James Braxton v Catherine Southon - UK Antiques Fair 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.

-Ha-ha! Rawr!

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...

Argh! 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 Baron of the Bargain, James Braxton, faces up to the

First Lady of the Lots, Catherine Southon, at a Sussex antiques fair.

Coming up, Bingo gets carried away...

Why, oh why, did I buy these?

I wanted to buy one, ended up with five.

..Catherine can't count either...

Well, I told you I would go in there and buy three items and now,

I have come out and bought four.

..and James banks a purr-fect profit.

You can have the kitten and I'll take the cash. That would be lovely.

-Fair enough.

-Lead on!

-This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome, one and all, to another day in the sunshine.

We're in the glorious Sussex countryside, rolling hills,

green pastures, peace and tranquillity, but don't be

fooled - there's nothing quiet or quaint about today's challenge.

Two intrepid dealers are about to go head-to-head in a battle to

be crowned king of the collectibles, or queen of the curio.

First up, an auctioneer action man who may be posh,

but he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

On home turf, here in Sussex, it's James "Bingo" Braxton!

Everywhere I go is opportunity after opportunity. I can't stop buying!

Taking him on, the corporal of collectibles.

She's gunning for a deal and is skilled in the art of negotiation.

It's Kent's answer to Arnold Schwarzenegger,

Canny Catherine Southon.

Come on, Bingo! Catch me if you can!

Today's titanic tournament takes place at one of the biggest

antiques fairs in the country,

Ardingly in West Sussex.

With over 1,500 stalls to plunder, spread inside and out,

our duelling dealers will need to be like profit seeking missiles.

They've each got £750 of their own money to spend

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

So, on your marks, get set, James Braxton

and Catherine Southon, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

-Hello, James.

-Hello, Catherine.

-Good to see you.

-How are you?

-Really good, actually.

-Good, good.

-Familiar territory, this one.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yes, you always see different things here though.

-Mm.

Always something a little bit special and so much ground to cover.

-£750 to spend.

-750, a lot of cash there.

-A lot of cash, burning a hole in the old pocket.

-Mm.

-So, are you going to be in or out?

-I'm going to be outside.

It's going to be a lovely day. Top up the old tan. I'm a multitasker.

-I'm going to be mainly outside. I might touch on inside.

-Good luck.

-I'll see you a bit later.

-And they're off!

Both our treasure hunters are straight on the prowl for profits,

but Canny Catherine is hoping to get one over on old Bingo already.

Well, I did say to James that I would be outside to start with,

but in fact I'm going in straightaway.

Now, this shed over here has never failed me in the past

and I don't think it will today.

Ooh, it's going to be that sort of game, is it?

Well, watch it, Catherine,

because Bingo is drawing up his own plan of action.

My strategy is to find the house clearer.

The house clearer always has fresh goods,

but I want somebody who's arrived today with a van full of goodies.

Our trading terriers are straight into the fray,

but with so many stalls to see, they need to hit the ground running.

With his radar set to scan for fresh stock,

it's not long before Bingo finds himself drawn to a garden table.

Rather like a moth to a flame, I'm drawn to the three-legged table.

There's something irresistible about these. Normally painted top.

Interestingly, I don't think I've ever bought a rectangular topped

one. They're normally circular, like its neighbour next-door.

This could be anywhere from about 1890 to about 1930,

but difficult to date.

Really, in this sort of condition, it's something you'd want to

sort of purchase for £50 or £60, but let's find out the price.

-What price do you have on this?

-Can do 75.

-75? Could you do 65?

65, I can do, yeah.

65, you have yourself a deal!

And it's one-nil to Bingo. Good work, old chap.

I'm pleased with this.

Maybe £5 too much, but a bit of work, bit of paint,

bit of filling, and I have a lovely table - £100 table maybe.

So, James has one purchase under his belt.

Across the market, his arch rival is poised to head inside.

I'm going in and I'm buying.

By the time I come out of here,

I will have bought three items, I promise you.

Yes, that's a woman on a mission, if ever I saw one,

and she pounces straight on a boxed painting set.

How much for that?

60.

Can I give you 50?

-55 and you've done it.

-50 and I will take it away.

55 and you get a posh carrier bag.

-Go on, then. 55.

-OK.

Mm, she doesn't hang around.

First buy in the bag and a posh bag at that!

I've just bought this lovely little travelling artist's set.

Some call it an air box because you're painting "en plein air" -

you know, the French?

-With me?

-Yes, otherwise known as "outside"!

