Eric Knowles v Danny Sebastian - Auction 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...

HE GROWLS

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

That could present a problem for me.

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

Ready for battle.

..from buying and selling.

Get in there!

Coming up - things get ugly in the auction room.

I know who's bidding against me.

Del Boy running me up.

Eric shows his rival how it's done.

He's not even letting the dust settle.

He's started selling already.

-And Danny meets his match.

-Style never goes out of fashion.

Absolutely. And fashion never goes out of style.

Hey, hold on a minute. Are you nicking my lines, or what?

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome, one and all, to another ultimate war of acquisition.

Today's battlefield is the picturesque town

of Crewkerne in Somerset.

It may look quaint and charming but make no mistake,

battle lines are being drawn as two commanders

of collectables prepare to advance on an auction house.

Leading the charge is a decorated officer of all things porcelain.

He's a crack shot auction assassin,

it's Eric "The Knowledge" Knowles.

You've got to have confidence in your goods.

And I have.

And ready to repel Eric's assault

is a profit-seeking private on parade.

AS WINSTON CHURCHILL: Never has so much been considered for so many

by just one man.

It's Danny "Del Boy" Sebastian.

Let's get busy.

Today's battlefield is Lawrence's Auction Room.

Our boys have £1,000 of their own money

to deploy at will,

with all profits heading straight to their chosen charities.

So, Eric Knowles and Danny Sebastian,

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

-Well, good morning, sir. How are you?

-Good morning, Eric.

-I'm good, thank you.

-You are?

-I am.

-Are you a regular at the saleroom?

-Not at all.

We've got a full, a full morning ahead of us.

You was here last night so you've seen the catalogue

and you know what's going on.

Yeah, well, it was only a sneaky preview because...

-That's all you need.

-Well...

-It's the great Eric Knowles.

500! Thank you, we're going to get on well, me and you.

THEY LAUGH

That being said, 500 lots to get through today

so I think we are going to be really businesslike, you know.

So I'll give you a tip, Danny. Follow your nose.

-Follow your gut also.

-OK. On that note, go for it.

Yes, it's nose against gut. Eugh!

So, will Eric's slow and steady, old-school approach

get the better of his challenger's cheeky chutzpah?

As Eric took the initiative to preview the lots last night,

he's got a head start on Danny, but as the auction house fills up,

Del Boy is hopeful his rival's strengths

will prove to be his weaknesses!

I know Eric Knowles loves good-quality porcelain and china,

and I've not seen it here today

so I'm going to have a good look around

and I think I might be in with a chance of winning this one.

Young pup Danny is hopeful that success awaits,

but Eric is an old hand at auctions

and has more than one trick up his sleeve.

One thing I've learned to do is I've...

I go through the lots

and, the things I really want, I put a star against them,

but I'll also mark up a few other lots.

Now, the other lots are not star lots,

they are what I call desperation lots.

Yes, you'd have to get up very early in the morning

to get one over on old Eric

and, since he arrived at the auction last night,

Danny has his work cut out.

Now, Knowlesy has already eyed up the bargains and is considering

sailing into unfamiliar waters, with a 19th-century engraving.

Well, I'm going to have to sort of cast my bread upon the waters

and, er, and to boldly go where I would never normally go before,

because what's on offer in here, it's a bit limiting - I don't mind

telling you - but up there, there's a lovely sort of coloured print.

It's in a nice frame. Maybe, if I get it,

I might do a little bit of research on HM steam frigate Geyser!

That's what it's all about - "geezer", which reminds me...

I wonder where Danny Boy has gone off to?

Hmm! He's on the other side of the auction house,

eyeing up a mahogany chair.

It's real nice condition. It's got a lovely scroll back,

it's got that patina on it where it's been worn.

I think it's really lovely. And it seems all structurally sound,

there's no woodworm.

This might be a piece that I'll be going after.

Everyone's got an office in the house, or if not,

in their office.

An office in their office? That's a lot of office.

Meanwhile, Eric has spotted another print - he's gone all whispery.

I like the one behind me, I don't want to draw attention to it, see,

cos it's one of my favourite American artists.

A man called Maxfield Parrish, and it's in nice condition and...

I want to buy that.

Oh, Eric's all excited

and Danny is getting worked up too by an old workbench.

This, I love.

A nice workbench, it's an industrial piece,

probably used in something like a woodworker's workshop.

I would say it's about 1950s, probably 1960s.

Very in vogue. All the sorts of marks and chips,

it just gives it character. Generally, people love that.

If I can get that for about £60, £70, £80,

I'll be a happy man.

Danny is wearing his heart on his sleeve,

but Eric is still in whisper mode, as he homes in on another item.

It's um...nice...

Chinese fourfold screen inlaid with mother of pearl.

A lovely thing. It's missing bits of mother of pearl, not too much.

But you know, it's a costly business to get things like this restored.

It's the last but one item in the sale, and that's when

you hope that everybody's lost interest. They'll all gone home

and there's just you and the auctioneer in the room.

That might be the hope, but will it be the reality?

Only time will tell if Eric's undercover scheming can beat

Danny's gung ho enthusiasm!

First, the bidders must gather,

the auctioneer must take to his seat on high.

HE BANGS GAVEL

Morning, everyone.

And our experts take to their positions.

They are up against the rest of the room,

not to mention the reserve bids on the auctioneer's book.

It's Eric who's first to have a punt on a deceptively youthful lady.

Well, there is a lot coming up which is just described

as a statue on a plinth.

It looks ancient, it looks like it could be 18th century.

It's not, I think it's probably precast concrete.

It'll look good in somebody's garden,

it looks like it's been around

since before the Battle of Trafalgar.

Lot 41, statue on a plinth.

35. 38, 40, 2, now.

At 42 on my right.

All done, I sell at 42.

HE BANGS GAVEL

Oh, he's got me a little bit worried here now.

I didn't even spot this statue on a plinth.

And so the old guard takes an early 1-0 lead

against the young pretender,

taking home his decorative lady for £51.83, including fees.

She might actually be one of a set of four,

maybe one of the four seasons, so we would be looking at summer.

