James Braxton v Kate Bliss - Showdown Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

the show that pitches TV's best-loved antiques experts

against each other in an all-out battle for profit.

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...

-Rrroar.

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

That could present a problem.

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

-Ready for battle.

-..from buying and selling.

-Get in there!

Coming up, it's the Showdown.

This time, Kate shows us

that imperfections aren't always a bad thing.

It's actually a crack that happened when the piece was in the kiln

being fired, so actually not classed as damage.

-Bingo gets the shock of his life.

-Can't be! It can't be!

And will our dealers make a profit

selling at the terrifying Showdown auction?

Crikey, I'd bite his hand off if it was me.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

In today's Showdown, our daring duo prepare

to give the country and Continent a proper going-over

in pursuit of a cornucopia of collectibles

they hope to turn to riches.

First up is our duke of dealing.

He may look gentlemanly on the outside

but his polite exterior masks a ravenous hunger for antiques

and a gritty desire to win.

It's James "Bingo" Braxton.

Do you know, I am on fire today.

His opposition - she's the countess of cash

with a core of pure profit-making steel.

This lady of the loot takes no prisoners

and devours competition.

It's Kate "Absolute" Bliss.

I'm going to be ruthless.

Our experts have £1,000 of their own money

to spend across four different locations -

a foreign market, an auction,

an antiques fair and a car boot sale.

Once they've amassed their arsenal,

they must use their wit and wisdom to sell the lot

and any profit they make will go to the charity of their choice.

But there is an almighty twist.

At least half their items must be sold

at the special Showdown auction,

where our dealers relinquish control to the buying public.

As the drama unfolds, they'll have to stand and watch

as their items go under the hammer.

Only one can be victorious.

So, James Braxton and Kate Bliss,

it's time for the Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Showdown.

-Hey, the big finale. Exciting!

-Very exciting.

-Shall we remind ourselves of the rules?

-Yeah.

"Welcome to the mighty Showdown.

"You must each buy two items

"at every one of your regular Put Your Money challenges.

"You have £1,000 to spend."

"You can sell up to four items wherever you want.

"The rest will be sold at the Showdown auction.

"The winner is the expert who makes the most profit."

-Bonne chance.

-Mmm, bonne chance. It's a tricky one.

I always find it quite hard to decide what to go into auction.

-Send the cheapest.

-Do you think?

-Yeah.

-Good luck.

-Good luck. Bonne chance.

-Let's go!

Our dynamic duo are in peak condition,

each primed to outrun their rival

and ready to snatch gold from under their competitor's nose.

It's Round 1, the foreign market.

Our shrewd spenders have hopped over the Channel

to Waterloo antiques market in Belgium,

where they'll both need to find two Showdown-worthy items.

With no time to lose, James the Great has stumbled on a grate,

but for what?

It's got a lot going on there.

We've got this sort of Greek key rushing round the border here

and then we've got an open fish scale here.

Now, it's got a little handle and a rather nice hinge here.

Maybe it's something to do with possibly heating? I don't know.

It's 30 euros and at 30 euros, I've got to buy it, haven't I?

Well, no, you don't HAVE to buy it,

especially if you don't know what it's for.

But James decides it's a bargain not to be left in Brussels,

spending 30 euros or £22.22 on the mysterious 1920s French grate.

Meanwhile, across the market,

Kate has found someone who is no stranger to these parts.

-Napoleon.

-Napoleon, yes.

-Paris?

-Paris.

-Er...19th century?

-19th century.

-C'est combien?

-Cent. 100.

-Hmm...

Yes, and like Napoleon,

Miss Bliss doesn't like being backed into a corner.

-Time for a counteroffensive.

-I think...

-Er...cinquante.

-50?

-Si.

-OK, OK, for 50.

-Oui? Merci.

Yes, she's not messing about today,

haggling her way to a half-price deal.

Kate pays just over £37 for the diminutive figurine.

But will it bring her better luck than this little chap had here?

I think the excitement of being in Waterloo

and all the historical significance of the battle here

has got the better of me,

because I have bought some continental porcelain,

which I don't normally buy,

but it's Napoleon. It's 19th century.

Now, I noticed a tiny little bit of damage down here

but I've looked at it with my loupe

and it's actually a crack that happened

when the piece was in the kiln being fired,

so actually not classed as damage

and I'm hoping that somebody who loves history, like me,

is going to love this.

