Caroline Hawley v David Harper - 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...

Elementary, my dear dealers.

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

HE LAUGHS 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...

Urgh. Ready for battle. FANFARE BLARES

..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 biggest, boldest antiques challenge

known to man - the dealing dynamo, David Harper,

goes head-to-head with the Put Your Money newcomer,

Caroline Hawley, in the climax of the week.

Hold on tight, it's the Showdown.

Coming up, Caroline bags herself a bit of bling...

Oh, I like that. I think madam might wear it home.

..David buys something he hates...

It is positively revolting and it makes me want to be sick.

..and all bets are off at the Showdown auction.

My only profit, and it's the worst object I've bought in years.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Brace yourselves, folks, as two wily warriors are about to step

into the arena for an all-out bargain battle.

It's the culmination of a close-run race

and these titans of the trade have one final chance

to flex their marketing muscles and outwit the opposition.

First up, it's a dealing dandy with a keen eye for a bargain.

He's a trading tiger, who pounces on profit

without a moment's hesitation.

All the way from Durham, it's Devilish David Harper.

-It's all about trust in this business. Thank you.

-Thank you.

His opponent today is an auctioneer action woman.

She may be a Put Your Money newbie

but she's been in the trade for years and knows it inside out.

It's the profit-hunting bird of prey,

Caroline "The Hawk" Hawley.

BIRD SCREECHES

So watch out, David, you're going to have your work cut out to beat me.

They both have £1,000 of their own money to spend

across four very different locations.

A car boot sale, an auction, an antiques fair and a foreign market.

But this is the Showdown

so they'll have to choose their eight collectables carefully

as half their booty will be sent to an auction,

where their fate and profit lies in the hands of the bidding public.

Anything can happen but only one dealer will emerge the winner

so, David Harper and Caroline Hawley,

it's time to put your money where your mouth is.

Oh, this is the exciting one, you know that?

-I do know that, David.

-This is the Showdown. The rules are very simple.

You must each buy two items at every one of your regular

Put Your Money challenges and you have, we have, £1,000 to spend.

You can sell up to four items wherever you want.

-All right, yeah. Oh, you're a bit bossy.

-I am indeed.

-Oh, I like it.

The rest will be sold at the Showdown auction in direct competition

-with your opponent. That's you.

-And you,

-yeah.

-And me.

-The winner, that's me...

-Yeah.

-..is the expert...

-That's me.

-Yeah.

-..who makes the most profit.

-That's none of us.

-No. Good luck.

-Good luck to you as well.

-Thank you.

-Come on.

So, poised and ready, it's straight to round one - the car boot sale.

They're on home turf in the North East,

hitting the racecourse at Sedgefield in Teesside,

a weekly boot sale that's relatively new to the calendar.

There's an eclectic choice of goods on offer

but what will our treasure-hunting twosome hone in on?

It seems the Hawk is first up.

-A couple of quid?

-Three.

-Two and it's a deal.

-Go on, then.

-Go on, then.

-Thank you, sir.

-You're welcome.

-Thank you very much.

And quick as a flash that's her first buy in the bag.

10 years ago, I would have sold this all day long... £60, £70, £80.

It's unbelievable. Mahogany, burl walnut top to it.

It's in really good condition.

Bob's your uncle and I can turn £2...

-Well, I can easily times it by 10.

-So the new girl is out of the gates.

Across the boot sale, Devilish has just

sealed his first deal as well,

buying a colourful pot stand for £20.

Well, I've got to tell you, I really do like a nice piece of majolica,

and this actually is a good piece of majolica.

The more I look at it, the more confident I am

that it is late 19th century, 1890s, circa 1900.

It's a bargain at 20 quid

and there should be two or three times that amount easily in profit.

-It's a lovely find.

-That's the kind of maths we like.

Caroline has been busy too and she's spotted a bit of bling.

-What's the absolute best on that?

-To you, £10.

Can I squeeze you a little bit on it?

-What about eight?

-What about five?

-You're packing up, it's late in the day.

-Go on, then.

-Have yourself a bargain.

-Cheers, thank you.

Oh, I like that. I think madam might wear it home.

Impressive haggling, milady. That's half-price.

Just look at this little gem.

I'm thrilled to bits with it. It's absolutely fantastic, isn't it?

Now, I think by the style of this its 1920s, 1930s.

It's gold, nine carat gold,

silver mounted, which shows off these paste stones beautifully.