Well, what she does have to her advantage is that

she's been around for, not a long time,

but enough time for lichens to build up on the surface

and this gives it a sense of antiquity.

All in all, she comes complete with a lucky horseshoe.

And it does seem to bring him luck,

as he also snaps up the collection of prints

which includes the Maxfield Parrish picture he saw earlier.

That's my Maxfield Parrish.

£18!

And with fees, that's a total of £22.21 for the prints.

Eric is showing Danny a thing or two about auctions,

but it's The Knowledge who's taken a leaf out

of Del Boy's book next as he spots a lot which might just help

him reach great heights.

83 is coming up. It's a wooden stepladder.

But I've noticed that it's quite...

It's got a bit of vintage going on here.

Everybody is using ladders nowadays as props.

It's something that I always go for, because they're so handy,

they're shelving, you know, they make a great prop.

I would never normally go for anything like that,

but, again, if it's at the right price...

Let's hope I buy 'em at the right money.

Great minds, eh?

With Eric 2-0 ahead,

this is Danny's first opportunity to get in the game.

Lot 83 is a wooden stepladder.

Interest here, I have to start at 25. At £25 with me.

-All done, I sell...

-Look at that, simultaneous bidding!

30, 32.

-Neither of them is backing down.

-38. 40.

42.

At 42 on my right, at 42.

All done? Selling at 42. All done?

I know who was bidding against me.

Del Boy, running me up.

He can have them. £42 just a little bit

too much money, I feel, for them.

Well, actually, after auction costs, Eric pays £51.83.

He may have outbid Del Boy, but was it a wise step?

Well, this is my ladder.

This is something I think

probably dates to the early part of the 20th century, um...

It could well date, you know, to actually before the First World War.

However, I might do a little bit more finding out

and at least I know that there was one other person

keen to acquire it.

And when that one person just happens to be your opponent,

then victory is made just that little bit sweeter.

Ah, the sweet smell of a 3-0 lead.

But Danny is hoping to wheel himself into the game

as he has spotted a bit of gardenalia.

There's a lovely rustic, distressed wheelbarrow

just coming up, so I just want to get something in the bag.

With a bit of luck, they'll think it's rotten and going a bit,

you know, distressed, a bit holey.

I might get it for nowt, this one.

-Lot 98.

-Here we go.

-Interest here, I start at 30.

-Oh!

-30, 32, 35, 38.

Always the way - what I want, so does everybody else.

All done, I sell.

45. 48.

50.

Five, 60.

I sell at 60. Yes, sir.

-928.

-Whoops-a-daisy, Danny.

Dropping my paperwork,

everything's going all over the place,

I'm so excited, or am I nervous?

Hold it together, Del Boy.

His nerves are jangling like a wind chime as he pays just over £74

for the wheelbarrow, and he's off to a start.

Eric, however, has three buys already

and is bidding on his next.

90, 95, 100.

At £100, all done.

He is back on again!

I don't know what is going on here

but he's finding a lot of lots early.

I've got to level with you, I'm not sure what I've bought,

but...instinctively, I liked the picture.

Eric's bid blind on a picture and spent a whopping £123.40.

It's a risky strategy, so what's he got himself?

I just love the composition.

It obviously was painted in around about 1900,

give or take, 1890, maybe 1910.

It's an unusual composition.

It's...it's not signed. I would've liked it to be signed.

Hmm...

I'll have to play this one very carefully.

Um, I did spend a fair amount of money on it

but, you know, you've got to speculate to accumulate.

Hmm, Eric sounds a little uncertain his impulsive buy was a good one,

but with four buys to Danny's solitary wheelbarrow,

Del Boy is getting anxious!

I want him to just finish,

sit down and leave the rest of the game to me.

Yeah, there's not much chance of that.

So I'm having a go on a couple of brown stoneware jars.

They are sort of barrels, really.

£70. £70 with me. One more.

It's against you. 75.

My far right at 75.

-Last time.

-He's won another!

I tell you what, Eric's nearly there, he's nearly done and dusted.

# Roll out the barrel... #

Yes, his overnight preparations are apparently paying off.

Eric takes the two flagons for £92.56, after fees.

Technically, they are referred to as salt-glazed barrels,

and they are barrels that would have taken spirits

and they would have actually been in a pub

in around about... about 1820, or thereabouts.

I paid a reasonable amount for them, they weren't overly expensive,

there's still a profit in them, I'm convinced,

and that's what this business is all about.

Are you listening, Del Boy? Are you listening?

Hmm, could it be that our mild man of memorabilia

is getting a tad overconfident?

Let's just see how far ahead he is at this stage of the buying.

Both our dealers arrived with £1,000 of their own money.

Eric has an impressive five lots to his name, costing £341.83,

leaving just over £658 in the bank.

Danny has spent a smidge over £74 on his one purchase,

leaving him almost £926 to fight with.

Are you enjoying yourself?

Well, I was until you started buying up everything.

I thought, "Hold on a minute. Am I going to get a chance?"

-I'm not buying the things you want, Danny!

-No, we do...

Actually, we did. There was a pair of ladders came between us.

Yes, there was a pair of ladders!

Yes! I just thought you paid too much for that.

Well, there was somebody bidding underneath me

who nearly paid too much.

-Well, it was me...

-Exactly! That's I'm trying to say.

-Ooh!

-£42?!

-Listen, when was the last time you bought a ladder

for that sort of money?

Listen... Hang on for a second.

-What, are you still bidding?

-Not yet.

-There's something up in a sec...

-I thought you'd bought all you lots?

I've bought a few. How many have you...?

My stuff is coming up, it's coming up.

-After dinner, my stuff is coming up.

-I knew it.

-Hopefully...

-I knew it!

-You're pacing yourself?

-Of course I am, yes.

I thought, "There's a man that doesn't peak too soon."

-I tell you what I thought.

-Go on.

-Half of this crowd will be gone home.

-Yes.

-Might be cheaper.

-A lot of them will be picking up their

-children from school.

-Exactly.

Exactly. Well, we'll let you know.