Anyway, these little tubes retail at about £2 each.

Some really nice good quality brushes and the palette as well.

It's all complete, it's all there, and it folds up really nicely.

All ready to go.

All I have to do now is find an enthusiastic landscape painter.

So, savvy Southon's made it one-all.

Back outside, Bingo's already bought a rusty table,

so the next logical thing is to buy a set of rusty chairs.

A sparkling £40.

I love these chairs. Why do I love these chairs?

They're work, aren't they? Look at them. They're rusty.

They're quite sweet, aren't they? But they're French, 1960s.

I think I'm going to put them with that three-legged rectangular

table and sell them to a little cafe, restaurant, outside.

Lovely!

Well, while Bingo takes a load off,

Catherine is still hot-footing it around the inside part of the fair

and she soon gets the measure of her second potential profit -

a tailor's rule.

-Do you know they're definitely tailor's ones?

-They always are.

They have a special mathematical formula for working out

-radiuses and curves.

-I couldn't even begin to think how...

Someone explained to me once how it worked. It was complicated.

-It goes in one ear and out the other!

-It's very complicated, yeah.

-Only tailors know!

-Can I give you £20 for it, sir?

-I can't. No.

I will have paid more than that for it, unfortunately.

I'll give you 25 for it.

-You've got a deal.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-A deal? Lovely.

-You're welcome.

So, that's another deal sewn up and Bingo has been busy too

and spent £190 on yet another table.

I like it! Six-legged table. It's engineered, isn't it?

Rather like those Edwardians, Victorians, those great engineers.

This was the time of the great housing explosion.

All those Edwardian property developers,

those lovely red brick homes we see today.

The lovely architectural detail.

This would have filled them.

At £190, I think there's a lot of value in this

and it's something I want to keep, but I know I've got to sell.

Yes, Bingo may be happy

but his sharp-eyed opponent is showing no signs of stopping either.

Her indoor tactic is proving very fruitful and

she's just sealed the deal on not one, but two pieces of jewellery.

Look at that!

I have bought these beautiful Art Deco-style earrings

and I don't know about you, but I think these are so delicate

and elegant and they really have the look.

OK, they're costume jewellery, they're marcasite

and they're on silver, but they certainly have a wonderful look

and I think for £20, people will be queuing up to buy these.

Now, my other piece of costume jewellery is this Victorian

brooch in the form of a bee.

Once upon a time, in the Victorian era, people went for these insects,

spiders, bees, and I think today,

people are still going for these.

They are more collectible than ever.

OK, this isn't diamonds, it's not baroque pearls,

but for £60, it's going to fly away to sweet success.

So, Catherine's set herself a challenge

and she's rather proud of herself.

Well, I told you I would go in there and buy three items and now,

I have come out and bought four.

Beat that, Bingo!

Canny Catherine has snuck into the lead with four deals to James'

three, but Bingo's had the outdoor market all to himself

and our agile auctioneer soon homes in on an antique lawnmower.

Time to get in touch with his inner Titchmarsh.

This is lovely, isn't it? Just a lovely action, isn't it?

-And what price do you have on this?

-90.

-£90.

I rather like the blades. Is there any movement?

-A tenner, that's about as far as I want to go.

-£80.

-I'll buy it for 80 quid.

-OK.

-Thank you very much indeed.

It's deal number four for our trading giant

and he's over the moon with his antique mower.

I'm loving this item. Look, the Pennsylvania.

It's a lovely edging mower.

So, this is going trickling along, next-door to your herbaceous border.

Now, I've got to find some lawn fanatic and, I tell you,

they're quite stiff on the ground, old lawn fanatics.

Probably made in the 1930s, the ash handle's still sound,

the mechanics are still sound.

I think I've just got the man for this.

At £80, what's it worth to a fanatic?

150? 200? Maybe even three!

Ah, yes. Aim high - that's true Braxton style!

So, with one expert spending big and one spending small,

let's take a look at the figures.

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

James Bingo Braxton has been quick to splash the cash.

He's snapped up four items for exactly half his budget,

giving him another £375 to spend.

Canny Catherine Southon has spent just £160 on her four deals,

leaving £590 in her kitty.

Before their buying bonanza continues, time to compare notes.

-Colourful Catherine!

-Oh, thank you, James! So, how's it been?

-Very good.

Very good. Everywhere I seemed to go, I seemed to like something.

-How about you?

-Oh, really?

Well, to begin with, I've gone to my old faithful shed

-and I've gone in there and...

-Inside?

-Yes, inside.

