James Braxton v Kate Bliss - 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.

Let's make hay while that sun shines.

Each week, one pair of duelling dealers will face

a different daily challenge.

I've got a heavy profit here.

Putting their reputations on the line...

Who's there?

They'll give you the insider's view of the trade...

..along with top tips and savvy secrets...

That could present a problem, I think.

..showing you how to make the most money...

Ready for battle!

..from buying and selling.

Get in there!

Coming up, Butterfingers Bliss shows how not to handle antiques.

Ooh! Ooh! Oh, I'm so sorry!

James reveals that you need to look to the past if you want

up-to-the minute interiors...

This has survived since the early 1960s and I think this is sort of

bang-on trend.

And Confident Kate's not too shy to blow her own trumpet.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Today, we're at Hemswell car boot in Lincolnshire,

where our treasure trackers are up bright and early in a bid to uncover

some serious boot-sale spoils

and brush the dust off the best bargains.

First up, it's the Indiana Jane of today's antiques dig.

She's armed to the teeth with expert knowledge

and she won't rest till

the rarest relics are nestled safely in her satchel.

It's Kate "Absolute" Bliss.

I think it's time to go up a gear and get this in the bag.

Her rival is a veteran raider of the lost artefacts,

whose enviable experience keeps his eye on the prize and his mind on

the profits. He wants the best idols and won't stop until he's got them.

It's James "Bingo" Braxton.

I think I'm going to beat that Bliss.

They've each got £250 of their own money to spend

and all the profits go to their chosen charities, so here we go -

James Braxton and Kate Bliss,

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

-Hello, Kate.

-Hi! Well, this is exciting, isn't it?

It all happens up north.

It does. Well, Lincolnshire, 800 stalls.

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

-800 stalls. And £250 to spend.

Yeah. So, what's your strategy, then?

I'll buy quickly - small, portable things, I think.

-OK.

-Cheap.

-You're not going for the big furniture this time?

-No, no.

-OK.

Too much work. Never buy work, Kate.

What about you? Small and precious?

Well, actually, maybe not small and precious, unless it leaps out at me,

-of course.

-Are you giving me some kind of code, Kate?

-What's going on?

-But I think I'm going to go for something a bit wacky.

-Wacky?

-Yeah.

-OK.

What, plastic, '50s?

No, a bit wackier than that.

-Good luck.

-Best of luck, best of luck.

It's set to be a painstaking and precise hunt for heirlooms.

Kate has had a quick scoot around the outdoor and indoor stalls

and has formulated her plan.

They look like quite established stalls inside, whereas outside here,

all the action's happening.

Car boots are arriving all the time and I think this is where

the fresh-to-the-market stuff that I want is.

So, outdoorsy Kate is resolutely sticking to the antiques-rich atmosphere

of the exterior stalls.

And what about James?

Does he think he's forged a winning system?

My tactic today is just to engage the stallholder, draw them out,

see what sort of goodies they've got

lying on their little blue tarpaulins.

So, Bingo's on the charm offensive, is he?

Well, we all know flowers are a good start.

Look at this! What are these? Sunflowers?

Well, I hope so, yeah.

Nice bit of oak, isn't it?

Is this your own work, madam?

-No, it isn't.

-It isn't?

-No.

There it is, the old Braxton charisma in full effect.

And it seems to be working.

Yeah, I think it's rather attractive.

You've got the taste. I like it.

-How much have you got on it?

-Well, I'd probably ask about 14.

14? Really?

I think it's really nice.

They're not real flowers, Bingo!

How about a tenner, madam?

-Yeah, go on. Seeing as it's you.

-Go on!

Oh, you lovely lady!

-OK, cheers.

-You lovely lady!

He parts with £10 for the painting

and Bingo the Bewitcher made that look easy.

Well, it's nice to find an antique at a car boot.

And this certainly fulfils it.

It's a nice fielded panel, painted on oak.

When was it painted?

Well, it has a really Edwardian feel.

It reminds me...you know, if you were going to encapsulate a garden,

a garden near me in East Sussex is Great Dixter,

and this really is Great Dixter, the extension was Edwin Lutyens,

sort of natural products,

these lovely flowers there...

That's who I need to sell it to - I need to sell it to a great gardener.

Yes, jubilant James thinks he can smell a profit in his first purchase.

What a positive start to the day.

Across the market, Kate is also having a smashing time.

Look at this - this is a copy of a Faberge egg.

What a shame it's not the real one.

Ooh! I'm so sorry!

Thank goodness it's not a real one, Kate!

Am I banned? Nothing broken!

Better move on quick, Kate, before you get chucked out.

A pair of knightly bottle toppers has caught her eye,

and she sets out on a crusade to rescue them.

-How much are these?

-You can have them for a tenner.

Let's have a little look. I thought I saw a bit of damage on there,

but I'm just going to check that out.

Yeah.

Will you do a fiver, just because there's a bit of a nick on the top?

Yeah, I'll take a fiver.

Done.

-Thank you.

-Good luck with them.

-Thank you.

Kate slashes the price in half,

and without even clashing swords with the vendor.

But before the money's out of her pocket, she spots something else.

-Isn't that fun?

-I think it's to do with the Teddy Bear Club.

It says silver.

A little club medallion or something?

-Never seen one of those before.

-I haven't.

I'll give you a tenner for the two.

Yes? Great.

Brilliant.

Don't need any change.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much. Have a good day.

-Cheers.

-Great! Two buys in one.

Indeed, and with that,

Miss Bliss has leapt in front of her rival and leads two items to one.

I think I have got a bargain here.

The first thing, a pair of bottle pourers, so they act like stoppers,

but you flip up the novelty visors on these helmets

and you can actually pour through them.

They're not very old, but I think they're great fun.

Silver plate, and there's got to be a profit there.

But the second thing is really interesting.

Now, I've never seen one of these before.

It's a little lapel fob, so you would wear it through your buttonhole.

And on the medallion here it says,

"The Most Cheerful Order of Merrythoughts."

Now, Merrythought was a company producing soft toys from the 1930s,

based in Shropshire, and it particularly specialised in teddy bears.

I think this is great fun.