Hang on, what's he up to?

Listen, I'd love to chat, but I've got to bid.

-Nothing personal.

-See you later.

-I'll be watching you.

Oh, the daggers are out in the auction today

with Eric lauding his strong start over Danny.

There will be blood, yes, before this is over,

unless Danny can pull his socks up. So, what's the plan then, Del Boy?

There's a few things that I've got marked down,

and they sort of come one after the other,

not directly, but, you know, they are going to be coming real quick.

Now, if I can win them lots, I'll have caught up to Eric Knowles.

I'll be back in the game.

Yes, you can't keep a good man down.

Although Eric is certainly trying to do just that,

as the engraving he saw earlier comes under the hammer!

12 to start, or I'll move on?

Got 12!

-12 bid. 15 I have? One more I need?

-Yes.

-18 is bid, thank you.

-I'm glad I saw you.

-£18. Thank you.

-Selling this one at 18.

Eric's winning bid tips the scales even further in his favour,

as he sails away with the engraving for just over £22, with fees.

Now, Danny was hoping that the lack of pottery

at this auction might work to his advantage,

but what's this?

Eric found a job lot with a hidden treasure.

It's a fabulous bohemian enamelled glass vase and cover

in tiptop condition.

£60 is bid. At 65. 70, 5, 80.

-Oh, they've spotted the vase.

-£90, still with me

at 90 on the book. 95.

100, 110, 120.

130.

At 130 in the room now, last time.

HE BANGS GAVEL

The job lot costs Eric £160.42 with fees.

So was his hidden gem worth it?

I've just gone and bought this job lot.

However, there's only one object there I want

and it's this glass vase and cover.

I know it looks like ceramic.

I can see that all the gilding is good,

the enamelling is exquisite.

You've got these two storks or cranes.

All that is hand-decorated, all hand-enamelled.

This is as good as the day it was made

and it was probably made in around about 1875,

no later than 1895, I think.

Up next, it's one of Danny's desirables, at last!

I've got a nice set of leather riding boots coming up.

They're vintage, I'd say they are about 1950s,

got a lovely pair of trees in them as well.

And Danny's up against the bids

on the auctioneer's book for the boots.

-At 45, we're selling.

-Here we go.

-50. 50, 55,

60, 65. 70, 75.

-Are you bidding?

-Go on, then.

-£80. Selling at 80 now.

Selling?

I didn't really want to pay that much for it.

Eric's got me on the back foot, he's got all his lots, nearly,

and I'm just starting mine.

I don't know what he's doing,

but he's just paid £80 for a pair of leather boots.

I mean, I can only hope they were at one stage worn by Elvis.

AS ELVIS: Thank you very much.

Danny pays £98.72 for the boots,

so will they help him walk off with a profit?

I've had a good look around them and they are in lovely condition.

All the leather, it's not cracked or overly worn, the heels are good

and they've got a lovely pair of antique trees inside.

It's got a little maker's name on it.

Faulkners and Son. Lovely condition.

Nice little handles, it's just a nice lot

and can really be used anywhere.

A great decorative piece.

# One of these days, these boots are gonna walk all over you... #

Go on, then!

With his boots in the bag, Danny marches on

and gets his hand in the air, bidding on a box of retro Meccano.

It's my time now. My pieces are coming up and I'm winning 'em

at a reasonably good price as well.

Watch this space!

We are watching, Danny, and we've just seen you spend £92.56

on a box of Meccano and we all want to know... Why?

This is a lovely lot. This is 1950s boy toys.

I mean, this stuff withstands the test of time,

purely because it's made of metal, you know, so it's robust!

It's a great lot. I'm going to have some fun with this.

Danny now has three items to his name and he makes it four

when he buys the 1920s mahogany chair that he saw earlier

by bidding Yorkshire-stylee!

-Hey-up!

-All done at 140.

I'm happy with that lot.

Costing a total of £172.76 with fees,

so it's 4-7, and Danny's catching up with Eric.

The workbench is up next

and it's another must-have item for Del Boy.

-I've gotta win this.

-55 anywhere? All done at 55.

-Hey-up!

-60. 65?

70. 75?

-80.

-Go on, then.

-Is that a bid?

-Yes.

-85.

-90?

-Yes.

95? No?

On the right there at 90, and selling.

It seems like they like industrial down here.

£95.

Plus the fees, just over 100 quid, but it's a nice piece.

I'm going to wax it up, I'm going to pretty it up,

I'm going to make it look good,

and I know it's going to sell for good money.

I'm happy with that last lot.

The workbench puts him back £111.06, including fees.

So, hopefully, there's still a workable profit in it

and, with his fifth item, Danny hangs up his bidding paddle.

That's me done, bought my last lot, happy with it.

It's been a good day all round.

Go and pay my bill now and pick up my items.

Yes! Danny's come back from nowhere and decisively bought

what he hopes will be a winning assortment of sellables,

but old Eric's not done yet.

He's still hanging in there and he's not the only one!

All these people are standing around.

I'm pretty certain they're all going to bid on this fourfold screen.

That's why they're here.

Or should I say that's why they're STILL here.

48. Do you want to go 50? With the lady at 50.

Eric bides his time and comes in at £65.

70? 75, 80. 85, 90?

It's with the gentleman at 85.

HE BANGS GAVEL

Well, I didn't think I was going to get that for £85, so, I mean,

with the premium, I'll probably pay just over £100 for it and, um...

I'm very pleased with that buy.

Having bought it, of course, I've now got to sell it,

so you've got to have confidence in your goods.

And I have.

Eric seals his final deal for £104.90 for the folding screen

and, with that, the auction comes to an end.

Our experts must head home with their antiques under their...

Hold on, what's Knowlesy up to now?

Make me an offer I can't refuse.

Yes, I'm quite happy to give you £50 for the few pieces that...

-£50?

-Yes.

-Put it there.

-OK.

Eric is already doing deals on the unwanted items

from his job lot of china.

The lot cost Eric £160.42 and he's already made £50 of that back.

Thank you very much. The deal is done.

Eric's not even letting the dust settle.