It's worth £20 of anybody's money.

So the Hawk's got her two car boot bargains.

With the sale drawing to a close,

David moves quickly on something with a weighty price tag.

It's probably a 1960s barometer made out of onyx.

The face is faded, it doesn't work, it's got a lot going for it.

It could involve, possibly, 150 pennies.

-150 big ones.

-Yeah. Yes, you've got it.

-I tell you what I'll do, I'll give you 100 big ones.

-Yes.

-Please take it away.

-Good man.

You've got a deal, the easiest deal of the afternoon.

So the barometer cost him just a pound.

Last of the big spenders, Harper.

No one ever, ever again call me tight.

I bought this absolutely, positively revolting barometer

but only for £1. There's got to be at least 100% margin in that.

And if you can get 100%, you're doing pretty well.

That cheap and cheerful buy brings us to the end

of round one of our Showdown challenge.

Let's take a look at the figures.

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

David has parted with just £21, leaving 979 to play with.

Amazingly, Caroline has spent even less at just £7,

so she has an enormous 993 for the rest of the game.

It's straight into round two - the antique auction.

Our daring duo ahead to Henry Spencer auctions near Nottingham

for a general sale.

Before the sale gets under way,

our treasure hunters have a quick scout around the saleroom.

David spots a potential star.

Now let me show you something that I think can only be described

as the bargain of the century.

It dates to about 1890, 1900, thereabouts.

It's described as an American rocking chair.

£20-£50 will buy you a handmade rocking chair that works

just absolutely...beautifully.

So he marks his catalogue and the sale gets under way.

First up is a silver salver and Caroline decides to give it a go.

1620A is a silver salver by Ebenezer Coker...

-I'm just going to see what this goes for.

-..1763.

We've got £50 to start it. We've got £50. 60, 70...

-But she's not the only one interested.

-80, 90, 100, 110...

No, thanks.

120 in a new place. Are you 130?

130. Are you 140? It'll be sold at £130.

Being sold, 130.

I think that's quite cheap, actually. I mean, 1763, Ebenezer Coker, London.

It's a good thing. It's got a little bit of repair on it

but I think that's OK.

So the Hawk wins the tray and with fees it costs is her £158.60.

Next up, Devilish overhears an antique prayer book

with a whopping £600 estimate, going cheap.

-50?

-I'll get that.

-I've got £50. I've got 60 on the book. 70, 80.

-You 90?

-Yeah.

-I've got 100 on the book. Are you 110?

I've got 120 on the book.

-No.

-Are you 130?

-No.

-One more will get it.

-Go on, then.

-130. Any advance on 130?

Lord only knows what I've just bought.

-GAVEL BANGS

-It looks cheap.

-130.

Well, with commission that's £158.60 but Devilish hopes

he's onto a winner.

It's always exciting to take a punt like this,

My Sermons on Social Life, by William Wood, dated 1775.

With an estimate of 600 - 1000, when the bidding started at £50,

my ears pricked up and I nailed it at 130.

That is the only reason I bought this book.

And, riding high on the success of his first purchase,

David throws his bidding card into the air

for that rocking chair as well...

40.

..and wins it for just over £36 with fees.

So that's Devilish's two auction items in the bag

but Caroline fancies a bit of furniture too

and has her eye on a mixed lot of chairs.

-Yes.

-£5 only bid. I've got eight across here. Are you 10?

10, 12, 15. Are you 18?

The lady on the left at 15. Sold at 15.

-GAVEL BANGS 81.

-Number 81.

So the chairs cost her just over £18 with commission

and she's over the moon.

I'm a really, really happy lady right now.

I bid and bought these two chairs for the princely sum of £15.

After the sale I found out, to my joy,

that these two were thrown in free, effectively.

So now I've got four chairs and these two are at better than these.

-so I'm really thrilled. Chuffed to bits.

-Well, isn't that a result?

So, their quickfire bidding bonanza brings us

to the halfway point in our epic Showdown.

But what dents have they made in their coffers?

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

David's four purchases have cost him £216.20

so he's got just under £784 left to play with.

Caroline has spent a bit less at £183.90

so she has just over £816 in her kitty.

Round three is the antiques fair

and our trading terriers are at Detling, near Maidstone in Kent.

They have 400 stalls to plunder

so our brave profit hunters throw themselves into the fray.