I thought, I'm definitely going to buy some really good things

in there, but then, all of a sudden, bum-bum-bum-bum, done.

-Lots of bums there.

-Lots of bums, yeah. So, pretty good.

Very good, very good. Well, I've just had steady progress...

-Good, good.

-And I'm quite pleased with the items I've bought.

Whether I've bought them for the right price or not, we'll find out.

We'll see. How's the tan going?

Very good. Very good, nicely topping up. There's a nice breeze as well,

so it's a tan without perspiration.

So, next time I see you, you're going to have all your purchases

lined up and you're going to be beautifully bronzed.

Not just bronzed, but mahogany!

Ah, the colour of a true furniture fanatic!

So, pleasantries aside, the battle continues.

Having exhausted her favourite shed,

Catherine's joining her opponent in the open air.

I got the impression James has bounced around quite nicely

out here and bought pretty comfortably,

so I'm now going to give it a chance outside and see

if I can find something maybe a little bit quirky,

a little bit different.

Well, with Canny Catherine on the prowl,

Bingo had better watch his back.

This is probably a time for a bargain.

Why not sell it, rather than pack it?

But I've got to get a wiggle on because I'm not going to get

something that's in the back of a van.

So, while James goes on the hunt for a last minute bargain, sharp-eyed

Southon is hoping to tee up a profit with an unusual walking stick.

It's a Sunday stick.

-It's what they call a Sunday stick.

-Why is it called

-a Sunday stick?

-Because...

-You go out for a walk on a Sunday, golfing!

-Golf was banned in Scotland through the Church on a Sunday.

-Oh, right!

They'd go out with their walking sticks and when no-one was...

And pretend, when no-one was looking, give it a quick whoosh.

-Evolved into a fashion item.

-And this is about...what?

-Late 19th, early 20th?

-Yeah. 1910 at the latest.

-Yeah. And what is the very best you can do on that?

-I'll do it 100.

95 and I'll buy it.

Thank you very much indeed.

That's deal number five for Catherine

and she's sure it's a hole-in-one!

I cannot tell you how happy I am with my Sunday stick.

I've never heard of a Sunday stick before,

but it's one that I will never forget, for sure.

This is late 19th century.

Now, this is essentially a novelty walking stick,

but wonderful that once upon a time,

when golf was banned on the Sunday in Scotland, it was also used

when nobody was looking to give a little hit and hit it is

because I think this one will certainly be a winner.

Seeing unusual items like this is why I love this business so much.

We're entering the final furlong of this fast-paced fair

and Bingo's thinking out of the box.

Or should that be the basket?

Could you do me a really cheap cat basket?

The damaged one, that one's £11.

-It's pre-loved.

-Pre-loved?

-Pre-loved.

-What does that mean?

My Jack Russell's abused it and loved it.

-So, pre-loved is pre-owned, is it?

-Absolutely.

-So, what could that be? A fiver?

-Yes, go on, then.

-Fiver.

-Done, sold.

-You've got yourself a deal.

-Well done. Thank you.

-Thank you.

It may not be his usual flavour of antique, but never fear.

Bingo is a man with a plan.

I live next-door to a cattery - it will be perfect for them.

A fiver for a pre-loved cat basket. It's not too expensive, is it?

Yes, shopping with buyers in mind -

the sign of a true profit hunting professional.

But what will his rival make of it?

Hi.

Do you like my little basket?

Where's your feline gone?

-Where's your cat gone?

-It escaped.

The door... My pre-loved door slipped and it disappeared.

-James, I think that's absolutely brilliant.

-Basket...

-Is that what people like?

-Yes.

How much should I charge somebody for that?

It's got to be £40, hasn't it?

Surely, to buy something like this in the shops is about £40, £50.

-You're...

-I don't know. I don't have a cat.

I live next door to a cattery - I thought I'd sell it to them.

-You are a smooth mover!

-50 quid, I think. Don't you?

-Smooth mover!

I'm impressed!

And as James saunters on,

it seems he's left a rather concerned Catherine in his wake.

It's quite strange because sometimes, the first thing you buy

and the last thing you buy can be the hardest.

And quite frankly, I'm struggling. The middle's been fine.

The beginning and the end have been hard.

So, while Catherine's losing her mojo, James is chipper

and joking around.

This has been a first class antiques fair.

Everybody's packing up, so I'd better get on post-haste.

Post-haste!

The clock is ticking and with the end of the day in sight,

it's time for our brave buyers to do one last

sprint around the stalls, as they search for a final killer deal.