It's probably silver, and the little wishbone

on the end here is going to be my good-luck charm.

Yes, and you may need that luck,

as James has only gone and found a...

let's say a vintage chair?

It's got a really good look, hasn't it?

And Bingo knows the best way to secure a seat is to sit on it.

This has a good house-clearance feel about it.

It is house-clearance stuff.

How much is that... How much is this chair?

-35.

-Oh, it goes back, as well, look.

So it has two settings.

Do you know, I'm getting quite excited about this chair now,

because not only does it fold, but it also has two settings.

I've just found it out.

Madam! Come over here, tell me about this folding chair.

Good look, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's survived, as well.

-Well, yeah. Yeah, it's a good chair.

The thing is, well,

it's still got its plastic.

Yeah, a bit grubby, but apart from that, it's all right, isn't it?

Yeah, clean up good, scrub up lovely.

And would you take 30 for it?

-I will take 30.

-You've got 30, madam.

These are the antiques of the future.

Well, they're the antiques of now, madam, aren't they, now?

-Absolutely, sir.

-Blimey.

Yeah, blimey indeed. So much for only buying small items!

Bingo's, um, "antique" chair is his for £30 and, as with so many things

from the '60s, it's really set off his imagination.

Do you know, this has got...

It's very Bond-like, this.

This is early '60s, isn't it?

It has that sort of Dr No, Goldfinger look about it.

It's painted gold, the frame is all gold,

and it's got this rather fun sort of plastic.

Very simple way of upholstering a chair.

It's just a cord that is wrapped

round and round and round, and the gold

and the light blue looks really good, it looks really sunny,

it looks very sort of American and it's just a really clever design.

Look, I just fold it up like that, I just put it down, shake it,

and there we are! Go on, Dad, you sit down.

And, oh! It's in the reclining mode.

So you just bring these two things up here, just bring it around,

slap them down and then you're sitting up.

What a lovely piece.

This has survived since the early 1960s and I think this is sort of

bang on trend.

This is retro, vintage, it's folding, and I'm off.

I'm going to go and enjoy the sun.

Yeah, watch you don't trap your Goldfinger in there.

The man with the Midas touch

is jolly excited about his retro recliner,

and he's not the only one in a tizzy, because Miss Bliss,

as predicted by James, has found a stall full of bling and is besotted.

Look at that. Cor, look at that!

Oh, you've got earrings to match. Ooh!

I quite fancy these.

I love the colours in that.

There's not a lot she doesn't like here.

Our treasure hunter has struck gold.

So what could you do if I took...

I can't decide whether that one or that one.

A fiver for the two.

-Fiver for the two?

-Yeah.

That's nice.

OK. Fiver for the two?

-Yeah.

-Done. Thank you very much. Lovely.

Kate has somehow restrained herself from emptying the whole stall,

and nabbed two necklaces for a bargain £5.

Now, these two bits of costume jewellery certainly

don't have much age about them,

but they've got a lovely look about them,

and the reason I bought them is, this one particularly

is a little bit in the style

of an American costume jewellery designer

who was working in the 1920s right through to the '60s - Miriam Haskell.

Now, Haskell pieces are highly desirable,

so I've bought these as a bit of fun.

So, Miss Bliss has made a light-hearted purchase,

but what of our veteran deal-doer James Braxton?

He's bound to be taking things a lot more seriously...

See, this is value for money, isn't it?

..or not!

Eight quid. Don't look so shocked, sir.

That is very good, isn't it? Very comfy.

-Oh, yeah, that's the one.

-That's the one, isn't it?

That's very nice.

-Cos you've got to dress accordingly for any event, haven't you?

-Absolutely.

You look very fine.

With Kate in the lead, it's time for James to swap that hat for his thinking cap,

cast his net wide and see what he can catch.

He's got a nibble.

That's quite cool, isn't it?

For a chippy.

Now, how much have you got on it?

-12 quid.

-Would you take a tenner for it?

I've got a tenner. Come on. Like that.

Bingo got his pincers into that little pot, and he wouldn't let go.

But what is it?

So, this is a salt shaker.

Often single hole for salt, you can regulate.

Salt's not so good for you, so you don't want too much.

If you have lots of holes, it's generally for dusting sugar

over strawberries or whatever.

What attracted me to it is, one, the feel of it -

it's got this fabulous eggshell glaze.

And it's got a great motif.

But I love the lobster. Look at that, nice, red lobster.

We've got the lobster pot, we've got stylised fish.

Sort of era, '60s, '70s.

It's got a great retro look,

and a retro fish-and-chip shop would absolutely love this.

And it was mine for a tenner.

And with that, our dealers are neck and neck with three buys apiece.

We're at the halfway mark,

so let's see who is leading and who is floundering.

Both our dealers arrived with £250 of their own money to spend.

James has spent £50 so far, leaving £200 in his kitty.

Kate, however, has spent considerably less - just £15 -

leaving her with a much larger £235 for the rest of the day.

Hey. You found the sausages!

Yeah. I've had such a good morning, I've been strolling around.

-Really?

-And I'm just restoring the minerals now.

-Are you?

-Yeah. Have you been inside?

Yeah, I've been inside all the time, actually.

Some great stuff in there. Definitely worth a look.

-You're giving me a bum steer, aren't you?

-Am I?

-Are you?

JAMES LAUGHS

I stayed in the sunshine and I managed to find bits and bobs.

-Yeah?

-I think the youngest item I bought is about 50 years old, and I bought some antiques.

-Yeah? I found the odd one, I have to say.

-Have you?

-Sun's come out - I'm feeling quite relaxed.

What, small and precious? Or not?

No, not, actually. Little bit of shiny stuff, blingy stuff.

-Any furniture?

-No furniture yet.

-Really?

-How about you?

Yeah, I've bought some furniture.

-Yeah?

-No other clues, though, Kate.

-OK.

-No other clues.

All right. Well, I'm off for one of those.

Well, good luck.

Well, what a shocker.

Sneaky old Kate's trying to send her rival on a wild goose chase indoors,

while James is playing secret squirrels over his stash.

Mind games are rife today.

Poor old Kate.

There's still the same smile, but there's real panic in the eyes.