Devilish hones straight in on a wooden cart

and seals the deal for £50.

Here we have a quirky, odd, mid-20th century cart.

German, hardwood. It's a lot of fun. I love its original condition.

Original tin wheels with the original paint flaking off.

It's only cost 50 quid. Come on, can you imagine making that for 50 quid?

Never, ever, ever. So, in that regard, it's a little bargain.

Well, he's a happy purchaser.

Across the market,

Caroline's just sealed the deal on her first buy too.

But what is it?

-So £6?

-£6. Thank you.

-Thank you very much, sir.

Well, I've taken some corks out of wine bottles in my time

but this is a French wine bottle cork putter-inner.

The cork goes in here.

You can see it tapered down and then you push this

and the cork would go into the bottle and seal the bottle.

That's lovely. I don't think it's got huge age to it.

I think it's probably 1950s, '60s

and a useful object should you want to re-cork your wine bottle.

Well, cheers to that. On the other side of the market,

David has found an unusual wooden item too.

-Is it a tenner?

-No, no.

-How much is it?

-35.

-Can it be 20? I'll have it at 20.

-Yeah.

-Good man.

Thank you very much. OK. Hang on, I'll hold onto that. You take 20.

-See, it's all about trust in this business. Thank you.

-You're welcome.

So that's Devilish's two market buys in the bag

and he's feeling confident.

It's obviously Chinese. It's certainly Buddhistic.

Here we've got featured a Shishi dog, or a dog of foe,

or a lion Buddhistic dog.

These are protector dogs. They look totally fearsome

but the owner of this lid,

because that's what it is, it's just a lid off a barrel of some sort,

this dog was placed there to protect him and his family.

Fantastic significance.

All hand-carved, hardwood, the perfect auction lot for £20.

David is bought up but Caroline needs to find

one more Showdown star and she's spotted a likely contender.

I just came across your bench. I think it's great.

-It's been re-wooded, hasn't it? If that's the word.

-It has. By myself.

-Covered in sycamore.

-Yeah? And what's your best price on it?

-£380 would be the best price.

-Is that absolutely the best?

-That's it, yes.

-I'm going to have a think and I'll come back to you.

-No problem.

-Thank you very much.

Yes, it's a whopping price tag but a moment later Caroline

has a change of heart and decides the bench is too good to pass up.

-380, I'll have it.

-Yeah, OK. Thank you.

-Thank you.

-That trebles her total spend so far,

and the Hawk is on a high.

I'm thrilled to bits with this 19th-century iron bench. It's lovely.

re-slatted in sycamore, great condition all over,

heavy, heavy, heavy. I can hardly lift it.

This would look fantastic in anybody's garden.

So that brings us to the end of round three

of this Showdown supernova.

Time for another look at the figures.

Both our experts started the Showdown with £1,000

of their own money.

David has now spent £286.20

so has a whopping £713 to take through to round four.

Caroline's pricey bench rocketed her total spend so far to £569.90.

So she has just over £430 left to play with.

Their fourth and final chance to buy is the foreign antiques market.

Our bargain-hunting Brits exchange their pounds for euros

and head over the Channel to Saint-Ouen market

in the north of Paris.

Both are poised to pounce on any potential profit

that comes their way.

Well, I've just got two more items to buy

and I've got just under half the money left.

This is absolutely the place to do it.

Caroline has a trick up her sleeve as she speaks fluent French.

But Devilish has his own Parisian plan.

I'm going to try and find something fabulously flamboyant

and fabulously French. I don't speak the language but who cares?

Money talks.

So, relying on the international language of hard cash,

Devilish tries his hand at a retro, '70s, plastic desk.

What kind of price can it be? Combien, monsieur?

-Cent quatre vingt... 190.

-190.

I suppose I could always make a cheeky bid

but you know when sometimes you get the sense

that somebody just doesn't like you?

Do you know what I mean?

Yeah. Exactly. I'm getting it, getting the vibe.

It could be my fashion sense. It may well be the trousers.

They somehow have an adverse act on him.

Maybe he's jealous of the way I look.

So I think a bid is coming.

Could it be... I'd like to try and buy it.

Can it be 120?

Um... No. 190 is the best price.

Is it? It is positively revolting and it makes me want to be sick

but it does have a good style.

Could it be 150?

OK, for 170, it's the last price.

He's a hard man. 160?

-OK.

-OK. Good man. Do you like me now?