The pressure is rising and it's James who's first to

swoop on a potential profit, as he spots some wooden drawers.

-So, how much are your drawers, then, chief?

-Um... They're nice ones.

A little bit deeper than the average. These are...

-Is that a good thing? Being deeper?

-I think it may be, yeah, you know.

The other ones can only fit thimbles.

-How much for all five then?

-For all five?

-Yeah.

-100 quid.

-100 quid.

£20 apiece and like, individually...25.

-I tell you what, can I buy that top one for 20 quid?

-Course you can.

-Thank you.

-You're not too far out there at all.

-Pleasure. You know what's going to happen though, don't you?

-What?

You're going to sell that one so quick, you're going

to think, "I wish I'd have bought..."

I know. I'm going to repent at leisure.

-You think I'm being a fool, do you?

-I think...

Like I say, I've had quite a few of them and this is what's left.

Could you do the other four at 70?

-They're rough as houses, aren't they?

-We'll have a deal at that.

You've wisen-ed me up now!

A last minute change of heart

and James walks away with all five drawers.

Why, oh why, did I buy these? I wanted to buy one,

ended up with five, and each one contains 96 divisions.

They will have come from an electrician's.

They were all to do with fuses, electrical spare parts when

everything was assembled, before they were all on circuit boards.

The 96 divisions cheers me up.

The five rather bashed drawers gets me rather down.

Well, it's always a numbers game with Bingo,

and with that, he decides to call it a day and plan his journey home.

I've covered some ground today

and I wish I'd found this trusty white steed earlier.

My advice to you, if you're doing a big antiques fair like this,

bring one of these.

Nice tip there, Mr B, but remember to return the bike, eh?

Meanwhile, Catherine's not quite done

and she appears to be following in Bingo's footsteps.

-Hello.

-Are you all right?

-Yes. How much is your bread basket?

-Bread basket, 20 quid.

-Shall I be really honest with you?

-You've got to be, haven't you?

-I have got to be honest with you.

There's absolutely no way I would pay any more than £5.

You ARE actually going for profits here, aren't you?

It's the end of the day, you're trying to pull something out the bag. Have you made a mistake?

-Probably.

-Have you overpaid for something?

-No!

You're trying to get it back on this basket.

-What do you mean?

-I don't know. It seems like a low offer to me.

-No, no, no.

-You can have it. Give us a fiver.

-Can I?

-Yeah, I'm feeling sorry for you now.

-Are you?

Ah, Catherine plays the end of day sympathy card

and gets a great deal, but was it a wise purchase?

The big question - why - jumps out at me.

At this time of the day, I have just bought my last item

and I have spent £5 on what can only

be described as...a basket.

Probably a baker's basket.

But I have now just got to find someone, preferably a baker,

-who has a space on his shelf and needs to this to fill it.

-Yes.

So, now, both our experts have a basket to sell.

Prepare for a war of the whicker!

Before they come face-to-face, let's take a look at the numbers.

James and Catherine each arrived in Sussex with a budget of £750.

James bought six items, costing a total of £470.

Catherine also made six deals but spent very modestly - £260.

Before they head home to start selling,

they get to check out each other's treasures.

-Catherine...

-Oh!

The first thing that comes to mind is that you have had...as much

-difficulty as I have had today.

-I know!

-I know!

-Am I allowed to say that about your items?

It's not the finest antiques haul. I like this sort of putter.

-What's going on here? A club.

-Do you know what it is?

-No.

-A walking stick. Apparently, it's a Sunday stick.

-Ah!

Did you know that? A Sunday stick because it wasn't...

-You weren't allowed to play golf on a Sunday.

-The basket...

-Oh, don't even go there, James.

-Basket...

-Do not even go there.

Basket takes on basket.

Well, I saw your basket and I had to have a basket

and it was the end of the day and...

I don't even... Can we not talk about that, please?

I bought a basket and I don't even like cats!

-I tell you what, that is a corker, the mowery thing.

-My edging mower.

-Your edging mower.

-That is lovely, isn't it?

-That is absolutely brilliant.

-£95. I like your oils.

-Do you?

-These are palette knives, are they?

-They are.

-There's some good brushes there.

-I like a palette knife. Look at that.

And a good selection of oils.

-Come on, I'm going to take you for a cup of tea...

-Thank you.

-..and a sit down.

-And a doughnut.

-And a doughnut.

So, now our duo head home

and prepare to unleash their inner selling supremos.

It's time to forget what's gone before

and focus purely on profit, as they need to find buyers for all

their items and haggle their way to tip-top prices.