While Kate marches off to find her second item,

James spots a modern nest of tables with a price tag of 20 euros.

It is solid oak and it's all there.

It's quite a sweet little table.

It would have been three, a nest of three tables normally.

Um, but might as well have the two. Go on. Come on, come on.

Let me furnish you with some money, my good man. I'll take the two.

That's £14.81 in sterling

and Bingo's Waterloo campaign is complete.

Meanwhile, Kate knows there's only one thing for it

when you're second in a two-horse race.

Well, I'm running out of time.

I think we'll just do a deal. Trente, oui?

KATE LAUGHS

That's £22.22 and some seriously speedy shopping from Miss Bliss.

So, what's she bought?

Now, I'm a bit of a sucker for nice period leather boxes

and this is exactly what this is.

1930s but open it up and inside, we've got

four lovely little matching chrome-plated toiletry bottles.

All the plate is in good condition and for 30 euros,

I don't think that's too bad.

Our Antiques Avengers have survived Round 1

and spent sensibly on foreign soil,

so while they convert their euros back to pounds,

let's see how they're doing.

From a £1,000 budget, James has spent £37.03,

which means he has just under £963 left in the kitty.

Kate's haul has cost her £59.26,

leaving her just under £941 for the next three rounds.

And so begins Round 2, the auction.

They've arrived at the Hop Farm Auction Room in Kent

and have some solid strategies up their sleeves.

Got to buy another two items here.

Are they going to be cheap enough in this auction room

to take to another? I doubt it

because I've got the premium and everything.

I'll have to see how I go. I'll have to see what the competition's like.

So, Bingo's not planning to put anything from here

into the Showdown auction.

It seems Miss Bliss is thinking exactly the same thing.

You've got to remember that we're live online here today,

so the pieces here today have been put out there,

into the international marketplace,

and the impact of them going to the market has been had today.

It's quite unlikely they'll make significantly more

in another auction fairly soon.

Our brave bidders must each bag two items

and they've got money to spend, so let the auction commence.

Kate Bliss is ready for action and, call the cops,

she's found something already.

This '50s telephone's coming up in just a minute

and I quite like it. It's quite retro.

Although it's had a few alterations,

it's lost its plate underneath, it's still worth a punt.

The estimate is £30 to £40 and Kate puts the auctioneer on speed dial.

Start it off. £30 on the telephone.

-Ooh.

-30. £30, thank you.

£32 anywhere? £30 it is, in the room, then.

-£30, last chance selling at £30.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

Yes, me! £30.

With auction fees, that's £35.25, but did she make the right call?

The catalogue says 1950s.

It's not in bad nick

but, unfortunately, it lost its little paper dial there,

which would have had the original number on it.

The Bakelite itself, though, is in good nick,

so this could be an interior decorator's piece

to give a retro look to an interior or it could be for use.

Hoping to catch up, James has spotted a 1960s coffee table

with a guide price of £15 to £20 and sticks his hand in the air.

20. 22.

-22 it goes.

-I think it's mine.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

It IS yours, Bingo, for £25.85, fees included.

This is quite trendy at the moment and the great thing about this

is you can introduce an element of colour into your home.

Who doesn't love mosaics? I love mosaics.

There's a lot of work, they've clipped them all round

and luckily, they've protected it

with this gilded plastic strap all the way round.

I can see big profit.

And keeping to the theme of interior design,

James has fallen for a modern Turkish rug

with an estimate of £40 to £60 and, blinded by its beauty,

has completely forgotten how an auction works.

-I'll give you 30 for it for a start. 30.

-Oh, you will?

-That's very kind of you(!) But I've got £40 online.

-No!

THEY LAUGH

Yes, there's no haggling here, Bingo. You're not in a souk.

-I'll give you £42.

-Oh, thank you. £42 in the room.

44's jumped in. 46?

46 in the room. 48's there. 50?

50's there. 55 next, if you will.

-At 50.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

Thank you very much indeed, sir. Thank you.

It's his for £58.75, including fees,

and James hopes it will take him on a magic ride to Profitland.

This is a Turkish knotted or Ghiordes knot.

But it's a big carpet. It's got great colours.

It's got a central reserve, it's got a lot going on with it.

And £50 plus the bit, it's very good value, isn't it?

With one item left to buy at auction,

Kate spots a pair of modern diamond earrings

with an upper estimate of £25 and she thinks she's onto a winner.