-Say yes.

-Yes.

-Yes.

Yes. I don't believe him.

That's just over £131 sterling and Devilish is in retro heaven.

Or is it hell?

On a quality level it's positively revolting

but as a design thing, it's got it.

It's got the colour and it's got the look

and actually, it's got the rarity.

So this baby, I feel, is heading right to the centre of the universe.

It's going to London town.

Across the other side of this Parisian market,

Caroline has hounded down her first item too.

Time to flex those French phrases.

C'est combien le peigne noir?

Bon. Pour moi, quinze? Vous pouvez le faire quinze?

-OK.

-D'accord?

-Oui.

-C'est bon.

-D'accord.

-Merci, merci.

So, to translate, the comb cost her 15 euros, which works out at £12.30

and the Hawk is a happy haggler.

Look at my little comb. Isn't he gorgeous?

Complete with his little winter jacket.

Faux tortoiseshell, which to you and I is plastic.

A little diamante eye there. Just perfect for the auction.

It's unique. I've never, ever seen one.

You might ask who wants to see one but I think loads of people

would like this baby. I love him. Woof woof.

So our marvellous marketeers both need one final item

to complete their Showdown haul.

And it's Devilish David who's next to pounce,

when he spots a wooden projector mould.

So how much could it be for me to buy it?

Alors. I can... Five.

-Five. Five euros?

-No, five, zero.

Oh, five, zero. OK. Can we do it for four, zero?

-If you want four, zero...

-I do want 40, very badly. Thank you very much.

And the same to you. Exactly.

That works out at just under £33 and Harper's happy.

It's a home projector, isn't it, from the 1920s,

so the mould that would make the Bakelite casing

and even these little sections here,

would be where the switches and the dials would be.

It's a fascinating object and as a piece of art,

actually, I think yes, it works perfectly well.

I might just give it a bit of a wax

and it will no doubt take me on an interesting journey

to find out more about projectors of that period and to try and find

some crazy collector who will want that more than life itself.

So, David's done and dusted but hawk-eyed Caroline

has spotted piece of silver and quickly seals the deal

for just over £20.

It's a little, English, silver bonbon dish made in Birmingham,

not a million miles from where I live in the UK

so I think this is great. 1901, 1900. Fantastic.

So, there we have it.

Four epic locations, eight superstar items each.

But who's destined for stardom

and who will be hanging their head in Showdown shame?

Before we catch up with our daring dealers,

let's see the final spending figures.

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

David kept his spending on the low-down,

parting with less than half his budget at £450.

Caroline was more flash with the cash, spending a total of £602.69.

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

-I can't believe, Caroline, that's it, the buying is over.

-No, I can't.

-It's gone so quickly.

-Hasn't it just?

-And where has your favourite place been?

-Paris. No question, Paris.

-Me too.

-It's been great.

I just had a brilliant time, a really brilliant time.

Favourite object, and which is going to make the most profit?

I think what will make the most profit is a little ring,

-a silver and gold ring I bought at the car boot sale for a fiver.

-Yeah.

-My new favourite item bought today...

-Yeah, what is it?

And you're not going to believe it.

It is the abominable, positively revolting,

-early 1970s, plastic dressing table and chair.

-Yeah, it is.

-I'm looking forward to the auction.

-Yeah, so am I.

-I shall see you there

and in the meantime good luck with the rest of the sales.

-Same to you, David.

-Off you go.

Well, our dealers have many hurdles to jump

before they reach the saleroom.

It's time for them to showcase their best selling skills

and eke out every penny of profit from their treasures.

But the stakes have never been higher,

as with the Showdown auction looming, the pressure's on

to arrive with as much profit as possible in the bank.

Because then they're at the mercy of the bidding public

so the decision over what goes into the auction is absolutely critical.

At Devilish HQ, the responsibility is playing on David's mind.

Crikey. What a motley collection you see before you.

The early 1970s plastic lump of dreadfulness.

Quality? It doesn't know quality. It's never heard the word quality

but it's got the look and the design and the colour.

The object next to it is completely different.

It's almost 100 years earlier.

It's a big lump of majolica and that is the perfect auction lot.

That should make profit in the saleroom

and, keeping on the theme of auctions,

and talking about making profit,

if I don't make a profit on that barometer that cost me £1,

then there is really, seriously something wrong with the world.

The Chinese barrel lid - that just screams saleroom

with good online images that may well just take off.