Back at Braxton Towers, James is feeling manly!

Look at my items. They're quite sort of macho, aren't they?

A rather odd purchase from me - a cat basket. Hm. Chairs.

They've got a bit of style about them.

I thought I'd put the chairs that I bought for 40 with the table

that I bought for 65 and it would be perfect for a cafe. Lawnmower.

I love this lawnmower. It's an edging lawnmower.

Looking forward to selling that to a lawn enthusiast. And then my table.

Why have four legs? Why not six? This has got six.

And sell it to a private buyer who's got a nice sort of Edwardian

home, it would sit very well in.

And then these fellows. I want to try and double my money on those.

I think we'll feed that on to an antique dealer.

It's for somebody who can add more value to it.

I think Catherine got a bit of whicker envy

and she went for that bread basket. Let's see who makes the most profit.

My cat basket or her bread basket.

Oh, that sounds like a challenge.

Now, across the home counties in Kent, Catherine is feeling

manly too!

I think that I may have gone down a slightly masculine route.

It all feels a bit kind of woody, now that I'm looking at it.

The thing that I'm most happy with has to be my Sunday stick.

I'm thinking that I can probably sell it as a novelty walking stick

to maybe someone at a golf club, someone with a golfing interest.

The tailor's rule.

Now, I bought that with someone in mind and I really hope that they

go for it, but the piece that I really love has to be this air box.

I think I need to sell it to a private person, an artist,

someone who is going to buy this, love it,

take it out and paint some beautiful landscapes with it.

Basket envy.

James was walking around Ardingly, clutching his little cat basket

and I saw that and I thought I'd like to buy a basket of some description,

and I bought a bread basket.

I will easily double my money, if not triple it.

My delicate bee brooch. I think that I have a jeweller in mind for this.

I was really happy with these Deco earrings when I bought them.

The only problem is they're modern

and I think it might put a lot of people off.

All in all, quite brown, rustic items,

but let's just hope they make me a sparkling profit.

Now, our daring duo need to hit the phones

and line up the best potential purchasers for all

their treasures it requires quickfire research,

hotshot negotiating and sizzling salesmanship.

Remember, the most profit wins.

But until they've shaken on it and the money's changed hands,

no deal is ever sealed.

So, first to hit the road is our glamorous auctioneer,

as she decides to start her profit quest with her sparkliest items.

A dealer in Surrey wants to see just one of them,

but Canny Catherine has a plan.

I've come along to Dorking to see Hillary,

who specialises in costume jewellery.

She's expressed some interest in my bee brooch, but I'm hoping that

I can sneak the Deco earrings in as well and hope that she'll buy both.

The brooch and earrings cost £60 and £20 respectively,

but this canny woman's aiming for a double deal.

-Hi, Hillary.

-Oh, hello!

-How are you?

-Oh, I'm fine, thank you.

-Lovely to see you.

Nice to see that you've got a wonderful cabinet of jewellery.

-Now, I've brought a couple of items to show you. I bought these.

-Right.

That wasn't a very enthusiastic "right".

Mm. Well, they're not very old.

-No, they're not old, but I think they're beautiful.

-They are.

-They're really nice Deco-style, aren't they?

-Yes, they are.

They are lovely.

-And the other piece?

-The... Oh, OK. OK, here we are.

Ooh!

-You like that.

-I do.

It's going to be a lot of money, I suppose.

Well, it is going to be a bit, yes. Um... I would like...

-How does 150 sound?

-It sounds a lot!

Too much. OK.

I'd probably like to do...125.

125, OK.

All right, I'm happy with that.

-Yes?

-125 is fine. Are you interested in these?

At a price.

They'd have to be very cheap for me to buy them in.

-What would you pay for those?

-Not a lot.

What's "not a lot"?

£30, then.

-£30.

-£30 would have to be the death.

-Right. OK. So, 30 and 125.

-And 125.

-Is 155.

-155.

I'm happy with that. They're yours.

All I need now... All I need now is a handshake and some money.

-Thank you.

-Wonderful. Thank you. That's easy.

Well, savvy Southon worked her magic and nets herself

a profit of £10 on the earrings and a buzzing £65 on the brooch.

Two items sold, two profits. What do you think about that, Bingo?

Ooh, she's confident!

Meanwhile, in Sussex, James' first customers are waiting patiently.

They sense their master approach.

Connoisseurs of whicker, their leader has leapt over

the garden fence with a cat carrier in hand.

Yes, it's Bingo "Basket-man" Braxton!