He's started selling already.

I've got to pull my socks up, I tell you. Gotta pull my socks up.

Yes, our young pretender still has a thing or two to learn

from the grand master.

From a £1,000 budget, Eric ended up walking away with eight purchases,

shelling out £629.36.

Our late bloomer, Danny, managed to squirrel away five items,

costing £549.14.

Time to glance over each other's hauls.

-Are you happy with your purchases?

-Oh, I'm over the moon.

Tell me... I mean, I do know for a fact that your wheelbarrow, for me,

somehow had your name written on it.

"Shabby chic", without going on, is the order of the day at the moment.

-It's what people want.

-It is, yes. Yeah, yeah.

And I quite like... I did like that wheelbarrow.

Nice French rustic... But to be honest with you,

I can't find a favourite lot at the minute,

because I love my workbench,

I love the 1920s chair.

-It's all good lots here today.

-Yeah. And you almost loved...my ladder.

I just felt that, at that money,

40, going on, bits on top, £50,

I thought, "I'll let you keep that one, Eric."

OK, well, that's very generous of you on our first meeting.

You're welcome. Your favourite piece?

Favourite piece, I think, has to be the glass vase.

The glass vase. And what's going to bring in the most profit,

now you've made half your profit on this lot already,

-the glass vase?

-Well, it's a very good question.

I'm hoping that it might be the screen.

-I need to have a good look at that.

-Mm-hm.

Danny, this is a game of look and learn.

Our pair of intrepid experts have finished the buying,

so now it's time to sell.

But before we dive into those turbulent waters,

our heroes are back home with their hauls.

Danny is in Wellingborough, ironing out his plan of attack.

Well, all said and done, um, the auction was a good day, really.

It was a bit difficult initially, but it came to a head

where I've bought this lovely workbench.

It may look like a bit of tat at the minute.

As soon as I get it waxed and sanded,

it's going to look absolutely fabulous.

I've got a chap, a friend of mine who restores and refurbishes,

so he's going to sand it, he's going to wax it,

I think he's even going to put a shelf underneath,

just to make it look a bit more gutsy and strengthen it up.

Then, of course, it's going to be worth strong money.

I've got this Meccano box, didn't cost me too much money.

There's a lot of gear in it, so it'll make a good profit on that.

Now, my Edwardian chair, this desk chair.

Fantastic, lovely scroll back on it.

I'm going to have to find a new home for that.

My barrow, my old French barrow, very nice.

I know a fair few gardeners, florists,

so I don't think I'm going to struggle with that.

My boots and my trees, these are great.

They're going to need a polish,

just to freshen them up a little bit,

they're about 1920s, 1930s, I would have said.

They're going to get a healthy profit and I'm going to try

and sell them at a sort of equestrian centre.

All said and done, I think it was a good day.

I know Eric bought a lot of stuff that day,

but I think, with what I've got,

they all warrant fairly strong money,

so therefore I'm not worried that Eric's going to run away

and leave me in profit.

I'll be right on his shirt.

So it's fair to say Danny's confident,

but over in Wycombe,

how is Eric feeling about his considerably large haul?

I was very happy with what I did buy,

even if it is a lot.

In fact, I've got eight items here.

Certainly, my two stoneware spirit barrels,

and also my Chinese hardwood screen,

not forgetting the girl on the plinth.

As for my painting, which I've shown to a friend of mine,

and he's got quite a good knowledge of this area, he liked it.

He thinks it might be by a gifted amateur,

but what I really need to do is take the back off,

just to see if there's any signature.

It would make a world of difference, cos I love that painting.

I don't want to sell it, but I've got to.

But that being said, if I was to say which of all the things

I bought is going to offer me the biggest profit,

well, fingers crossed,

it's going to be my continental enamelled blue glass vase and cover.

So all I've got to do now is actually do the selling.

Both our dealers must get down to business,

as they scour the land for the right buyers,

utilising every resource available to find a match

and maximise their profits.

And remember, no deal is sealed without the shake of a hand.

Danny is the first to get moving, but he's playing the long game.

Rather than sell his workbench as it is, he has bigger plans,

but it's going to cost, so he takes it to upcycler Phil

to find out just how much.

What I really want is I want it structurally sound,

this filled back in -

whether you just use, you know,

-whether you put some bits low...

-All right.

-..and then just

a nice piece that sits on it, just to bring it flush with this.

I also want a shelf on the bottom. Obviously, treated as well.

I think, for a basic sort of restoration job,

where you just strip it down, brace it up, shelf it out, um,

you're probably talking...

60 to 80 quid?

I do appreciate that we've all gotta eat, I do appreciate that,

-But I know you'll sand that, wax that...

-Wax it, treat it.

-..in a couple of hours.

-Job done, yeah.

-Yeah!

-It's not...

-All right, let's have a deal, let's shake on it.

-What's that? 70 quid?

-75 for it. 75 quid.

-Give me your hand! Nice one!

So, Phil gets sanding while Danny sets up his selling.

Now, Eric is heading to London and going underground in search

of his opening profit from the flagons that cost him £92.56.

Well, here I am in the cellars

of one of London's oldest wine merchants.

They've been here since the 17th century.

They're Berry Brothers & Rudd, and I'm here to meet Simon Berry,

um, because he's expressed an interest in my spirit barrels.

-Hello, Simon, I've found you.

-Eric, you have, yes.

-It's a warren, I'm sorry about that.

-No, fascinating, fascinating.

Yeah, this is a place you can lock me in overnight, not a problem.

-Not an issue.

-As long as you've got a corkscrew.

-Oh, of course, yes.

Of course. Well, anyway, these are the barrels.

I think quite fascinating.

We are looking somewhere between 1820, maybe 1835.

They're 200 years old, almost.

Well, yeah, they're getting on that way.

-Certainly getting on that way.

-What would they have been used for?

I mean, would they have been in a pub or a private house?

Yeah, I think they would have been in a pub.

I don't think it's the sort of thing you would get in a private house

unless, of course, it was down in the butler's pantry, or whatever.