So the thing with auction is you've got to choose objects

that you can't really value.

And who on earth can value that?

A wooden mould for a 1920s Bakelite home cinema projector?

Very, very exciting.

But let's talk about things that are not exciting.

That thing.

Bought in auction, my 18th-century book, I bought it blind

and I know people criticise me for doing this and I can tell you,

I've made plenty of money in my time doing that

but on occasions it all goes drastically wrong.

It looks like it's absolutely rubbish.

So, his early research on the book isn't looking good.

He also has to sell his wooden cart and American rocking chair.

Over in East Yorkshire, Caroline has been getting

a second opinion on her antique haul.

Mamba and I have been going through my Showdown items.

He's given his opinion on one or two things.

He's particularly keen on the dog comb,

complete with his jacket and little diamante eye.

Now, that's definitely going to go into auction.

I think that's got legs. Also for auction is this ring.

Would you believe, 1920s, nine carat gold and silver, paste set,

very fashionable look at the moment and I paid £5 for it?

Also for auction is this little, silver bonbon dish.

Not a lot of money and I had to say probably not a lot of profit.

And the final thing I've chosen for auction

is this French, little corker here.

The chairs, now that's an interesting lot.

I'm going to be hard-pressed to get a buyer that wants all of them

but I'm going to do my damnedest.

And the bench is Victorian, latter part of the 19th century.

It is so heavy but I think somebody will love this

and it will make a good profit.

She also needs buyers for her walnut table and silvers salver.

But before they tackle the auction,

first they need to sell everything else.

So it's time to hit the phones, travel the countryside

and hunt down the very best buyers.

Any profits will go straight to charity.

And remember, until they've shaken on it, no deal is ever sealed.

Caroline gets straight to work and hotfoots it to Hull,

where she's sent her £18 collection of chairs.

Three are arts and crafts and one is Victorian

and they're coming under the scrutiny

of furniture restorer, Steve.

-Hi, Steve.

-Hi, Caroline.

-Aren't these fab?

Well, this is a lovely shape.

The problem with these commercially is that it costs £65 per chair

to have a new rush seat put on so we will probably sell those

as they are with a bit of repair.

So what about the fourth one?

It's a good quality, very strong Victorian chair

with a nice piece of '50s cover on it

but really no commercial value.

Isn't it extraordinary, Steve, that this Victorian piece

is so out of fashion at the moment as opposed to these

arts and crafts style which are very much of the moment

and very desirable?

Yeah, everybody wanted to live in a Victorian cottage, didn't they?

-Yeah, they did.

-And now everybody wants to live in a loft.

-Right, so these three...

-Yeah.

-Are they worth 20 quid a piece to you?

-No, sadly they're not.

-Right.

Let's go 50 for the lot and we've got a deal.

-OK, you've got yourself a deal.

-Thank you, Caroline.

-Thank you, Steve.

Well, the Hawk didn't even haggle on that one

so leaves with £31.70 profit.

And she hits the ground running, going straight on to sell

her walnut side table that she paid £2 for to regular customer, Mark,

for £40, giving him a place to rest his drink

and for her, a very tidy profit of £38.

David started his profit quest off close to home

at a farm shop near Barnard Castle.

He sold owner, Pete, his wooden cart for £120,

which works out as a £70 profit.

But now he's headed down to The Big Smoke.

I'm at a company in London called Theme Traders

and they rent out props to TV, film, and to parties.

Welcome to London.

Devilish is hoping his '70s desk might join their collection.

It cost him over £131 but will project manager, Millie, be a fan?

-Now, you must be Millie.

-Hi, David. Nice to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you. Have you had a good look at it?

-Yes, I have.

-So it's a '70s piece?

-It's early '70s, about 1972, I reckon.

-OK.

I love the shape and the design.

It just screams that period, doesn't it?

-And the colour, beige and brown...

-Yeah.

-..which is trendy again now.

Interestingly enough, in a couple of weeks' time

we've got, kind of, a children's party but it's very retro.

The parents are doing something quite different there

-so I think this might actually work.

-So it'll work for you?

-Yeah.

So it's down to money, If I can tempt you?

-300 is the figure I have in mind.

-OK.

-Do you have a figure in mind?

I was looking more at around the 200 mark.

Um... 275.

225 but that is, kind of, final.

-250.

-225.

-Is that it?

-225.