Diamond studs are always great sellers.

36 there. 38's next. 38 over there. 40.

But they are proving to be a popular lot,

pushing the price way over the estimate.

55 there. 60 anywhere? 60's there.

-65. 70?

-No.

65 it is. At £65. Selling at...

-70's back in. At £70.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

£70 for diamond earrings.

Well, as I said, always commercial, always good sellers.

Wasn't going to go to that, though.

Oops!

Hmm, oops indeed, as the auction premium bumps the cost up

to £82.25 and that's Kate's two auction items in the bag.

Our auction room aficionados have survived Round 2,

but will it be the diamond earrings

or the Turkish rug that wins the day?

Let's tot up the totals.

Our dealers started out with £1,000 of their own money to spend

and they've now bought four items each.

James's purchases have cost £121.63,

leaving him with over £878 in his coffer.

Kate's spent £176.76,

leaving her with just over £823 for the next two rounds.

Time for Round 3 at the antiques fair.

Their third battleground is at Peterborough Festival of Antiques,

where they'll be scanning their beady eyes over 1,000 stalls,

hoping to secure any gems before their opponent.

James has spent just a fraction of his budget so far

so, if he's looking to buy big,

it seems he's stumbled across the very thing.

Can't be! It can't be!

How many bottles does it do?

One, two, three, four, five, six...

It's enormous!

240 bottles?

-Have I got that right?

-I don't know.

18 by the 12. Let's do the maths. Let's keep it easy.

180 plus 36...

-216.

-Yeah, he got there in the end.

-Now, what is your best price on this?

-70.

-70?

You've gone and got yourself a deal. Thank you very much indeed.

Now, this is what I call a wine rack. This is a big fellow.

This just keeps the wine in perfect order. It's perfect for the cellar.

The only problem is getting it down into somebody's cellar.

Not bad condition. I notice one has got a bit of woodworm,

one's missing, but bar that, it's almost perfect.

Ah, yes, what's a bit of woodworm between friends, eh?

Now, whilst Bingo's been fawning over his wine rack,

Miss Bliss has her eye on a decorative glass plate...

-90.

-Yeah.

-..buying it for £90 and she's delighted.

A gorgeous, opalescent, art deco, 1930s.

It's moulded glass.

I think this is Eastern European

and by a factory called Barolac which was based in Czechoslovakia.

You've got beautiful waterlilies, you've got a great colour

and, most importantly, it's in perfect condition.

At the indoor stalls, Bingo has spotted something big and coppery

and it's a chance to show off his expertise.

What on Earth is that then, that big copper thing?

Water boiler. Dates from about 1840.

Absolutely tremendous.

Very Downton. Just think of me as Carson.

Butler Bingo? No, James seems more upstairs than down.

So, that's a water boiler and that would just sit on the range.

What have you got on this mighty beastie?

-275.

-How about 210?

-220.

-220.

I think it's an object of beauty. I'll buy it.

-Come on, I'll buy it.

-Good one.

Who doesn't love a piece of metal? We've got copper, we've got brass.

This would just permanently stay on the range,

so you'd always be able to draw off some hot water

for boiling vegetables or whatever you were doing.

Copper is the metal at the moment.

I need to introduce this into a trendy restaurant.

With one item left to buy, Kate has got her tentacles on a tantalus.

You'd have to give it a good polish.

I quite like it like that. It looks like it's been used.

We've got 295 on there.

Today, now, 250.

We're going in the right direction. 200's what I'm thinking.

-£210.

-I just really like round figures.

-I like round figures.

-200, I've got the cash.

-205 and that will buy me a cup of tea.

-Oh!

-Now, come on, you know that's a deal.

-You're killing me!

You can't do the 200? And I'll bring you a cup of coffee!

-Right, I'm going to hold you to that.

-OK.

-Cappuccino, two sugars, 200.

-200. Done.

Yes, Kate there, proving that a caffeine fix can fix a deal.

Coffee included, that takes £201.50 out of her pot.

Here we go. Look at that for service.

Now, the thing about a tantalus is, it's a great-looking piece

but it's also highly practical. This is Georgian style,

but I think it's probably 20th century in date.

Silver-plated with three lovely cut-glass decanters.

So, we're at the antiques fair finish line

and both our dealers have lavished some serious cash.

So, let's see where they stand after Round 3.