Anyway, I am having a lovely time in the sunshine

and that's where I'm going to stay.

Now, it's quite late morning now

and things are definitely getting harder to find.

I think I need to get a shift on.

That's the spirit.

Kate is planning to speed up in order to buy up.

Better buckle up, then.

Ooh, this might help.

-Can I have another look at this buckle, please?

-Course you can.

There you go.

-It's a nice bit of enamelling, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

It's all there - there's no damage to it.

I think it's about 1920s, 1930s. I've not dated it yet.

-How much is that?

-That's 35.

Hm.

It's a job to know... Buckles used to be really in, didn't they?

They did, yeah. Yeah.

They've just gone off the boil a wee bit.

-It's a lovely bit of enamelling, though.

-Yeah.

It's nice.

I'm just...wondering.

-I'm going to have a think. I might well come back.

-Yeah, no problem.

I'm dithering.

Dithering?! Rather than putting her foot down as planned,

Kate has put the brakes on for now.

And while she ponders her options,

Bingo has dug up a bit of old iron

he hopes he can polish into a precious profit.

Now, I've just bought this from a stall.

I'm rather pleased with this. I bought it only for £15.

Orme & Sons. Now, the clue is in the name.

Manchester. It's incredibly heavy.

It's like an iron, a flat iron.

And I know this is for smoothing the baize of a billiard table.

We've got the smooth side there,

so after you set up your billiard table,

you'd smooth it out, tighten it all up, fabulous.

That is a lovely item, for only £15.

This weighs almost the same as me.

It's quite a specialist item.

I'm going to have to find a sort of billiards club

or a mad billiards player who will love this.

Really lovely item.

An item from a bygone era.

# Any old iron, any old iron

# Any, any, any old iron... #

And while Bingo wanders off to do the ironing,

Kate has buckled up and belted over to, well, a belt buckle stall.

-Can I have another look at your buckle?

-Course you can.

What's the very best you could do on it?

-29.

-Oh!

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Really?

-It's nice, cos under the enamel, as well,

you've got the rose, you've got the lovely pattern.

-Yeah, it is nice.

-The pin's hallmarked, as well.

-Yep.

-It's nice.

It's not loose, is it? It's quite...

No, you're right. It is really nice quality.

I can do 28.

Go on, then. Thank you.

That's Kate's biggest spend so far, and she's enamoured.

Now, there are quite a lot of people out there who collect buckles,

and this is a really nice example.

I can tell you the date exactly because it's made of silver

and it's hallmarked just on the back here for 1911.

But the best thing about it is the enamel work,

and this is where the silver has been engraved in a beautiful little

pattern of roses, and then the liquid coloured enamel,

or liquid glass, has been laid over the top,

and it's in really good condition.

And that's key when you're buying enamelled items.

If there is any damage, then the price plummets.

This one's perfect.

Bingo has now finished his ironing and is looking for his next chore.

Our domestic goddess has settled on the idea of baking.

How much for a load of stuff like that, then, Janet?

25 for the lot.

-For the lot?

-Yeah, for the whole lot.

There's some Forster's pieces in there.

Cos we're all baking mad now.

It's gone crazy, honestly.

-There's tonnes of it.

-How does that go, then?

Yes, he's no Paul Hollywood and that's for sure.

Erm... Don't ask!

"Finest for all sponges"?

Absolutely.

-Is that good?

-Absolutely. Yeah.

MAN SPEAKS QUIETLY

Really? So that's what I should be buying, should I?

Baking stuff?

-Don't know. This is... You know, I'm not used to baking stuff.

-Yeah.

Neither was I ten years ago.

Can I make you a bid for that cookware?

-You can. A sensible bid.

-A sensible bid? How does 15 sound?

15? 18 and they're yours.

18 and they're mine?

Really? All that baking.

18 quid and that lot's yours.

Do you think, you know, with that, I could sort of get into Bake Off,

-couldn't I? Carry the box...

-Yeah, take it there.

Take it there.

I'll assault them with me rock cakes, shall I?

18. There you are.

-That's for you, Janet.

-Thank you.

Goodness me - Mary Berry won't know what's hit her.

Do you know what? Tins are close to the nation's heart.

And here's this lovely heart-shaped tin.

You'd get a little sponge shooting out of this.

Everything raises in a tin like this.

Made in the 1940s.

And then you come over to a later tin here,

and this is sort of slightly mechanical.

So if you've got a sticky bottom,

that you just rush this round here and then out it comes.

You know, I never knew I was into baking until I found this box.

£18 of tins, and this is my route to fame and fortune.

So, with five items rising in his proving drawer,

James calls it a day.

But, across the market,

Kate hasn't forgotten she's on a quest for something quirky.

-How much is your trumpet?

-35.

-35.

-Is it all working?

-Yeah.

-It looks like it's all working.

I don't want to pay 35, what could you do?

I think the lowest I could go to is 25.

Ooh.

I was hoping for about 15.

-No, sorry.

-No?

This vendor isn't dancing to Kate's tune yet.

Time to blow a bit harder.

20 quid, final offer.

-23.

-23?

No.

I'm thinking 20, will you do 20?

-Mm...

-I think that's a fair price, if you're happy with that.

-OK, yeah.

-Yeah?

Brilliant, thank you.

And she's done it.

Band leader Bliss trumpety-trumped her way to a £20 deal.

Now, this is what you call the punt of the day.

I am not a trumpeter, but I can tell you it hasn't got a name,

and I know the better-made ones

certainly would have a good retailer or maker's mark on it.

It has got its case, though, and looks to be in working order.

So this is a bit of a gamble,

but let's hope, when it comes to selling,

I hit the high note.

Well, with Kate off to blow her own trumpet,

and the stalls starting to pack up,

our national treasures have completed their search.

But before they reveal their discoveries to each other,

it's time to tot up the totals.

They both started the day with £250 of their own money to spend.

James is hoping he's seen off the competition with his five purchases,

costing £83.

But Kate thinks she's dug deeper with her five items that cost £63.

Of course, all that matters now is profit.

Our deal-doing duo have spent their dosh,

and now it's time to compare their wares.

Now, you look far too relaxed, waltzing around there.

And now I can see why.

Now I've seen all your lovely things.