I have come to see a near neighbour of mine,

Sue, who runs a very smart luxury cattery, a sort of cats' hotel.

When she hears the price, let's hope she doesn't have kittens!

-Hey, Sue.

-Hello, James. How are you?

-Very good. How are you?

-Nice to see you. You well?

-Very well, thank you.

And who's your little occupant in here?

-This is young Barney...

-Barney.

..who just arrived yesterday, so he's just settling in.

-He's settling in.

-Yes.

-Oh, that's good.

-Nice little chap.

-Now, Sue.

I bought this very much with you in mind. Is this a familiar object?

We have seen one or two, yes.

Bang on trend, this. Bang on trend.

-Shabby chic, I think we say.

-Shabby chic!

Now, if I said to you, Sue, £60, would you think I was barking mad?

-Barking mad is a good thing to say in a cattery.

-Is it?

It's not the perfect price.

-£15?

-I tell you what, Sue, special price, 40.

25!

-How about that?

-25. I tell you what...

-It would be very useful.

£30 and you've got yourself a deal.

-Go on, then. £30.

-Well done, Sue. It's yours!

-Thank you very much.

-A prize basket. Treasure it!

-All I need is a kitten to put inside.

-BINGO LAUGHS

-You can have the kitten and I'll take the cash. That would be lovely.

-Fair enough.

-Lead on.

Bravo, Bingo! That's a profit of £25 on his very first sale.

That was a purr-fect profit. Beat that, Catherine.

So, the basket battle lines are drawn,

but Bingo is not stopping there.

That rusty metal table and chairs are next on his hit-list.

He's brought them to show a dealer in Lewes, and having spent

£110 on them at Ardingly, he needs to unleash his best selling pitch.

-Hello, James.

-Hello, Andre. Very nice... Very good to see you.

Now, in all the time I've known you, Andre,

you have always been at the forefront of these lovely

sort of continental three-legged tables, which I love as well.

On the whole, they always were quite popular, even in the past.

I'm putting the chairs with it.

They're still sound, in spite... I like the sort of, that salty patina.

They look as though somebody's shoved them

in the sea for a bit, don't they?

-Special price.

-Oh, right.

-For the lot, 160.

Yeah, I would say about 90 quid

and that's being generous.

115 and it's all yours, all five items.

110, then, OK.

-115?

-110! 110, I said, come on, come on!

-Ah.

Here we go, James, you are a good chap,

I'll write you a cheque for it.

So, that banks Bingo just a fiver,

and with three of his six items sold,

he's way behind in the profit stakes.

Two items down but streaking ahead, canny Catherine is in Bromley, Kent,

travelling paint set in hand,

to show art teacher Roger.

It cost her £55.

Hi, Roger.

-Hello, Catherine.

-Hi, how are you doing?

-Nice to see you.

I have brought you, I believe, an air box.

-Oh!

-Is that what they call them?

-Yes, a travelling case.

-A travelling artist's box.

-Yes.

Gosh, this is a substantial box, isn't it?

-Travelling cases are useful.

-Right, OK, do you have one?

I don't have one quite like this, actually. It, erm, looks very nice.

Do you think this is something that you would be interested in?

Erm, yes, I, erm...

I like the aspect of it.

It's a substantial box, got a nice handle...

-Yes, it has.

-..and lockable, well, clips anyway...

-Nice clips, yes.

-..to hold it. And it's also lined.

-I think it's lead-lined.

-Lead-lined, it is.

-It's very nice.

I would like somewhere in excess of 100.

Let's say 80. Could we go 80?

-Could we go 90? That's a nicer half?

-Hmm...

-How about 85?

-Go on, then. 85, that sounds good to me.

Yes, that's another £30 into Catherine's profit purse.

And she rounds it off when she sells her tailor's rule to

a dealer in Hungerford for a profit of £10.

And with that fourth sale under her belt,

just how far ahead of Bingo is she now?

Let's have a look at the books.

James has so far sold three of his items but only made a profit of £30.

But Catherine has stormed into the lead.

She's struck four deals and taken a decent profit of £115.

So, it's been a one-horse race so far, but with half his items

still to sell, Bingo isn't giving up any time soon.

He didn't have much success with his metal furniture,

but he's hoping his wooden table will be much luckier.

It cost him a whopping £190, and he's brought it to St Leonards

on the sunny Sussex coast to show it to furniture dealer Robert.

Robert, I had to fight very hard to find a little floor space to

put this table on. You are packed here, aren't you?

Right, we are a little bit, just a bit!