-It will have a good home, we'll look after it.

-Go on. 225.

-Thank you very much.

-No worries.

Well, Millie stood firm

but David still leaves with nearly £94 profit on the desk.

Back near Beverley, Caroline is hot on his heels.

She's sold her silver salver to collector, Tommy,

for a sparkling £260...

-OK.

-Thank you very much.

-260.

..which banks her over £101 profit, more than doubling her total so far.

But now she has to focus all her energy on selling

her pricey £380 bench.

She's sent it ahead to the show home of a new housing development

near Hull and is here to meet company owner, Peter.

-Hello, Caroline.

-Hi. How are you?

-How do you do?

Now, I've got this bench along to show you, Peter.

Now, it's Victorian. The base of it is solid cast iron.

I've left it in its original condition.

-It's been re-wooded in sycamore.

-I rather like the sycamore.

I think this natural effect would look good in this garden

and it goes with the whole look of the garden.

-This, in a retail outlet would be quite a lot of money.

-Yes.

600, 700-ish. But I'm not asking that.

-Could you do, sort of, 550?

-Would you take...

450?

I can't do 450. 480 and it's a deal.

That would be as much as I could go to

-but if you'd go at 480 we'll do it.

-480. Brilliant.

-Deal?

You have yourself a deal, Peter.

-Thank you, Caroline.

-Thank you very much.

She's done it. That's a round £100 profit

for our auctioneer extraordinaire.

So, Caroline is sitting pretty with some chunky profits in the bank.

Down in London, David is tackling his book of sermons.

He's worried it's worth less than the £160 he paid at auction

so he's brought it to an antiquarian bookshop to show owner, Etan,

and book specialist, Klaus.

-This is a book from 1775. I sent you the details of it.

-You did.

-You haven't actually seen it physically.

-No.

-So have you carried out some research?

-Yeah, absolutely.

It's a bit outside of our field of theology, local history

-but it's a nice thing to have.

-OK.

Looking at the period of people publishing their sermons

like 1750s to 1775, say,

books of that nature sell between

£50 and £220 at the most.

-I think we should start off with a nice upfront bid.

-Go on.

-75.

-75.

-ETAN WHIMPERS

-OK. Show a bit of compassion, Etan.

I think we could certainly go up to £100, no problem.

-Really? Can I tell you the truth?

-Yeah.

-OK.

It owes me 160 with auction commission.

I think because it is in really good condition,

-the very best we can do is 135.

-Etan...

-It's not a very big loss.

It's not a big loss. I'm going to take your offer.

-Klaus, it's been a pleasure.

-Same here.

-Thank you very much, guys.

Well, David takes a £23.60 hit but he feels is a lucky escape.

Wow. Well, I think I got out of that by the skin of my teeth.

Yes, it's a bit of a loss but it could have been much worse.

And it's just confirmed to me that, actually,

living life by the seat of your pants and buying things

in auction blind, without knowing what they are, is the way to do it.

It's the way I've always done it and, you know what,

I'm always going to continue doing it too.

He has better luck though when he sells his American rocking chair

to an upholsterer's in Darlington for stock in their shop...

-75.

-Go on.

-Mwah.

..doubling his money and adding another £38.40 to his balance sheet.

So, with both our experts ready to hit the auction,

let's see who's sitting on the comfiest profit cushion.

David has sold four items but taking into account his loss

on the book, his profit pot stands at over £178.

But Caroline is out in front.

She's made four solid sales and banked profits of over £271.

So, the Showdown auction is crucial for David if he's going

to catch his rival and that's a nerve-racking position to be in.

Caroline has got nearly £100 head-start

so Devilish better hope the auction gods are smiling on him.

Our pair's remaining items are going under the hammer

at Moore Allen & Innocent in Cirencester.

From now on their profits are in the hands of the auctioneers

and the bidding public so how are they feeling?

-Good morning. Look at you. You look fantastic.

-Thank you.

-And you don't look so bad yourself, David.

-Well, I've had a bath.

It does help, doesn't it? What about you? Have you made lots of money?

I have. Some items I've done really well on,

some I've just scraped out of...

-Yeah.

-So there's...

-A bit ambiguous.

Yeah, but there's all to play for today

but I'm not expect huge profits today,

but I do think all of my items are going to make a little bit.

I love this bit. This is the best bit for me. It is so exciting.

Well, we're completely out of control.