I know, they're very bizarre, aren't they?

Well, do you know, I can see you doing many things, James,

but baking isn't one of them.

Well, I'm a polymath, Kate, as you know.

-We all have to bake now.

-Yep.

Have to raise something, don't you?

Bicarbonate...

I like your Yorkshire pudding tin. I'd use that one.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

-What's the tip there?

-Fat in first, really hot,

then the batter.

Then the batter.

Oh! I can taste it now!

And what about you? What are these carbuncles over here?

Yeah, you like these?

Do you know, these really shouted at me.

The lady had a load of costume jewellery and these just leaped out at me.

This one particularly.

I thought it was quite Miriam Haskell,

-that American costume jewellery designer.

-OK.

They're a bit of fun, really. I mean, they weren't expensive.

So what are they - fiver each, tenner each?

-Fiver for the two.

-Really, fiver for the two?

-Yeah.

-That's good value.

Now, tell me about this.

Trouser press?

No, it isn't. It's so heavy - it's in fact for billiard tables.

-Is it?

-It's for ironing the baize.

-That is amazing!

Flattening the baize. It's lovely, isn't it?

-You wouldn't think it had a sporting association.

-Nor did the stall holder.

He thought it was just a doorstop or something.

That's fabulous. How much was that?

-15.

-Not bad.

Not bad. And your trumpet?

My trumpet is a bit of a punt.

-I'm not a trumpeter.

-No.

But it's in working order. I think it looks great.

-You've got the case.

-Nice case, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And what, £50 for that?

-20.

-That is cheap, Kate.

-Is it? Are you a trumpeter?

-That is so cheap.

-That's outrageous!

-Tell me about your Van Gogh lookalike.

My Van Gogh...

With the lovely sunflowers, it's painted on a fielded oak panel.

I'm looking for a sort of Edwardian gardener.

-Yeah.

-And I'm full of gardens around me,

so I think, you know, that's going to be elevated to the home now.

It's going to be hung.

-Maybe.

-Maybe.

-No, I like it. I do like it.

-Maybe. Maybe.

Well, we've certainly got variety, haven't we?

Haven't we? You can't dispute that.

We've done very well.

Well done, Kate. Happy selling.

So, our booter rooters leg it home

to hatch some shrewd selling strategies.

This part of the challenge is the real game-changer.

Matching the right buyer to the right item

can make a world of difference in this game of profit.

Back at Braxton Towers, Bingo is sizing up his stockpile.

I had to work quite hard to find my antiques in my Lincolnshire

car-boot sale, but the first one I found was this rather nice fellow.

Painted about, sort of, 1890s to 1910,

were these rather lovely sunflowers.

When I saw it, I thought, grand house, grand gardens.

So I've got to find a combination of the two for that.

And then, this rather lovely 1960s chair.

Very clever form of upholstery here.

You've just got a plastic cord that's wrapped round.

Very cheap. It's got one small tear there, but otherwise perfect,

and that's lasted 50 years, which is quite remarkable.

And I love this. This really stood out.

Why did it stand out? Because of its rather clever design.

It's a salt cellar.

This is a salt shaker here,

and it's made by a good maker called Crown Devon.

It has this lovely eggshell glaze.

A very nice touch, that.

And with the lovely lobster.

A small clutch of items, but watch out, Miss Bliss,

let's see what profits I make from them.

Indeed.

James has also to find buyers

for his vintage baking tins and Victorian flat iron.

Over in Herefordshire, Kate is confident with her cache.

My trumpet, you can see, is fairly straightforward.

It's all in working order,

and it would be lovely to sell this to somebody who's just learning

or perhaps even to somebody who's just started playing in a band,

and to see it used.

Because I'm a firm believer that instruments were made to be played.

Now, my bottle pourers here, in the shape of knights' visors or helmets,

I think, are great fun, and at £5, I think they're a steal.

And it would be great to offer these to perhaps a vineyard that does

wine-tasting, perhaps a vineyard at a castle, even better -

where the knights theme can come in.

I don't know. That needs a little bit more work.

My buckle, with its beautiful enamel,

is probably the best-quality piece.

It's silver hallmarked, it's in fantastic order,

which is unusual for enamel pieces.

And they've even gone to the bother

of putting this lovely wreath of roses around it.

I'm thinking a buckle collector for this,

because they are not the most commercial items.

It's more of a cabinet piece

for somebody who collects little objets d'art like this,

or pieces of enamel.

Kate also needs to line up buyers for her Mary Thorpe lapel fob

and modern costume jewellery.

It's time for our dealers to knuckle down and exhaust all available

methods in a bid to accumulate the most money for their chosen charities.

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

no deal is truly sealed.

James has decided the picturesque Suffolk market town of Bury St Edmunds

is the perfect place to launch his selling campaign.

He's brought the Crown Devon lobster motif salt shaker that cost him £10

to show local French restaurateur Pascal.

But will Pascal think it's worth shelling out more for?

I've brought you a salt cellar.

I bought it, funnily enough, in this sort of market,

and what I was attracted to was this very bold lobster,

with his lobster pot, and then these rather stylised, I suppose,

little sardines or whitebait or whatever.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Rather fun, I thought.

-What do you think of it?

-So, yeah.

So, tell me about it. So, it's from Devon?

-Yeah.

-Is it hand painting, or...?

Yeah, it's a pattern that was moulded,

and then this decoration would have been transferred onto it,

and then somebody would have added the colour with a paint brush.

So, it has some human interaction.

OK. Do you know the year, or...?

Yeah. Stylistically, it's '50s, '60s.

My mum has got Crown Devon collection

and my mum has started to give me some of them.

-Funny!

-So, I didn't know that.

So, when I came up, I thought, "Oh, Pascal, restaurateur, chef.

"He will like it because of the fish," but...

So, you have Crown Devon?

Now, price-wise, I wanted to put it in the hands of somebody good.

What would you be willing to pay for that?

-It's a nice item.

-What have you got on your mind?

I was thinking about £70, Pascal.

£70...

I wish to have the pepper with it and do a set. Um...

I will go for £50.

-£50.

-£50.

-Pascal, as in the tradition of all remaining friends,

how about in the middle? £60.