And it's just what I needed was another piece of furniture(!)

I know!

Six legged...

-..mahogany and, er, bit of rosewood.

-Yeah.

-Very nice, Liberty style?

-Oh!

-I'm liking it.

-Is it?

-Well, I think it is. I think definitely the shape.

-It's not one of those dull Edwardian ones, is it?

-No.

It's got that sort of Arts & Craftsy look about it, which is fun.

Anyway, Robert, the nutty business price, I wanted £280 for it.

I could give you two.

-What, 200?

-It's in nice condition, I'm not knocking the condition.

Could you narrow your margins a bit for me, Robert, and do 240?

-I couldn't. I couldn't.

-240?

-I like it a lot.

But I think, to be honest,

there's a very small profit in that for me at 200 quid.

Last and final offer...

-It's not next week.

-220 and we'll touch hands.

You know it makes sense.

JAMES LAUGHS

Well, it's not a massive profit at £30,

but it doubles his total so far.

Ah, well, I was jolly lucky to find space in that shop,

and Robert was jolly lucky to buy yet another item of stock.

But, in the end, a good little working profit.

Wow! Beggars can't be choosers! With Bingo under the cosh,

canny Catherine swoops in to conclude the war of the wicker!

OK, Bingo, this is war!

You've got a basket, I've got a basket.

I'm in Sevenoaks with mine.

Who's going to make the biggest profit?

Our daring duo spent just a fiver each on their baskets

and Bingo has already banked £25 profit on his.

Catherine has brought hers to show cafe owner Tim,

so let the Battle of the Baskets commence!

-Hi, you must be Tim!

-I am. Hiya.

-Nice to meet you.

-You, too.

Right, I bring you gifts.

Lovely, very nice, yeah. It's very much in keeping with

-the kind of style that we have, so, yeah.

-Yeah, it's quite a rustic theme, isn't it?

-Yeah, no, I like it.

OK, so it comes down to money. How much?

Er, I'll give you £15 for it.

15.

Would you make it a nice round 20 and make me very happy?

I would give you £15 and make you a nice coffee.

All right, then. I need a coffee! CATHERINE LAUGHS

Yes, that caffeine addiction has cost Catherine dearly.

She makes just £10 and loses the battle of the baskets,

which makes Bingo King of the Wicker!

And back in Sussex, King Braxton himself

has lined up a meeting with Viv,

who runs a garden machinery company.

James is hoping he'll be interested in his metal edging mower

which cost him £80.

Look at this - poetry in motion!

What have we got here?

-I think I'm strimming your vinyl. Viv, hello.

-I see.

-James. How are you?

-Hello, James. I'm Viv. Hello to you.

-Very good.

-Well, you've had that long time, obviously.

Yeah, I've come to the right place.

-Yes.

-Viv, you are the expert.

I thought this is...

Is it for mowing the edges between the grass and a border?

A floral border?

-It's actually for up against a wall.

-A wall...!

-Which is why you've got a flat side down here...

-Yeah.

..and it's before the strimmer was invented

to tidy all the edges up.

That would go right down... And, specifically, for gravestones.

Ah!

Every churchyard would have one for cutting around by the gravestones.

Can you...? Have you seen many of these?

I haven't seen these before, but you can still get them.

-What, buy them?!

-Yes! It's in remarkably good condition.

They were last made in about 1960.

-Really.

-Yes, they were made from about 1927 to 1960.

Anyway, Viv, you would make my day if you gave me 120 quid for this.

All right, James, you've twisted my arm.

-What?

-£120.

You could have £120 for it.

Viv, you're very kind, indeed!

Thank you very much indeed.

What a great salesman - not even a counterbid!

And at £40 profit, it's Bingo's biggest deal so far.

So it's time for one final killer deal

and he's headed home for this one.

The man I'm awaiting, I've known for over 30 years.

He's an antique dealer and, bizarrely, he happens to live

in the same village as me,

so it's two gentlemen of the parish clashing.

Anyway, we're going to clash over these five drawers.

The drawers cost James a sizeable £90,

and he's given one of them a paint job

in the hope of enticing dealer Lloyd to buy.

This... It's rather like Blue Peter -

this is before and after, OK?

Did you paint this was a loo brush with no bristles?

No, I painted it with a brush,

I did it in a bit of a hurry,

and I used a lime-based paint,

-which I probably shouldn't have done.

-How extraordinary!

What do you see? How do you see them, Lloyd?

Well, we have a pair of drawers and one free.

-Two for the price of one.