-Don't you love being out of control?

-I do actually, yeah.

Yeah, and talking of being out of control,

the barometer is beyond belief. It will make it profit.

If that doesn't make a profit, I'm giving up.

Oh, no. I shouldn't say that, should I? Cos if it doesn't make...

-That might be me giving up.

-It might not. Come on, let's go and see.

But before the sale gets under way,

our dealers take the chance to check out each other's lots.

This hideous barometer that David bought for £1 at the car boot sale

should have stayed there.

You can't even see the lettering on the dial.

And the auctioneers estimate is £30-£50. What?

Well, what can I say?

It's a silver, little bonbon dish. Edwardian, I don't know, 1910.

Somewhere around there.

It is silver, it's so light it's like a feather.

If you dropped it, it would just bend.

You could squeeze it and crush it if you wanted to.

Basically, it's dull and it's boring.

This stand of David's, I don't think it's 19th-century

any more than I am, to be honest.

I think it's a modern, Chinese copy that's fresh off the boat.

And the estimate is £50-£80. I wouldn't give it 50 quid myself.

I think it's more 20, 25, but we shall see.

This comb is an absolute sweetheart. It's faux tortoiseshell

in the form of a dog wearing its little body warmer.

It is a sweetheart. It's going to do well but, come on.

Who on earth wants to buy a comb? I mean, would you, sir, buy a comb?

I don't really need one but there has been some interest in it

-and it's a nice thing.

-That's very disappointing.

Put that at the back so no-one can see it. Good man.

Oi, enough of your sneaky tricks, Devilish.

It's time to take your places now

and our duo can only watch as the auction gets under way.

Lot number one, which is the seven box of assorted China...

Up first is David's majolica plant stand, which cost him £20.

-I don't like it.

-How dare you?

-I don't see it.

-Why?

Well, lots of reasons. We haven't got enough time

-to talk about them but it's coming up.

-£30.

Got to be £30. 20 then. £20 for the urn stand.

Chinese urn stand for £20.

20 a bid. Right in front of me at £20. Five now. At £20 it is here.

-At £20, are you all done?

-No!

-Right, 25.

-Oh!

-30 if you like, sir.

-30, 35.

-Come on. A bit more makes a profit.

-No. Surely not.

-Go on.

Are you all sure now at 35? Number 27.

Oh, that's a bit of a loss, it's a bit of a loss.

Yes, he may have made £35 on the hammer

but when you deduct the saleroom fees it works out at a £3.94 loss.

David's projector mould struggles too.

At £45 on the right. At £45 are you all sure?

-Oh, I missed it. No!

-David.

-Oh, this isn't looking good.

That's another £8.70 loss after commission.

Over to Caroline now as her £6 bottle corker goes under the hammer.

-Well, now you're on.

-I know. And it's quite nerve wracking, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-20 to get on.

-Come on.

-£20.

-Please.

-A tenner. It's got to be £10.

-Thank you.

-I've got £10, now 12. 15, 18, 20.

-How much do I need? 19.

-That's £25.

-Yes!

-30 anywhere?

-A little be more.

It's all over, it's 25.

-Yes!

-Well done. At least someone is making a profit.

Yes, but again, after fees that's just a small profit

of just over £2.

Next up is David's Chinese barrel lid, which he bought for £20.

-£5 a bid there at 5. Any of you like that? 5 here.

-Go on.

-All that carving for a fiver?

-Go on.

-That's cheaper than firewood.

-I know.

At 10, 12, 15. At 15...

-Oh, it's taken off.

-18, 20.

-Go on, madam.

-At £20, are you all sure?

-You are absolutely pathetic.

-Oh, David.

-Do you want a tissue?

-I do. I do.

-Aw.

The hammer price was the same amount he paid for it at the antiques fair

but with costs he loses almost £16.

So will his cheapest purchase have any better luck?

So my barometer's on next.

Now, if I'm lucky, the Porter might drop it

-and I'd get an insurance claim.

-Yeah, 30 to 50.

-That is the best chance, David.

-A tenner.

-Oh, my gosh.

-£10. At £10...

-A lady with taste.

10 quid. I need 13 to get my money back. Come on.

-15, at 18...

-You're in profit.

-He's bidding, he's bidding.

-Go on, madam.

-18.

-She's the one that you put the witch's spell on.

-At 25.

-30 if you like now.

-You're doing really well. She's doing it, yes!