-55.

-55?

-55.

-55. 55.

-The five will pay...

-You say three times 55 - deal done!

The five will pay for the petrol.

Well, Bingo's catch has come in.

He's more than quintupled his money,

making a delicious £45 profit on sale number one.

Well, that was an unexpected pleasure.

Not only did he like the item, but his mother collects them.

What a stroke of luck!

Also hoping for a bit of good fortune is Miss Bliss.

She's in Hay-on-Wye looking for a magpie who's keen to take those sparkly necklaces off her hands.

I've heard about a new dress agency that's opened up in Hay

that also sells costume jewellery,

and I'm hoping that the owner might want to build up her stock a bit and take a look at my necklaces.

They owe her £5, but will shop owner Brenda think they're worth a higher price?

So, we have this one, which I think will look super with a, sort of,

-little black dress...

-Oh, great.

-You could call it vintage style.

-It does look vintage, yeah.

-But I don't think there's any great age to it,

-um...so I think it was probably made in the last ten, 20 years, I would say.

-Very, very pretty.

-It's quite nice with the white pastes on it.

-Yeah.

And then there's this one as well, which is very different,

-which is a bit of fun, really.

-It is, yeah.

-Lovely blue colours.

-It's quite jazzy.

-Nice and cheerful.

Yeah, it is, isn't it?

Quite chunky, so would they be your cup of tea, do you think?

-They would.

-Start you off in your new cabinet.

They'd be perfect, yeah.

So what sort of price were you thinking of?

Well, I'm thinking possibly about, um...

about 25 each. How does that sound?

-Hm. Prefer a little bit lower.

-Mm.

-Cos I need to make a mark-up on it, obviously.

-Sure.

Of course. Where do you see them at?

Say...40?

-40 for the two?

-Yeah.

-If that's good for you, that will do for me.

-Oh, wonderful. That's great. That was easy!

Wasn't it? Thank you very much indeed!

Thank you. That's super.

Kate sells the necklaces for an astonishing eight times the price she paid,

making her first profit of £35.

What a glittering start!

Our ambitious pair are on fire.

And keen on fanning those profit flames,

James has travelled to the Big Smoke, and is following a hot lead.

I'm in the London borough of Hackney, and I've come across a little market

which has just suddenly sprung up in the last five years.

I'm hoping to sell my bakers' tins.

Well, let's hope the stallholder James has in mind likes them.

The tins cost £18, but will Bingo rise to the challenge of getting Terry to buy them?

Ah, Terry, it's your lucky day, mate.

I've got all these fabulous tins.

You are... The ladies are going to be falling over you.

-OK. I'll even throw in a dog bowl.

-Terrific. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And we've got lots of cupcakes, you know... Still got its tin...

This is quality stuff. This isn't your modern stuff,

-and especially...

-What are you looking for all this?

-..especially look at this! They're going to love that, aren't they?

-Yeah, yeah. Terrific.

Now, I'm sure you can shift this, Terry.

It's a little box of interest.

Well, what do you want for it?

I was thinking that, OK? I love that.

-Yeah.

-I think that's five or ten quid.

I'll give you 30 quid for the lot.

I tell you what -

I'll throw that one in, for the lot,

and 40 quid for the lot.

-Go on, then.

-Well done, Terry.

You know it makes sense.

James provided all the ingredients for a tasty £22 gain,

proving he's a master baker when it comes to cooking up a profit.

Back in Herefordshire, Kate's had her head in the books,

and she's made a surprising new discovery

about her little lapel fob,

and it's not what she thought it was.

Now, I've been doing a little bit of research into my wishbone fob here,

which is probably one of the quirkiest items I've ever bought.

Now, originally, because it says "Order Of Merrythoughts" on the medallion,

I thought it was connected to the Merrythought teddy bear company,

but in actual fact, it's got nothing to do with that whatsoever.

I've done a little bit of digging around, and found in an archive from the Glasgow Herald newspaper,

dating from 1931,

that there's a little piece that introduces exactly what this is,

and it says, "The Most Cheery Order Of Merrythoughts..."

It's NOT seeking subscriptions from the public,

but nevertheless, "everyone is invited to take up membership,

"and assist in the spreading of its gospel

"by being an optimist, a cheery soul, and a good sport,"

and it just goes on to say that this organisation

has actually been formed under the Companies Act in 1931

"to bring happiness amongst all classes in Great Britain"

and its watchword is "jingle your wishbone."

This was given to subscribers of the Daily Chronicle newspaper

in the 1930s, and was a symbol of that club,

which actually, if there's anything serious about such an order,

it says here, it's that it supports children's holiday charities.

Now, I think that is a lovely idea.

But now I know exactly what it is,

I think that can't but help me to sell it and add value to it.

So, armed with all the happy facts, Kate takes the £5 silver fob to Hereford

to show goldsmith Colin, and is hoping her research pays off.

I've brought you something quite quirky.

It's a little fob chain, I would call it.

-Yeah.

-I think you would probably wear it through your buttonhole.

I think you probably would. Through a lapel.

It's that sort of length, isn't it?

It is, isn't it? Yeah.

It says on the little medallion,

"The Most Cheery Order of Merrythoughts."

And I thought, "That's interesting - what's that?"

And I found out, it basically was

a club formed in about the 1930s

by members who read the Daily Chronicle newspaper.

I'm pretty sure it is silver.

It says sterling on the fob, it feels like silver.

-And I like the wishbone on the end.

-The wishbone is lovely, isn't it?

That's the bit I love. And funnily enough, in America, apparently,

wishbones are known as merrythoughts.

It's a sort of nickname.

-Yeah.

-Hence the combination of the two, I guess, the association.

It's very nice, yes.

And I've got a friend who would love this.

-Really?

-Yes, I do, who is a cheery soul.

I was hoping for somewhere between sort of £30-£50.

How does that sound?

Well, I'd certainly do 30.

-OK.

-You might tempt me up a little bit.

-Really?

-You could tempt me.

Could you sort of go for the middle area and say 40?

-OK, yeah. I will.

-Fantastic.

-Thank you very much.

-Lovely. I really hope the friend likes it.

So do I!