Do you think that they are going to find home in this establishment?

Because you have a bit of a collection

of wine memorabilia and suchlike.

We've got a collection of wine memorabilia

and indeed stoneware, but nothing like this.

So, personally, I'm always looking for things

that have a little bit of interest there.

And because they've got the royal warrant,

and because they've got the Prince of Wales's warrant as well,

and we hold the warrant for both the current Prince of Wales

and for Her Majesty the Queen,

I think I know exactly where I'm going to put them.

I was looking for in the region of a couple of hundred pounds

-for the pair, but...

-For the pair?

Yeah, but, you know, I am open to negotiation.

How about if we went for...

£80 each, therefore 160 for the pair?

160 for the pair?

I think, if we could just nudge it, just nudge it that £10 note,

do you think we could do something at 170?

-OK.

-Do you think so?

-Yeah, I think we could.

I am for hire if you need anybody here for sampling.

Now, now, it's a bit early for a celebratory tipple,

but with an opening profit of £77.44,

Eric is delighted to have popped his cork.

Well, that was a fascinating place to do business.

It's like stepping into the age of Charles Dickens,

but it was a very gratifying sale because my spirit barrels

are now where they would have been back in

the early 19th century.

While Eric's returning his items to their original setting,

Danny is returning his items to their original state.

These boots - they're just leather. I paid almost £100 for them

and they just need a polish up, they need the clean, they need to

look £100 worth at least, so I'm going to polish and clean them up,

just to make them look a little bit more presentable.

You know, all the imperfections, really, are sort of hidden.

Polishing boots is all very well,

but Eric is already onto his second item.

He's had his statue delivered

to Kings Langley-based landscaper Jason, hoping he'll be hauling off

a heavy profit on top of the £51.83 it owes him.

-I see my girl's arrived?

-She has!

-I realise that it's not of any great age.

-No, no.

-But we're...

We're looking for decorative effect? The thing is that, obviously,

she's been made in recent years, but what I like about it

are these sort of lichens that have grown over the years.

Can I ask you a question? Because you deal with this sort of thing

-on a regular basis?

-Yes.

-I was told that, if you put...

If you put natural yoghurt on a figure like this,

-then you get more of a growth?

-It speeds up the ageing.

Yes, the idea is it's supposed to, with the natural yoghurt, it's

supposed to increase the bacteria on the surface and make it older,

but I wouldn't recommend it - you can get streaks with that.

-I'd be a bit cautious of that.

-OK.

So, I'm looking for a good home for this girl, you know.

I really am, you know. She's not just any old girl.

-Have you got any, er...?

-I have, I have.

-I've got a customer that might be interested in her.

-OK.

Um, and what I'm thinking is that she could be elevated up

with a nice shrubbery behind and a light in the garden at night-time,

which would really bring the figure almost like a sort of

ghostly feel in the garden.

-Well, you're talking this up, Jason, lad! You're talking it up!

-I am!

-I don't want to talk it up, do I?

-ERIC LAUGHS

Well, let's face it. I mean, if you've got a client for her,

I mean, this client doesn't want some just cheap figure, does she?

-JASON LAUGHS

-She wants something with a bit of...

-But she may not want something expensive either, Eric.

-Oh, right.

-OK, well, we've got to find a happy medium.

-We have, we have.

I would be hoping for around about £160?

Hmm!

That's a little bit more than I wanted to spend, really, 160, um...

I was thinking more maybe... maybe about £100?

I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what, um... If we could do...

Could we do around the 120 mark?

How about 115, we've got a deal?

-115? We've got a deal.

-We've got a deal.

Eric makes a statuesque profit of £63.17 for the statue,

and makes it two sales to Danny's nil.

But Del Boy is hoping he'll soon be off the mark, as he heads to Olney,

a village just north of Milton Keynes.

He's taking his now-polished-to-perfection boots

to show Kathryn, a co-director of an equestrian shop.

I'm just wondering, have I come to the wrong place?

Because I've got a nice vintage pair of riding boots, but these,

all these boots here, to me, look like fashion boots.

Oh, we've got a bit modernised, yes.

You have got a bit modernised, haven't you? Yeah.

Tell me, do these sell? What's going on here?

Yeah, well, these are dressage boots here.

These are probably for training.

So, I mean, which one looks the best, then?

I've got my beautiful vintage...

I'd date them around about the 1920s.

-Yeah.

-Very well-made. I mean, this is a classic design.

-Style never goes out of fashion.

-Absolutely.

And fashion never goes out of style.

Hey, hold on a minute, are you nicking my lines or what?

-What's going on?

-They look like they've been really well-kept,

really well looked after.

That was the hard work I put into it.

-You should have seen them.

-You polished them yourself?

You'd think I was in the forces, wouldn't you,

-with a polish like that? It's like a mirror!

-Exactly.

You must have heard of this name, Faulkner & Sons.

Yes, beautiful boot trees, aren't they?

-This is going to fit right into this shop, you know.

-Absolutely.

What do you think they'd be used for?

I think originally these boots would have been for hunting,

going out in the field. A good general boot.

What would you use them for?

We'd use them as a nice prop.

We could make them look beautiful in the shop.

Would they be something that you're interested in?

Yeah, absolutely. I think they'd really fit in with our shop.

It's all down to price, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

-I was thinking roundabout the 240 mark.

OK, we were thinking more about the 120 mark.

Excuse me?

-120?

-Yeah.

-You've chopped me right in half.

-I know.

Well, it needs to be a bit more than that, Kathryn.

What about 160?

Oh, Kathryn.

That beautiful smile's going to succumb me, I know, but...

-I hope so.

-It needs to be a little bit richer than that.

Oh, Kathryn, how about 195?

180.

185 and we've got a deal.

-Great, OK. Deal.

-Oh, thank you very much. Thank you, Kathryn.

There's only one word I use when I have a great deal like that

and make plenty of profit.

Boot-iful.

Yes, a boot-iful profit of £86.28

means that Danny has entered the race.

But it's Eric next with his Chinese screen.

Well, I'm in rural South Oxfordshire.

I'm here to meet Teesha.