-OK, OK. Shall I put that away?

I know it's slightly offends you.

So we have now a pair and a pair.

You can get that free.

I was thinking 90 a pair.

£30 pair and that is a £60.

How about 100? £100.

Can't be done, James. It's madness.

What are we going to put these holes?

-90.

-I can't do it.

I'll give you £80, end of story.

Put it there, Lloyd.

I knew you would!

Well, Lloyd was a tough customer

and Bingo's balance sheet takes a £10 loss,

but he's still feeling chipper.

That was the last sale.

I may have lost that little battle,

but have I possibly won the campaign?

I can't wait to find out, Catherine.

That's the spirit, Bingo!

Your canny opponent has one final item to sell, as well,

and it's been causing her sleepless nights.

Well, I don't mind telling you it hasn't been easy

trying to sell this Sunday stick.

First of all, I thought about selling it to a golf club,

but that didn't prove possible.

So, instead I've come to London

to see leading cane specialist Dominic.

Well, I hope she's right,

as it was her most expensive item from the antiques fair,

so there's a lot riding on this.

-Hi, Dominic.

-Hello.

-Fancy seeing you here.

-Nice to see you.

-How are you?

-Wonderful, thank you.

-It's lovely to be here and see all these canes.

-You're very welcome.

I have never actually seen so many canes, all in one place.

I'd love to know how many have you actually got here?

Well, it's a frightening question, and we're asked it often.

And the truth is, I don't really know.

Well, I've got something for you

and I'm hoping you're not going say,

-"Oh, I've got 50 of those. I don't need it."

-Unlikely.

Ah-ha.

Is this a Sunday stick?

You're absolutely right, it is. That's exactly what it is.

They come in different sizes and different shapes,

and this one is one with a traditional wood head.

Sometimes they come with the iron head.

But primarily they were putters.

-So, it's a novelty cane.

-It is.

-Which had a sort of added bonus.

-It did.

And also, it's a good one because it is a genuine Sunday cane.

Sometimes they're just golf putters turned upside down.

So, is it something you'd be interested in?

That's the million-dollar question.

Well, I think it's certainly something we'd be interested in,

certainly the sort of thing we've sold in the past,

-and you better tell me what you're thinking of.

-Right.

I'll be totally honest with you,

I paid £95 for this.

Perhaps we could do...140.

OK. All right. Well, that's really kind.

And... And, for me, it's really fantastic

that it is coming to you, to the right person.

I think it will sit beautifully with the other walking sticks.

Well, it will eventually go to a very good home, I'm sure.

I'm sure. Hopefully, a golfer.

Indeed. Somebody who could practice.

-Well, thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

Catherine banks a tidy £45 profit

on the Sunday stick

and with that our daring duo are sold out.

Before we find out who's the fairest of the fair

and taking home today's trophy,

let's remind ourselves of what they spent in Sussex.

Both our experts took £750 of their own money to the antiques fair.

James bought six items

and spent £470.

Catherine also made six deals,

but spent just over a third

of her budget, at £260.

But now the name of the game is profit.

All of the money James and Catherine have made from today's challenge

will go to charities of their choice.

So, it's finally time to find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Champion!

-Hi, how are you?

-Good.

Fine, thank you. And yourself?

Very good. Very good.

It was the basket challenge.

-I was jealous of your cat baskets, so I had to...

-Jealous of...

-I was!

So I had to buy one myself.

And how did you do?

Erm...

£10. Not great.

What about you?

£25. Is it going to be an omen? Omen!

Ooohh! What about the rest of your items?

-Your lawn sort of thing...

-Lawnmower. Yeah, all right.

I tried. I did... I had the lovely artist set

and I sold that to an artist.

I was hoping for a bit more, but didn't quite get there.

-Shall we see?

-Shall we see?

1, 2, 3... Baskets!

Ooh... Ahhh!

90... 170!

-90?!

-Oh, James...!

-I don't believe it.

-I don't know what happened that day, James.

-I don't know.

Was it the heat that got to you?

-I don't know. The gin and tonics are on you.

-Oh...!

Keep them coming, dear.

Yes, a slam dunk victory for Catherine

and Bingo is left wondering what went wrong.

Ardingly is very much home ground for me,

so the UK antiques fair should have been mine,

but Catherine...

Well, she nigh on doubled what I made!

Well, you may have won the battle of the baskets,

but I won over all,

so watch out, James!

Well, Bingo gets another chance

to knock his opponent off the top spot tomorrow,

in the ultimate antiques challenge -

the mighty Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is showdown!