Nothing gives Kate merry thoughts like a £35 profit.

Our jolly girl has drawn level.

But Bingo is not about to be outdone.

Not even a rainy day will dampen his profit-hunting spirits.

Spot the contrast. Umbrella, deckchair.

The two don't rather go, but anything can go in Norman Road.

The epicentre of trendy Hastings.

Anything goes, eh?

James is hoping home interior design shop owner Samantha will agree,

and give him a stylish return on his £30 investment.

Here is the fellow in person.

Nice.

What-what do we call this colour?

-Azure?

-Azure.

-That sounds very exotic, doesn't it?

-I think so.

The reason I bought this item is it's a great survivor - 1960s.

But what I loved about it, you just lift the arms, easy peasy,

-and you've got a recliner.

-Yeah, that's lovely.

-It's clever.

-You see this plastic tubular thing now.

I've seen it, it's come back around.

-Has it come back around?

-It has.

So for an old dinosaur like me,

if I wait long enough, it comes back, doesn't it?

It's definitely come back around.

I didn't know I'd be bang on trend today!

-It's a lovely chair.

-It's a lovely chair and it's a lovely colour.

45 years old, how about a pound for every year of its life, Sam?

Wow. I would... I would say 30.

-30?

-Yeah.

I've got to make a bit of money on it.

How about in the middle, 42?

SHE LAUGHS

No.

THEY LAUGH

No, I'm toying. 40? £40.

40, 40.

-I would say...

-Come on, Sam!

-38.

-38, you have yourself a deal.

And that small but comfortable £8 profit brings us to the halfway mark.

So let's find out how our knick-knacking ninjas are doing so far.

In the lead, James has sold three of his five items,

racking up a starting profit of £75.

Trailing slightly, Kate has done two deals,

and has a profit of £70 in her pocket.

This game is incredibly close,

but Kate is one of the most determined experts around.

She wants to win, and changes up a gear

to make sure she leaves James in her dust.

She's travelled to Gloucestershire,

and our prize-fighter is preparing for battle.

Now, I think my bottle pourers were a real steal at the car boot,

and I always had in mind for them either a vineyard,

to put on wine bottles, or a castle, because they're knights' helmets.

Or a vineyard and a castle, but that was a bit of a tall order,

so I've gone for the vineyard.

Did you follow that, viewers?

The pourers cost Kate £5,

but will vineyard boss Thomas top up her "bouteille de profits"?

-Hello, Kate.

-How do you do?

-Very nice to meet you.

-And you.

-So, how many vines have you got?

-We've got 75 acres.

We make about 250,000 bottles of wine a year.

Gosh, that is a lot of wine, isn't it?

-Well, yeah, for you or me to drink, it would be a heck of a lot of wine to drink!

-Yeah!

Well, I thought you must do tastings here, obviously.

-Just one or two.

-Just one or two!

So I wondered if bottle pourers might come in handy.

Have a look. They're a bit of a novelty, really.

-They are, aren't they?

-They are.

They're obviously knights' helmets, and you flip the visor up

and you... There's a little pouring aperture there.

But I would say, they're definitely plated, as you can see,

silver-plated, I would suggest.

They've certainly got a little bit of age.

-I wouldn't say they were antique, though.

-No.

Are they for wine or are they more for whisky?

You just wonder whether they're...

you know, whether they're more for spirits than for wine.

Would you say? Cos the aperture is quite small.

You might be waiting a while for your wine to pour!

Well, what do you think?

They're a bit of fun, aren't they?

We sell a lot of bottle pourers, because it's always fun to have

a bit of nonsense about the place.

-Yeah, a bit of a talking point, perhaps.

-Yes.

OK. Lovely. Well, because it's a pair,

I was hoping for around the sort of £150 mark.

-Hm!

-How does that sound?

-I would have thought that's fairly. expensive.

-Hm-mm. OK.

£60?

I was hoping really for about the sort of 120 mark.

That's quite a lot of money, isn't it? £60 each?

Can we go to 110?

-That's good for me.

-OK, super.

-Thank you very much.

My goodness me. She's £105 up!

Her glass is brimming with earnings and Kate is brimming with pride.

Bingo is suddenly playing a serious game of catch-up.

He's back in Hastings with his sunflower picture,

and whilst he hasn't tracked down a grand house to sell it to,

he has found a green-fingered florist.

He's hoping the £10 he paid for it is but a seed

that will bloom into a beautiful profit.

But will shop owner Mao want to pluck it?

-Hello, Mao.

-Hello, James.

Here's my lovely sunflower panel. I think it's very attractive.

Sort of painted in about the 19...

Turn of the century, about 1900.

-Right.

-And I must say, I think it would look rather good on your...

in your thing. It really stands out, doesn't it?

Yes, the colour goes with all the wreaths we've got here.

It does. It does.

I was rather hoping to get somewhere in the region of £40-£60.

I think it's a beautiful painting, and it's on oak.

Yes, maybe 40.

40? Ohh! You see?

You think around 40?

Yes, I think so, yes.

Could you do a little more, 45?

Er, no, I'd like to keep it for 40, I think.

I'm not going to fiddle around. You can have it for 40.

-Wonderful.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Well, James has cultivated a fragrant profit of £30,

and is closing in on his rival.

Meanwhile, Clever Kate, knowing that knowledge is power and power equals pounds,

has travelled to London,

hoping professional jazz musician Andy Davis can give her some intriguing info on her trumpet

and help her make more brass from her brass.

-Andy! That sounded amazing!

-Oh, thanks a lot. Thanks.

-Great to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, too.

-Sounds like you've been playing a little while.

-It's been a week now...

No, it's been about 20 years.

-Has it?

-Yeah, yeah, so done a fair bit of practice in my time.

Well, your trumpet looks lovely.

It's a Bach Stradivarius trumpet.

This one is worth round about £2,000 bought new.

Well, from your lovely trumpet,

-which sounds amazing, I have to say...

-Thank you very much.

-..to my little number here...

-Yeah.

-I'm a musician myself, actually. I play the violin.

-Oh, wow.

I have not got a clue about brass instruments,

-so I took a bit of a punt on this.

-Yeah.