From his £1,000 budget, James has spent £411.63,

which leaves over £588 for the final round.

Kate has spent a total of £468.26 so far,

leaving her with just under £532 in her kitty.

So, all that money comes with them to Round 4, the car boot.

Our money-making maestros have brought their collectibles know-how

to Hemswell car boot in Lincolnshire for their last hurrah.

And Bingo is not messing about. He screeches in, hits the brakes

and procures a 1970s motoring motif dish...

Alfa Romeo, look at that!

-Would you take £2, sir?

-For you, yeah.

-Oh, you very kind man!

..for a very thrifty £2.

It's rather nice. It's made by Wade, it's pottery

and it's published by the Vintage Sports Car Club of Great Britain.

It has that sort of detail a car enthusiast would like.

It's a 1924 Alfa Romeo, it comes from Italy

and it raced at Brooklands, that famous track in Surrey.

It's a fabulous-looking car as well.

Really lovely item and mine for just £2.

With the chequered flag almost in sight,

his rival is desperate to overtake

and has found something to pin her hopes on.

-Can I have a look at your hat pins, please?

-Yeah.

Thank you. What could you do on these for me?

-70.

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

I know they're hallmarked.

-What's the absolute rock bottom, just for me?

-60.

-55?

-Oh, go on then.

-55?

-Yeah.

-Done. Thank you very much indeed.

In the Victorian and Edwardian periods,

an essential item for the lady about town would be one of these.

Now, there are hatpins and there are hatpins.

And these are particularly nice examples.

You've got a pair here, matching,

with sterling silver mounts and a little shamrock motif,

and then this one is by the Rolls-Royce of hatpins,

a man called Charles Horner, who's highly collectible.

Three for £55 is a good price.

And with just one item left to complete her Showdown swag,

Kate spots a 1930s baby's bowl.

-Go on then.

-And it's hers for just £10.

It was made to be used in 1937.

We know the exact date because of the scene that's printed on it.

You've got a lovely coronation scene here.

The black is transfer-printed and then it's overpainted by hand

in these lovely coloured enamels,

which are still in pretty good condition.

Turn it over and you've got the factory, Foley China,

and it says here, "Souvenir item for the coronation of George VI".

So, Kate's completely spent up,

but Bingo still has some pocket money left

and he's got his eye on an old bike. The big kid!

I have spotted car boot gold.

Behind me, a classic drop-handled racing bicycle. It's lovely.

That's the sort of bicycle I dreamed of and saved up my pocket money for

and there it is. I wonder how much it will be.

He DOES know it's a picture, doesn't he?

-What have you got on that?

-I'm asking for 200 quid.

-You're asking 200 quid?

-Yeah.

-That's quite steep.

-Mmm. It's a one-off.

-What about 150?

-Very tempting, very tempting.

-Very tempting.

-175 and it's yours.

-Go on. In for a penny, in for a pound.

# Bicycle, come on, bicycle... #

That is a pricey peddler,

but does James think it's worth it? Hold on, where is he?

This is car boot gold. It's the most fabulous item.

It's a big design item. It's just the distillation of sort of 1970s.

But I've never seen an image like this. It's printed.

I think it's magic. I had to pay for it.

I had to pay £175, but I think there's still profit in it.

Good buy.

Yeah, it's not goodbye quite yet.

Our epic buying journey is over but we need to assess the figures.

Our rummaging rivals each had £1,000 at the start of the Showdown.

James has splashed out £588.63 of his kitty,

while Kate has been more cautious and finishes, having spent £533.26.

Before our dealers turn their minds to selling,

what do they make of their wares?

-Hey!

-There you are, Kate. You're looking happy.

-We have all eight items.

-All eight, all done.

-Your favourite item?

-Got to be the diamond earrings.

Girl's best friend and all that.

-They're very nice those studs, aren't they?

-They're quite sparkly.

-What about you?

-My affections change very quickly.

-Yeah.

And I bought it today. It's a most lovely huge print

-of a racing bicycle.

-Oh, fantastic. Sounds good.

So, what's going to make the most money then?

-I think one and the same bicycle print.

-Do you?

-Yeah, and you?

Tricky one. Could be the tantalus, I'm not sure.

-I've got the buyer in mind.

-Well done.

-Depends whether he likes it.

Yes, get that high price.

Anyway, our problem is finding those items for auction, isn't it?

Yeah, now we've just got to decide on the auction.