Teesha has a gallery in Oxford, but she is also

something of a multi-tasker because she's got

a bed and breakfast out here.

I'm here actually to do a deal on my Chinese screen.

Teesha's family hails from the same part of China as the screen,

so will she want to buy it?

How can I best describe it?

Well, as you can see, fourfold, inlay.

I think date-wise about 1880.

It has got this wonderful inlay

and, if you look at the tree here, you can see it's very, very ornate.

Do you ever see this type of screen in China?

Older days, yes, they used, but now people do not often use this.

Would that look the part in your gallery in Oxford, do you think?

It could be. What's the price?

I was looking for around the £300 mark.

I was thinking around the 200 mark.

What if we went 250, would that go?

250 is not a good figure.

Chinese like eight.

Oh, do you? All right, then, 280!

-OK.

-I was thinking 218.

Oh, 218! If we said 238,

would that be just as good?

-OK.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-You are sure?

-Yeah, you sure?

-Yes, I'm sure.

-Shake hands.

-It's a deal.

Eric makes an impressive profit of a smidge over

£133 for the screen.

He then goes on to sell the gilt-framed pictures,

including the Maxfield Parrish, to gallery owner Chrissy

for a further profit of £97.79.

Danny needs to catch up.

Having paid £75 for the restoration of his workbench,

it now owes him over £186, so he's had it delivered

to Stockport Antiques Emporium owner Gabby,

hoping he can still carve out a profit.

Oh, yes!

This has come up 100%. Absolutely fabulous!

Cor, considering that this was a total mess, it looked very

dark and dismal, now it's been treated, all the woodworm's

been treated, we've waxed it and we've sanded it.

This now is worth a lorra lorra money!

Del Boy thinks he's spent his money right,

but what will Gaby make of his upcycled workbench?

-Hey, I tell you what, it looks well, here.

-It does indeed.

-What do you think, Gabby?

-It's come home.

Love it. This is very now. Everyone's after one of these.

In actual fact, I've probably got a buyer straight away

-for a shop fitting, as a front counter.

-Oh, wow!

-I mean...

-And I've also seen them with a bit of slate set in here,

as well, which is really nice, especially in the kitchen,

and you can oil them down.

-A bit of slate?

-Mm, dropped in, just into the tool well, here.

-Let's talk about price.

-Come on, then. Spit it out.

550.

Ouch! OK.

Got to be a bit more in it for me.

Listen, Gabby, there's plenty in it for you.

I mean, I've priced it up, I've reckoned it up.

I've seen about what these are going for and it's a great thing.

There's a little quirky bit here with this little door.

There's two vices. It cost me a lot of money, you know.

Two vices, yeah, OK, I'll take that.

It cost me a lot of money as well to get it restored. I've put...

-You know, time, getting it delivered up here!

-Hmm...

500?

Will you go 520?

No. I've got to screw these hinges off.

-Yes, I know.

-They're horrible.

-I know, they are horrible, yes.

They wouldn't have been so bad had they been inside,

-but they are quite...

-Cheap.

-510.

500, come on, we like round numbers.

-We do like round numbers. I'll have a deal at that.

-Right.

-Thank you very much, Gabby.

-Thank you.

Incredible! Danny's strategy pays off,

and he makes the best profit so far, almost £314 on the bench.

He's back in the game and understandably as pleased as punch!

Brimming with confidence now,

Danny decides it's a good time to call Eric for a quick catch up.

Mr Danny Sebastian, how are you doing?

-Not so bad.

-'Good!'

-Not so bad.

'I've gotta drop this one on you, you know.

'Do you remember my riding boots?

'Yes, I can remember them, yes.'

If I remember rightly, at some point, you were saying to me,

"You won't get no money for them"!

-I tell you what, Eric...

-'Yeah?'

-I more than doubled my money on them.

-Did you really?

I thought I'd just drop that one, because, um, you know...

You didn't want to put your foot in it, did you?

-That's the thing.

-THEY BOTH LAUGH

-Sorry!

-Hey, don't you get clever! Anyway...

-'OK. Anyway, come on.'

-I see you getting onto your jokes, so I'll move off that subject.

-'OK.'

-How are you finding it?

-You know I found that the girl on a plinth?

-Oh, yeah?

-She managed to find a landscape gardener

who took a shine to her, so, you know,

-we more than doubled up on that.

-Oh, nice one! You made a bit?

Yeah, and the same true with the spirit barrels.

Listen! I don't believe you! I think you're just trying to give it all

that old flannel, cos I told you I'd done very well with my boots.

So, on that note, I've had enough now, I've heard enough!

-I'm busy.

-OK.

-You take care. Ta-ra!

I've said it before. I'll say it again.

Bonkers!

He may just be, but how is he doing in the scores? Let's find out!

Eric has so far done five deals, giving him at total profit

of £384.48.

Danny has only sold two of his five,

but after his success with the bench,

he's just in the lead with a little over £400 of pure profit.

With figures like that, only a fool would speculate

on who's going to win today's clash

and we're seeing two very different approaches.

So, will Eric's old school style

win over the young upstart's upcycling tendencies?

Danny's risky approach was never more evident than when he picked up

a box of construction toys, so he's decided to seek

some expect advice to find out what he got for his money.

I've dragged this box of Meccano all the way down to Brighton!

I'm at the Toy Museum and I'm here to see two enthusiasts.

Now, they know everything you need to know about Meccano.

I'm just hoping that they're going to be able to enlighten me

and educate me on my box of Meccano, so that, when I come to sell it,

I'll get a good price for it.

Since its humble Liverpool beginnings in 1901,

interest in this classic construction toy has built

and built. Now, it's seen as a highly desirable

and collectable item for enthusiasts all over the world.

It was created by a Liverpudlian clerk by the name of Frank Hornby,

who also created, you've guessed it, the Hornby train set!

Meccano was first made to amuse Hornby's sons

and has been embraced by children and adults ever since

and some original kits can now sell for as much as £15,000!

Danny is meeting enthusiasts Jim and Geoff, but the big question is

will anything in his mixed up box be worth enough to get him

the £93 investment back and hopefully a profit on top?