OK? So have a little look at it. Now, the one thing that struck me,

the one thing I know about instruments generally

is that, obviously if they've got a name

that helps you to date it, and it's also a sign of quality.

-Now, I could not find a name on this.

-I can't see anything on it!

-No. At all.

-I've never, ever seen this before. There's not actually a make on it.

It's a trumpet with no name.

And that's unusual, is it?

Yeah. I've never seen it before in my life.

-Ooh.

-I'm going to play this trumpet now.

HE PLAYS A SIMPLE SCALE

Ooh.

Well, at least it works.

I've never played a trumpet like this before.

-First impressions, I have to say, aren't so good.

-OK.

It has a weird, um, pitching on it.

It plays like a C trumpet, but it looks like a B flat trumpet.

-I've brought you an enigma!

-Yeah, this is crazy. This is crazy.

If I was going to sell it to, say, a music shop

-that retails second-hand trumpets, for instance...

-Yeah?

..are we in the sort of £100 ballpark,

are we in the sort of £40-£50 ballpark

or are we in the sort of tenner?

-I would say you're looking at the £50 ballpark.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Well, it seems Kate has more questions than answers,

and while Andy can't identify her unusual trumpet, he can teach her how to play it,

and just how musical is Miss Bliss?

All you have to do is play the first three notes

of the C major scale, which are C, D and E. OK?

TRIES TO PLAY NOTES

Can't do it without laughing!

This is terrible.

Yeah - better stick to the violin, eh?

Now, also on a fact-finding mission is our Bingo,

and like Kate, he knows that unearthing valuable information

can booster sales and increase profits.

He's brought his flat iron to show restorer Peter Ludgate,

who's a specialist in cue sports, no less.

This is the mighty item I want to know more and more about.

-It's a billiard flat iron.

-Yeah.

Orme and Sons from Manchester.

-Are they a really good manufacturer?

-They were one of the best Victorian manufacturers.

-One of the best.

That would go on the range in the kitchen.

What, for all those Victorian industrialists building their mighty houses

with...what, everybody had a billiard room, did they?

Absolutely, and the under butler or somebody, it would be his job to heat it up

and then iron the billiard table before the master played a game of billiards,

but the problem was that they got terribly hot,

so you had to be very careful you didn't scorch the table.

Billiards most likely developed from the French for bille or balles,

and the game called trucco,

which was similar to croquet and played on lawns.

When the game moved indoors, green cloth was used to simulate the grass,

and the clubs replaced with cues.

By the mid 19th century, the quality of tables had improved considerably,

with slate bases and newly discovered vulcanised rubber used for cushions,

but the quality of the baize was key,

and caring for it was paramount.

So you heat the iron up,

and it's always best to put a slight angle on it

and take it up the table

and it smoothes the mat down,

and you always...

It would smooth the mat.

Now, you put it a slight angle

so that it doesn't leave lines, like a tennis court.

You certainly don't do what one of our clients did, which was have stripes going up and down,

which was...he was very proud of but completely messed up the game!

-Does it always go...

-From the baulk up to the spot end.

It always runs up the table.

On a really good quality cloth,

when the ball goes up the table,

it's smooth and silent. When it comes back,

there's a gentle hiss

as it runs against the baize.

So James knows how to use his flat iron, but how much is it worth?

What's the best price you've ever got for a smoothing iron?

-I think the best price I've got is about £200.

-Really?

Yeah.

This is... This is a particularly nice one, in good condition.

I bought this for 15.

Well, I think you've probably got a bargain.

Now I've just got to find a purchaser.

-Really I need to target somebody who has a nice billiard room.

-Yeah.

-Absolutely.

-Part of the furniture.

And if they had a William Orme table, they might be very tempted.

So, James could be sitting on a little gold mine!

Now, back to Kate. Her trumpet research threw up some interesting questions,

but all she knows for sure is that it cost her £20,

so armed with nothing but her new musical talents,

she heads to a music shop in Cheltenham

and hopes owner Ian wants to buy her brass.

-# Yeah, yeah

-Let's get down with the trumpets

-# Yeah, yeah

-Let's get down with the trumpets

-# Yeah, yeah

-Let's get down with the trumpets. #

This is the trumpet I told you about on the telephone.

-Have a look inside.

-Oh, right.

There it is.

Right. Pity, really, because the case is a bit nicer than the trumpet.

Oh, that's not a good start, I would say.

This is something that's made in India, I think.

And is probably not as old as it looks.

So, what makes you say that it's from India?

I recognise the finger buttons, to start with.

I've seen those on instruments of the same ilk.

-Right.

-It's not very well-made - that's the other giveaway.

And they didn't bother stamping a name on it,

because if it was well-made, they'd want to put their name on it.

-Right...

-Not terribly exciting, but go on.

OK, do you want to try it out?

Let's see if we can get a note out of that, shall we?

Yeah. Interesting, just while you

put that in, what do you think of the mouthpiece there?

That's actually an American mouthpiece.

Made by Old's. It's actually a flugelhorn mouthpiece.

So it's the wrong mouthpiece for the instrument anyway, but it will work.

-I'm sure.

-It'll work?

-Well, let's see.

All right.

HE PLAYS A FEW NOTES

Oh, beautiful, isn't it?

It sounds good when you play it.

It sounded great!

I took it to a very good jazz trumpeter, and he tried it out for me, had it a little go,

and he thought that it looks like a B flat trumpet

but it plays more like a C trumpet, he thought,

which he didn't quite understand, so that might fit with the fact that it's not

particularly well-made, that it's slightly off-pitch.

It's because they've copied an old instrument,

which would have been a high-pitch instrument,

-which was the old military band pitch.

-Yes.

A modern orchestral pitch is low pitch.

-It's about a quarter of a tone sharp...

-Right.

..to what it should be.

I see. Because they've copied it. They haven't copied it that accurately.

Well, they've copied the old instrument very accurately,

but it's no good for modern pitch.

And what about the mouthpiece?

-The mouthpiece is the nicest thing.

-Is it?

-Yeah!

-What's that worth?

-If you wanted to buy that new, probably £45.

OK, all right.

Lovely. After all that, would you like to buy it?

I might take a punt.

You might take a punt?