-Oh, well, I'll see you there. Bonne chance.

-Bonne chance.

Well, dealers, there's a tough road ahead before that Showdown auction.

First, they have to focus on finding private buyers for half their items.

The other half will enter the auction of fear,

where their fates rest solely in the hands of the bidding public,

so it's imperative to choose carefully what goes where.

Over in Sussex, James is doing just that.

Here is my mighty Showdown.

The items that I'm going to put into auction are the grate,

the two tables, the Alpha Romeo dish and this lovely rug here.

The reason I've put them in is I've bought them quite well, ie cheaply.

James also needs to find private buyers for his wine rack,

1960s coffee table, his 19th-century copper water boiler

and vintage bicycle print.

Over at her Herefordshire HQ, Kate's got a clear plan

of what she's putting into auction as well.

My best buys, I think, have come from the car boot

and that's the baby's plate and the hatpins.

All three of them are in good order and I think there's a profit there.

I'm going to put both of those into auction.

I'm also going to send my little set of toiletry bottles

that came all the way from Belgium.

There are collectors of this sort of thing

and I would put an auction estimate of between £20 to £40 on them.

And my last piece for auction are my diamond earrings.

They're lovely little stud fastenings, everything a girl likes

and I think there's got to be £100 there.

So, Kate needs to find private buyers for her Bakelite telephone,

20th-century tantalus, 19th-century Napoleon figurine

and 1930s glass bowl.

Our eminent experts must now become supersonic sellers and, remember,

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

no deal is ever sealed.

It's James Bingo Braxton who's out first,

determined to secure that vital opening sale.

He's cunningly pinpointed East Sussex wine merchant Peter

as a possible buyer for the huge wine rack he bought for £70,

but can he uncork his premier Showdown profit here?

Now, what do you think of my mighty wine rack?

-Er...

-JAMES LAUGHS

You'd like me to be honest about it? Tell me something.

I found this at an antiques fair. Let's say this is 1970,

-so this has already survived, you know, 45 years.

-Yes.

But it's one of the largest wine racks I've seen.

You get 18 12-bottle cases in this mighty fellow.

And I would like, I'd like £1 a hole.

So, James's opening offer is £216.

I prefer if they're only wood and not metal.

I know myself, I would scrape the labels

and that is the hard metal.

-You're trying to get the price down, aren't you, Peter?

-Oh, certainly.

-How about 75p a hole, Peter?

-I think definitely not.

-Give me a price, Peter.

-50p.

-50p.

How about if we met halfway, 65p? Come on, Peter, put it there.

-I knew it wasn't going to be a pushover.

-All right, 60.

60? That's £129.60.

Thank you very much indeed. Very kind.

Yes, it's a good start for Bingo, as he pockets a profit of £59.60

and moves swiftly on to finding a home for his 1960s mosaic table

with vintage shop owner Yvonne...

-Put it there.

-£40 then.

-Thank you very much indeed.

..adding another £14.15 to his pot.

It's a prosperous start from James but, back in Hereford,

Miss Bliss is determined to ring in the changes.

She's hoping to talk vintage shop buying assistant Emma

into taking the Bakelite telephone.

Remember, Kate paid £35.25 at auction.

I have noticed... Actually, you've got one in the window, haven't you?

-Yes.

-..that you do like the odd old telephone.

-Yes, we do.

-So, I've brought you this one. I think it's probably '30s.

-OK.

If you look at the receiver,

it's got that lovely shape around the bottom there.

It's even got the modern phone line in the back there already,

-so you can plug it in, it's all good to go.

-Brilliant.

-What do think? Is it your sort of thing?

-Yeah, definitely.

Like you said, we do love vintage phones.

They prove to be quite popular as well.

This one is in working order. That's brilliant as well.

-I was hoping for around the £60 mark?

-OK.

-How does that sound to you?

-We probably would sell it on

for about that price. Probably thinking more of, like, £40.

Could I say just a wee bit more

and meet you in the middle at a nice round £50?

Yeah, I think, cos it's in working order,

then we could probably... Yeah, £50 sounds good.

-Thank you. Brilliant.

-Lovely.

-Thank you, Emma.

That's a solid first profit of £14.75 for Kate

but, intent on being the victor in this battle,

she sells her 19th-century Napoleon figurine to local collector David,

gleaning a statuesque profit of £162.96.