-Oh!

-What do we think?

-It is just a general collection.

-Common?

Oh, dear! Not exactly what Danny wanted to hear.

But as they continue to search through,

they uncover a possible piece of gold amongst the rusty iron.

-Jim...

-Oh, heavens!

That's the headlights from the No 1 Car constructor,

and it's nice, because it's usually missing from the cars.

So that's a really nice find.

So, if you found that, chances are we might find some other bits.

An early spanner.

Um, of moderate interest.

It's in good condition.

-Another gem, Geoff?

-Absolutely, Jim.

That's a nice little piece. It's a steering wheel...

-Yes.

-..from the motor car outfit that we found the headlights for.

I think, you've sifted through it,

there's nowt here really of any consequence,

apart from a steering wheel and pair of headlights!

To summarise, yes, they're the best parts.

Without those part, this is... I wouldn't even bid on it.

-It's just...

-Rubbish?

-I'm afraid so, yes.

Oh, don't sugar-coat it, then, Jim and Geoff!

Still, Danny establishes his most sellable items are the headlights

and the steering wheel from the No 1 Car constructor kit.

There you go, I've heard from the experts

that I've pretty much brought a load of scrap!

I'm going to need a good bit of magic to get me out of this one!

Perhaps not the answer Danny was hoping for,

but never one to be beaten, he has a plan to use the knowledge

he's acquired and put the Meccano into an online auction.

My Meccano lot, I'm going to split it into three different lots.

There's two dainty little pieces that I know are probably

the best bits in the box, to be honest,

so I'm going to put them on one listing.

Now, all the rest of the Meccano, I'm going to put on another listing

and the box that the Meccano came in,

I'm going to put that also on a separate listing, because,

whoever wants the Meccano, I'm sure they're not going to want the box.

Meanwhile, Eric is continuing on his selling quest

with his prize buy, the blue glass vase.

The vase still owes him over £123,

so will London-based antiques dealer Mousa

like it enough to find some profit in it?

I was intrigued to know your opinion.

Would you say Bohemia, rather than France?

I think it might be any, Bohemian or French,

but in my opinion, it is French.

But the date, I think about 1870, 1880.

-Beautiful.

-It's beautiful, yeah.

Well, I'm expecting around the 400 mark,

so where do you come in on that one?

I would be coming to £300.

Can I just push my luck and go to 370 or...?

Then why don't we shake hands on 350?

350, we've got ourselves a deal.

Eric walks out with his biggest profit so far.

Remember, the vase was bought as part of a job lot and,

with the rest either sold at the auction house

or given to a charity shop,

it means Mr Knowles has made almost £240 on the lot.

That is what, in the business, you call a sleeper,

when you get a price like that.

Having said that, I'm only too pleased

that I had an early night before the auction.

But Eric's up late for his next sale - the stepladder.

Well, there are three types of people you might find walking

through the streets with a ladder.

One might be a fireman and the other one may be a window cleaner

and the third? Well, it could be a cat burglar. But in this case,

you got an antiquey person, not that this ladder is antique,

it dates probably to around about 1925, so it qualifies as vintage

and, let me tell you, vintage these days is the buzzword!

Danny pushed the price up to just over £50 at the auction,

so will the sale price climb even higher as Eric takes it

to Buckinghamshire antiques dealer Chloe?

There it is. And it's got one, two, three, four...

-What do you call them? ..platforms or...

-Treads.

-Treads! OK!

-SHE LAUGHS

All right! Well, you're obviously well ahead of me.

-I mean, have you sold ladders like this before?

-I have sold

-a few ladders before.

-Have you?

-Um, interior decorators do like them,

particularly the ones just with the rungs, cos they like

to hang their towels on them in the bathrooms.

Florists kind of like these ones, actually, because they like to use

-them for decorating with their pots and things.

-Oh, plant pots?

-Yeah.

-That would look good.

-It'd work in a good conservatory as well.

-Yeah.

That would be another good use for it.

I think it needs a nice coat of wax and, yeah, that would be good

for using indoors, I think, perhaps not for its usual use.

If I was to tell you that I was hoping for

somewhere in the region of around about £80, I mean...?

-OK.

-I'm open to persuasion, Chloe.

-I think my opening offer to you would probably be £50.

-OK.

Um, well, then, I might come back at 70, but do you think

-we might nudge it a bit?

-Um, shall meet halfway at 60?

-Is that halfway?

-Between 50 and 70.

Yeah, it probably is, isn't it? Put your hand there.

Eric makes a profit of £8.17,

for the ladder, so Danny needs to catch up,

and he's hoping to do just that with his chair! He's back at

the same Stockport emporium where he sold his workbench,

but this time, meeting dealer Laura, who has another stand.

Remember, the chair set Danny back over £172.

This is a nice early 20th-century scroll top,

with a rail back and a solid seat.

I'd say it's got a 360-swivel and it's also got the rocking action.

-Oh, yeah.

-What do you think of it?

Well, it's a wonderful piece. I mean, it's got such great curves

and it's certainly not the type of desk chair

-you see every day.

-You like it?

I do like it, I do like it, but I think what I need to find out

is if I'm going to like the price.

Say 300.

300, OK. That is a little high,

I think, for this chair.

Would you do 225?

-HE SIGHS

-260.

-I can do 250.

-255. We'll go in the middle.

-I'll do that. I'll do that, 255.

-Oh, Laura, it's been a pleasure.

Danny makes a profit of £82.24 for the chair!

He then sells his wheelbarrow to a tearoom in Ribchester,

as a shop display, and wheels out a profit of £65.96,

which means all he has left to do is

wait to see how his Meccano does online.

Eric bought his watercolour with his heart,

so the question is - can he use his head to get a good price?

A little bit of investigation fails to reveal a signature,

but it does lead him to the door of picture dealer John,

hoping he has a good reason for him to buy it.

Well, I've got to admit that, when I saw this,

I was just captivated by it.

I've had it out of the frame, there is no signature.