What if we said 25 for the trumpet and...

um...

20 for the mouthpiece?

-45 altogether?

-45 altogether.

And the case, of course.

-And the case.

-You get the case thrown in.

All right, we'll do that.

-45, yes?

-Yeah.

See if we can make a go of that.

Wonderful. Thank you very much indeed.

Well, that ended on a high note.

A £25 profit and even better,

with that trumpet off her hands, she won't be able to play it again.

With just his well-researched flat iron left to sell,

James is armed with all the info he needs to make a killing,

including a tip-off on a possible buyer in the shape or snooker fan John in East Sussex.

Here we go.

-Hello, John.

-Good to see you.

-Very nice to see you.

Now, here's the mighty... Feel the weight of that.

Let me feel that.

-Feel the weight of that.

-That is some weight.

It is heavy, isn't it?

-Four kilos?

-I would have thought so.

Anyway, you know what it is.

-It's a smoothing iron.

-Smoothing iron.

-Yeah. Do you have one?

-I don't. I have a modern one.

It's electric, it's got a thermostat control.

It takes a little while to heat up, but probably not as long as this.

I'm really pleased to see Burroughes & Watts label there.

They were the sort of Rolls-Royce manufacturers.

And Orme & Sons were the big boys up in Manchester,

so, the Northern ones.

Burroughes & Watts were London-based.

And they, in fact, acquired Orme & Sons in Manchester,

and I love the fact that they've got this lovely industrial design.

If we can get sort of anywhere between 100 and 200,

-I'd be a very happy bunny.

-OK.

How do you...? Now, looking at it, are you sold on it?

-I'm certainly interested.

-You are interested.

I'm interested. I'll give 100 quid for it.

But I'll give you an extra 50 quid

if we have a game of who gets closest to the cushion.

Fabulous. No, I'm well up for that.

And it's the nail-biting finale to Bingo's selling spree.

Can he get his yellow ball closer to the cushion than John's green ball

and walk away with that extra £50 bonus?

-On the count of three.

-On the count of three. OK.

Three, two, one.

It's a steady shot from both players.

Oh, James has it!

Aah, there you go!

I'd better get the cash out!

# Snooker loopy, nuts are we

# Me and him and them and me... #

Well, with surprising skill and cue control,

James won the higher price fair and square

and walks away with £135 profit.

Nobody expected that.

Bingo is all sold up.

But over in Cheltenham, Kate has one final chance

to make her fortune with the silver belt buckle.

It was Kate's most expensive item at £28,

but can she tempt vintage boutique owners

Theresa and Paul with more?

I told you about this on the telephone,

and I'm hoping it might fit in with your mix.

Either the vintage fashion, maybe,

or even as a little cabinet piece for a collector.

As you can see, it's a little buckle, but the enamelling on it -

which is why I liked it - is really lovely, because...

-Beautiful.

-Yes.

-Nicely hallmarked there.

It's Birmingham 1911.

-Right.

-And in fact it's L and S, which is Levi and Salomon.

So, just into the reign of George V.

Exactly. Just into George V.

A real sign of quality.

They're known for their nice quality works.

It's quite stunningly simple, as well.

Very elegantly simple.

-That's right.

-And wearable today. It's still a practical piece.

Exactly. For those people who like to wear nice quality period pieces,

because they don't really make things like that these days -

not in that sort of detail, obviously with the age.

-Yes.

-So, I was hoping for sort of towards 150-ish.

How does that sound?

That's probably a little bit rich for us, actually.

Well, Kate is certainly aiming high with this sale.

Remember, James was slightly in the lead at the halfway point,

and after his success with the flat iron,

this sale could be the decider for Kate.

Before we reveal all,

let's have a quick reminder of how much they spent at the boot sale.

From his £250 budget, James bought five items, costing £83.

Kate also made five purchases and spent a total of £63,

but who has made the most profit?

All the money that James and Kate have made

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 champion.

Hi. Glad you could show up!

-How are you doing?

-I'm very good, very good.

The car boot was quite a struggle, wasn't it?

You know, it was a bit of a struggle.

It's finding those gems,

and they were a bit thin on the ground, I thought.

I like that lovely enamelled buckle.

-That was really nice. A really nice quality piece.

-Big profit, Kate?

Sold OK, sold OK.

JAMES LAUGHS

I want to know about your... First of all, your lovely flower picture.

-That was pretty, wasn't it?

-Yeah, your Van Gogh in the making.

I sold that to a very lovely flower shop.

-Did you?

-Yeah. Looked very good on the wall.

So, what about your unusual flat iron, your table iron?

Do you really want to know, Kate?

-Oh!

-Beware of humble objects.

-No!

-It did really well, didn't it?

-Beware.

Beware. Shall we see how well?

-I've got bad vibes.

-No, rubbish!

I've got really bad vibes.

Come on, put me out of my misery.

-One, two, three.

-Go!

262, 240!

-How close is that?!

-See, Kate?

-Oof! That was close.

-That was close.

Wow, Mrs Bliss.

Look at that - just a few drinks in it.

-I'm buying the drinks.

-Ohh!

Come on, it was pretty close.

Yes, Kate "Absolute" Bliss triumphs,

and it was her buckle that strapped her into the winning seat...

My thoughts are probably around £80.

Could you just do a wee bit more and say the £100 mark?

-How would 90 sound?

-£90 sounds good to me.

-Fantastic.

-Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

..giving her a smart £62 profit and making her the champion.

Well, I think Bingo thought he had that one in the bag.

He was pretty confident about his flat iron.

It may only have been by that much, but I beat him.

I enjoyed the car boot.

A bit of a struggle, but I managed to find some nice wheat amongst

the chaff, but still it wasn't quite enough to beat "Absolute" Bliss.

Between them, they've made over £500 and every penny of that will go to good causes.

My chosen charity is the Herefordshire branch of SSAFA,

because it gives lifelong support

to servicemen, veterans and their families.

My chosen charity is the Windmill Hill Windmill Trust,

bought at auction over 20 years ago,

saved from dereliction and about to grind corn.

Our excellent experts have really put their money where their mouths are,

and shown they can make a profit from buying and selling antiques when their own money is on the line.