Bingo is still in East Sussex and who can blame him,

with rolling hills, open views and majestic countryside?

But he's not here for all that.

No, he's heading to the pub, but at least he's taking

his 19-centuty copper water boiler with him...

-How about 250?

-Go on then.

Thank you very much indeed, Gary.

..bubbling up a refreshing profit of £30.

And with that, James is down to his last private sale item,

the vintage bike print.

I'm in the middle of the countryside.

I've come to see Janie, a good friend of mine,

who's both mad about cycling and an instructor.

The picture's so large, I've had it delivered. Let's hope she loves it.

James paid a rather ambitious £175 for the print at the car boot

but will Janie think it's worth taking a spin on?

-Now, what do you think of this mighty beastie?

-I'm loving it.

-Do you?

-I do love it, yeah. It's gorgeous.

I was told it came out of Carlton Cycles' engineering workshop

in Worksop. Do you know much about Carlton?

Only that they were the first people

to do beautiful handmade racing bikes

and added a bit of colour to them at the same time.

This is probably, datewise...

I think it's about, um, 1960s or '70s.

Janie, I was hoping for around 250. How does that sound?

-It sounds like a lot of money.

-It has great provenance.

It's an image that you won't find again.

-I love it. How would you like £100?

-No, that's too low, I'm afraid.

-Too low.

-165.

-I can't do 165.

-Cor...

-JANIE CHUCKLES

190. Come on, put it there.

-190. Done.

-Done. I have been!

Yes, just a 15 profit. Go on, Bingo, get on your bike!

I'm sort of a bit like an old maid here, starting my cycling.

# Ride my bike until I get home... #

And off he goes on the Tour de East Sussex.

Heart rate's gone up.

# Gonna ride my bike until I get home... #

All my private sales are now done. Not a huge profit, just over £100.

But the auction's to come. Maybe I'll make more.

Yes, James may have beaten Kate to the private sales finish line,

but this race is far from over.

With no time to lose, Kate sells her 1930s glass bowl

to vintage boutique owners Paul and Theresa...

-I think our best price would be £100.

-Lovely.

..earning a glossy £10 profit.

Kate has just one thing left to sell privately

before the mighty Showdown auction

and it's her big-money item, the 20th-century tantalus.

It cost her just over £200 at the antiques fair

and she hopes it can come and stay permanently

at this Regency hotel in Hereford.

So, what do you think of my tantalus cos, obviously,

this is on a slightly different scale to the decanter there?

-It's lovely. It's quite a thing, isn't it?

-Mmm.

-Wow.

-It's Georgian really, I would say, in style.

-Yeah.

-Silver-plated.

-Yeah.

But the thing I like about it is, if you look closely,

you've got a tiny little bit of chasing or engraving

just around the top here. And it's got its key, of course,

-which is incredibly important.

-Oh, so it locks?

-So it locks.

-Let's see what it looks like on the mantelpiece.

-OK.

-What do you think?

-Oh, yes, I think that looks super, George.

It fits in there quite nicely.

I was hoping for around the £500, £550 mark, something like that?

Would you take £450 for it?

Could you say a nice sort of round £500?

-That seems a fair deal.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much. That's super.

Goodness gracious! A stiff drink might be in order,

as Kate earns a whopping £298.50 and has no more private sales.

Next stop, the Showdown auction.

Miss Bliss is obviously in the lead now, but by how much?

Both our experts have now sold four items.

James is doing well, with profits, so far, of £118.75.

But it's Kate who's leading at this stage.

Her private sales have earned a huge profit of £486.21.

So, now it's the moment we've all been waiting for -

the Showdown auction.

This is a tortuous place,

where our dealers have absolutely no control over any of their sales.

Their fate is in the hands of the team and bidders

at Keys Auctioneers in Norfolk.

So, are our two warriors feeling brave or jittery?

-Well, good morning.

-Morning, Kate.

On this gorgeous sunny day(!)

Are you excited about the sale?

Yeah, well, it's the last four items to sell.

-I sold everything, how about you?

-Yep, sold everything else.

Little bit like this. Some good, some bad. How about you?

Yeah, I've had some winners and I've had some also-rans.

I'm not so sure about this though. Are you feeling confident?

-Well, I've entered pretty well my lowest price items.

-OK.

-And you?

-Well, some. Not quite, actually,

cos I've got those earrings, which are quite expensive.