-No, no!

-You are the top witch!

-Well...that is brilliant.

My only profit and it's the worst object I've bought in years.

Finally at over £11 after fees, that's a first and only profit

for David and ends his selling on a high.

So, now all he can do is watch and wait as the Hawk's

three remaining lots go before the room.

First up, the vintage ring.

-It cost me £5.

-I know. Was that at the car boot?

-Yeah, the car boot.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's nine carat gold.

-Tenner.

-Oh, come on.

-Two quid!

-£10.

-Shut up.

-At £10 I have...

-Thank you.

-£12 at 12.

-10? You're off.

-15 if you like now.

-You've been putting spells...

-Surely.

-At £12, 15, at 18. 20 if you like now. At £18.

-Thank you.

-20. Come on.

-I cant believe it.

-Just one more. Just one more!

-I'm doing my best.

-Spill them.

-Go, go!

-There you go, it works.

-5.

-That's ridiculous.

-At 25, 30 now? 25.

-Yes.

-Yes!

-I actually think you need a round of applause for that one.

Well, the Hawk's over the moon with her small

but perfectly formed profit of just over £3.

Her silver bonbon dish doesn't prove as popular though.

At 30. £30, that's it I'm afraid.

And it's a first loss for the Hawk denting her coffers by £8.43.

-That's your first loss?

-It is my first loss.

-How does it feel?

-Great, isn't it?

-It feels dreadful, David.

With just the dog-shaped comb to sell,

will it make more than £12 purchase price and end the day on a high?

-Now, this is our last one.

-It is.

-Our last object.

-It's going to be a good'un.

-At £5.

-Who says plastic doesn't sell well?

-It's got a jacket.

-At £5 a bid here.

-Faux tortoiseshell.

-8. At £8.

-10, at 10.

-Oh, they're off.

-At 12, 15 if you like now.

-Yes, yes, yes!

-Oh.

-18 is that?

At 15. 15.

-What's the situation there? Have you made a loss?

-Yes.

Oh, darling. That is such a shame.

Oh, he seems quite pleased with that

but for Caroline it's not the best end to the day

with a loss of £12.27.

It seems the bidders weren't digging deep today

and both our dealers have come out bruised and battle-weary.

That's such a shame. Such a shame. Come on.

They started their Herculean challenge

with £1,000 of their own money.

David "Devilish" Harper spent just £450.14 on his eight items.

Caroline "the Hawk" Hawley spent quite a bit more at over £602.

All of the money that David and Caroline

have made from today's challenge will go to charities

of their choice so without further ado let's find out

who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Showdown champion.

-Oh, Caroline. I'll tell you what...

-Hi, David.

-..I am now feeling absolutely, dreadfully nervous.

-Oh, dear.

-So how did your selling go?

-All right, all right.

I did well on two items. Do you remember the bench?

-Yeah.

-Beautiful, Victorian bench.

And the silver salver, do you remember that?

-Oh, I do. That was nice.

-I did quite nicely on that one.

-Oh, no.

I know where this is going, I just know it.

No, no, but the rest... OK. What about you?

Tell me, that book you bought, how did that do?

Oh, the book. Well, that was going to be a disaster

but it didn't turn out to be

as disastrous as I thought although I did make a loss on it.

-Are you ready?

-Go on then.

-OK.

-Three.

-Two.

-One.

-One. Oh, I daren't. I daren't.

Oh, my goodness me. You got me.

So the Hawk swoops in and secures another victory

but our experts have been banking profits over a whole week

of challenges so who's made the most overall?

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Three.

-Two.

-Two. One.

-One...

-What have I got? Oh!

-1,273!

Seriously, seriously, well done. And I'll tell you what,

-hasn't it been brilliant?

-It has been such fun, David.

-I've loved it.

Yes, the Put Your Money new girl is victorious. Hawk, the heroine.

Between them, our duo have made just over £2,400

and every last penny is going straight to good causes.

My chosen charity is Macmillan Cancer support,

a nationwide charity offering help

and practical advice to people with cancer and also for their families.

My chosen charity is Mires Beck Nursery

and they provide training and work experiences

for people with learning difficulties and disabilities.

And our daring duo can have a well-earned rest now.

It's been a week of hard haggles

and our brave experts have really put their money

where their mouths are and proved their skills, making a profit

from buying and selling antiques and collectables

when their own money is on the line.