I should have walked on by.

All that getting up early, well, it was worth it in the end.

A tiny pinch of a margin, but it was a win.

A narrow miss for Bingo there, but fear not,

he gets another chance tomorrow as our treasure-hunting twosome

go head-to-head at an auction in Somerset.

I'd be lucky to make a good profit on that.