And how much did you pay for those?

-I paid around the £80 mark.

-Oh-ho-ho.

-I know.

-So, that could be the tricky one.

-Well, best of luck.

-And you.

Shall we go and see these earrings?

-Let's get in the warm.

-Yeah, come on.

So, mixed feelings there from our rather soggy experts.

But could they just be bluffing?

Before the hammer falls,

there's one last chance to look over each other's lots.

Kate almost paid £83 for these,

um, and there's very few items of jewellery in this sale.

I think she's a bit vulnerable here.

I'm secretly hoping these crash and burn and will put me ahead.

Now, I'm quite surprised that James has put his rug in to auction

and I don't know whether anybody else has noticed but...

SHE SNIFFS

..it's got a distinct aroma.

I like Kate's baby plate.

A bit of damage, slightly rubbed, some of the colours,

but it's still there.

I think it's rather nice and I think Kate will make a profit on this.

Now, I really like the shape of James's little tables but, for me,

it is blindingly obvious that they are two

from an original nest of three.

Kate's bought three hatpins here.

They've got nice silver tops.

There seems to be a lot of boys in the room.

I don't know to what interest hatpins have for cloth caps.

I think Kate could make a loss on these.

I was convinced he was going to sell his little plate

to an Alfa Romeo enthusiast and get a flying profit

but instead, he's put it into the auction

which isn't even online. Having said that, with the Wade name

and he only paid £2, there's got to be a profit there,

it's just a question of how much.

And we're off. The first of our items under the hammer

is James's 20th-century nest of tables.

He paid just under £15 for them.

You're pretty confident about these, aren't you?

They're a great shape. They're solid, they're solid oak,

they have a good French line to them.

-Pity I'm just missing the third one, isn't it?

-I did notice that!

Will anyone fall in love with two-thirds of a nest of tables?

We're about to find out, as the auction begins.

I've got a start down here of £15 for the two. At 15.

15. 15? 15. 18.

20. 22. 25.

28 with you, madam. 28. At 28.

-There we are, that's good.

-28.

-28.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

I reckon that's a bit of a win. Well done, you!

A positive start for Bingo.

After fees, he makes a profit of £5.75,

but James's jubilation is short-lived...

At 20.

..as he makes a miserable loss of 8.22, after fees,

on his 1920s grate.

That was my favourite of your lots, actually.

Well, don't favourite another!

And Bingo isn't the only one to face an early blow,

as Kate's 1930s toiletry bottles

get flushed down the great auction loo of despair.

Standing in front takes the bid at 25.

Go on, one more!

Making Miss Bliss a big wet £4.12 loss.

-Ooh!

-The erosive nature of commission.

But it's all still to play for and Kate could swiftly redeem herself.

Her diamond earrings are up next. They owe her just over £82.

Now, Kate, this is your most expensive item,

-your lovely earrings, aren't they?

-And they are so...

Brilliant cut diamonds, really sparkly.

This ought to be £150-worth, I would say,

-if they were being retailed, even more.

-Yeah.

But I don't think this is the right auction for them

so I have to say I have got the jitters about these.

I tell you what, they looked rather lonely

-in the jewellery cabinet, didn't they?

-I know, I know.

But Kate must stand by her decision

to put her diamonds under the hammer.

You can only hope they don't leave her in the rough.

Start me at £50 for them. 50.

30 I'm bid. Here at 30.

-Oh, come on!

-He hasn't really started yet, you're all right.

38. 40. At 40.

Come on! Crikey, I'd bite his hand off if it was me!

-55.

-Go on!

-55. Slowly, slowly. Somebody else is bidding.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

-Oh...55! That is a steal!

Somebody has got... You're laughing.

-I'm not laughing.

-He's laughing!

-I'm not laughing.

-£55 is a steal!

Oh, dear, that's another disastrous loss for Kate.

£39.55 after fees. And the merciless Showdown auction

hasn't finished toying with our dealer's dreams yet,

as James's car motif dish, that cost £2...

4. £4.

..crashes and burns, making a loss of £1.12 after fees.

This auction's cruelty knows no bounds.

That's five items sold so far and only one has made a profit.

Surely it's time to end this losing streak.

Take cover, Showdown auction,

because Bingo is coming at you with his Turkish rug.

It's his last item and he means business.

Bundled up over there, your rug actually looks quite good

-cos they've put the good side on the top.

-The good side?