However, initially, I did know there was a name on the back

that said Cortez, C-O-R-T-E-Z,

so I start looking online

and I can't find anybody with the name Cortez.

However, I then thought, "Well, maybe it's Cortes,"

and, when I did that, I came up with Edouard Cortes,

and then I started seeing that this man was prolific.

He was born in, I think, 1882, or something like that,

died in 1969, and I start looking at his oil paintings.

And several of his oil paintings I find that he features a mother

and a child side by side.

-There are several problems with that attribution.

-Go on.

Born in 1882, and we reckon this is about 1900, 1905,

it would be a very juvenile picture at that stage of his career.

I can't see anything stylistically in the handling of the medium

which would make me think it was by Cortes, I have to say.

Frustrating that there's absolutely nothing on the back whatsoever.

-Nothing.

-I might die before I discover who it's by,

but it's very, very charming.

I'm prepared to make an offer on it, something just over £200.

Are we near the 220?

-About 220, yes.

-About 220.

-Yeah.

-Have we got a deal?

-We've got a deal.

He may not have got a definitive answer on the artist's name,

but Eric's instincts pay off

and he makes a profit of £96.60 on the painting,

which means he's down to his final item -

the engraving of HM frigate Geyser. Eric heads up to London hoping

to sell it to a maritime art specialist by the name of David.

I have been doing a little bit of research.

I'm told that this vessel was laid down in about 1840.

-It's a technical term, isn't it, being laid down?

-Yes.

-Being built.

I believe that it was sort of broken up, um, in the 1860s, so it didn't

-have a very long life.

-No, no.

-No.

-It seems like a lot of effort's

gone into it for such a short period of time to operate,

but I guess it probably did a lot of work in its time that it was built.

-Well, let me have a look at it.

-Good.

Looking at this particular piece, and looking at the paper that

it's printed on, and generally the fact

that it's sort of survived in such good condition,

I believe it's what's known as a restrike, I'm afraid.

The term restrike basically means when a print is republished

using the original printing plates.

So, the company Ackerman, although they no longer exist,

at some point sold their plates to another company, who have reprinted

it in the exact same fashion as the original would've been produced - on

good quality paper, hand coloured, the same look and the same feel.

I would say that probably the print is contemporary with that frame,

which would be 20 to 30 years. I would think,

if it were a period piece in a period frame, it would make

somewhere in the region of 4... £300-£400, something like that.

Would I be asking too much if I was, say, asking for £50?

-My instinct would be more around the £40 mark.

-OK.

But maybe we could meet in the middle, say 45?

45? Listen, 45 is perfectly good by me.

Not quite the result he was looking for, but Eric sells the picture

for a profit of £22.79, meaning he's all sold up.

He may be done, but Danny is still

nervously awaiting the results of his online sale,

so let's remind ourselves of how much our experts spent today.

From a £1,000 budget, Eric bought eight lots and spent £629.36.

Danny bought only five items, but adding restoration costs

and online auction charges, spent more in the end, £654.11.

But who brought home the biggest profits?

Now, it's time to find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion?

-Hey, how are we doing?

-Not so bad.

-How are you?

-I'm fine.

-Always a pleasure to see you.

Oh, thank you, Danny. Well, it's nice to get back into

the auction scene, for me.

I spent most of my life working for an auction house.

What was your best buy?

It's got to be that job lot with all the miscellaneous china,

most of which was worth very little.

There was a glass vase and cover.

-Right.

-It was fabulous.

And it was about 1880, probably Bohemian,

beautifully enamelled,

and, um, I found a man who really was keen to have it.

So what was your best buy, Danny?

Well, my best buy, funnily enough, would have been my workbench.

-Do you remember that workbench full of...?

-Yes, I do.

-..woodworm and all sorts going on.

-Yeah, yeah!

Yeah, well, I got it treated, I got it sanded, I got it re-waxed,

I got a little shelf put on the bottom.

Then I sold it to this lady, she's got a big antiques centre.

-Oh, right.

-Went down very well. But it looked the business.

-Come up trumps.

-Good lad.

-OK, well, let's see if you're going to come up trumps here.

-Yes.

-OK.

-Let's have a peep.

-Are you ready?

-I am.

-We'll do a one...

-A one...

A two, and a three!

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

Well, hey, that's a very healthy profit.

-Yours is even healthier!

-And that's what matters!

-In your box, it does, yeah, but not in mine.

-Come on.

-Come on, then.

Yes, Eric wins today's contest by a country mile, after Danny's online

auction plans didn't quite bring in the result he was hoping for.

He had some initial success with the two rarer pieces.

Oh, yes! We've got a bid! In fact, we've got four!

And it's made £50.

But even though he did sell every item, after postage, packaging and

auction costs, he only made a total profit of just over £7 for the lot.

Well, I realise I came up with a tidy profit there,

but in all fairness, Danny really did give me a run for my money.

So, at the end of the day, I have to be eternally grateful

to one Bohemian glass vase and cover.

I'm absolutely gutted.

I actually thought I was going to win that one.

It just goes to show,

don't count your chickens before they're hatched.

And also, check your chickens before you sell them,

as Danny discovers when he receives a surprising phone call

from one of the winners of his online auction.

-'I found something I thought you may be interested in.'

-What's that?

-'There were two coins in the bottom.'

-Was there?

-LAUGHTER ON THE LINE

-'One of them is an Irish ha'penny.

'It's worth a couple of quid. I looked at the other one

'and it's an old penny and it's, er, 1918.

'I must admit, this one isn't in particularly good condition.

'It's still worth about 40 quid.'

Oh, dear! But even if he had realised, the coins wouldn't have

brought in enough to beat his opponent this time.

However, our experts have together brought home a total

of almost £1,300 for good causes.

My chosen charity is Prostate Cancer UK.

It helps more men survive prostate cancer.

My chosen charity is Beagle Welfare.

Now, they take in orphans and beagles in need of a home

and look after them till the end of their days.

Both our experts have worked hard and shown they've got what it takes

to buy and sell antiques in order to make profits

when their own money is on the line! And you can't say fairer than that!