Even Kate's cheeky comments can't stamp on James's hopes for profit.

The rug owes James just under £59.

-Start me at £50 for it. £30 for it.

-30.

30 I'm bid. Two of you want it. 32. 35.

38. 40. 2. 45.

-48. 50. 5...

-OK, they can stop now. They can stop now.

-Yes, this is going in the right direction.

-At 80.

-Ooh!

85. 90. At 90.

-90? At 90. 90. At 90.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

-£90?!

-£90.

-£90?!

-Wahey!

-Another winner for Bingo.

-And he's back in the game.

That's a comfortable final profit of £12.65.

Kate's 1930s baby plate is up next. It owes her £10.

I have got everything crossed for this.

I've got some serious catching up to do.

The bidding is about to start.

Can Kate claw back some of her lost earnings?

I've got to start that here at £15. Here at 15.

Yes, straight in!

-15. 15. 18. 20.

-20, doing well.

-Keep going.

-At 20.

-AUCTIONEER BANGS GAVEL

At last, a profit for Miss Bliss.

It's only £4, but every penny counts.

Kate's last hopes are pinned on her early 20th-century hatpins

that cost £55.

-Last-chance city.

-Last chance to catch you up.

I did catch a couple of people looking at them closely...

-Really?

-..which bodes well. I mean, these ought to go well.

James predicted a loss on this lot. Will he be proved right?

-£10.

-Oh, come on! There's three of them!

With you at 10. 12. 15.

18. 20. At 22.

-A flurry of hands.

-28, fresh bidder.

-Thank you.

-At 28.

-Keep going. A long way to go.

-32. 32. 35.

-He's teasing you.

-Still with the lady, I'll sell now at 35.

Oh, that's ridiculous! I'm having a sense of humour failure! 35?!

That's a crushing final blow for Kate.

A loss of £28.70 bursts her bubble.

She's all sold up and only managed to make a profit

on one item here today.

I have to say I am seriously disappointed with that.

But you know, fair and square,

I think, on this particular occasion, my friend,

-you have thrashed me soundly.

-No, have I?

-You seriously have.

Taken it away. Well, next time Kate, consign the cheaper items...

Well... Yeah, you owe me a cup of tea, come on, with your winnings.

And that's it. There were mammoth misfortunes today

but they survived and we'll reveal the victor in just a moment.

But first, let's remind ourselves of what they spent originally.

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

James spent a healthy portion of that - £588.63.

Kate spent lightly less - £533.26.

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

will go to charities of their choice.

So, let's find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Showdown champion.

-Well, hello there. Hi, Kate. On this blustery day.

-It is, it is.

-The auction, for me, was a bit of a disaster.

-Yeah.

Although hammer price, I made some tiny profits,

overall, because of the commission, I really didn't do very well,

-whereas your rug, I couldn't believe that!

-I know.

-It flew away!

-Flew away. What was your best item you sold?

Got to be my tantalus, because it was a lovely thing, actually.

Quite an investment to buy it and yeah, not a bad return.

-Sounds expensive.

-What was your leading piece?

-Drink-related. That huge wine rack. It did all right.

-It did all right.

You're keeping your cards a bit close to your chest.

-This is it. Ooh, I'm nervous.

-This is the last one.

-I know.

-Are we ready?

-Ready, steady...

-TOGETHER: Go!

-Oh!

-Whoa!

-How much did you sell that tantalus for?

I sold it for a fair price. I think I got a really good deal

-when I bought it.

-Really?

-Yeah, really!

Yes, Kate triumphs, and it was the tantalus

that made her the largest profit. But it doesn't end there.

Both our experts have been building up their profit pots

over a week of challenges, so who is the overall winner?

Now, you had such a great start,

-this has got to be super-close, you know. Are you ready?

-Go.

-Go.

-£1511.

-£1547.

-No!

-Only just!

-Oh, only just.

-Well done.

-Well done, you.

Well fought, well won.

Come on, let's go and have a celebratory drink.

A close win there for Kate and, between them,

they've made over £3,000 and every penny of that will go to charity.

My chosen charity is the Windmill Hill Windmill Trust,

bought at auction over 20 years ago,

saved from dereliction and about to grind corn.

My chosen charity is the Herefordshire branch of SSAFA,

because it gives lifelong support

to servicemen, veterans and their families.

It's been a week of no-holds-barred combat.

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.