Philip Serrell v David Harper - UK Antiques Fair Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

the show that features 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 an heavy profit here!

Putting their reputations on the line.

Who's there?

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

Raaar!

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, David Harper wobbles.

Oh, my Lord, it's the worst one I've ever ridden in my life!

Phil Serrell uncovers a society with secrets.

I would call it a grave cloth.

And it's where a man becomes a Master Mason.

-And there's some hard haggling in the selling.

-£65.

I'm not going to fork out 65 quid on a bit of old junk.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome, one and all, to an adventure in antiques.

A contest of collectables but more importantly, a duel of the dealers.

Today, we're up bright and early at Newark Antiques Fair

in Nottinghamshire, where two experts are limbering up

and getting ready to pounce on their purchases.

First up, it's a man who's as dapper as a dandy,

puts passion in possessions and loves to haggle hard.

Why, it's Devilish David Harper.

No mucking about. Buy stuff!

And he's going up against a legend of the saleroom.

A man whose smile is as rare as hen's teeth.

The formidable Phil 'The Fox' Serrell.

That's a sign of the times, that is.

These two godfathers of the gear have £750 of their own money

to buy the best wares and barter for the best bargains

in order to bag the most money.

With all their profits bound for a charity of their choice,

David Harper and Phil Serrell,

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

Dave, what have you done to me?

It was not my idea to get here at this time.

I'm not sure if it's last night or this morning yet.

Well, go and ask them.

No, don't go and ask them because they're all still in bed.

-Absolutely right.

-My goodness me.

-Newark, here we are.

-Here we are, £750.

-Are you raring to go?

-I'm raring to go, are you raring to go?

-Let's get at it.

-Go wake them up.

-See you.

Yes, these old dogs are keeping their cards close to their chests.

And despite their bleary eyes, the boys are up for the challenge.

So, how is David tackling today's fair?

Well, here we go.

As you can see, everybody is up, out of their tents

and setting up, so the trick is to get out there,

buy fast and furious and go.

David's going for the bull in the china shop approach.

What about The Fox?

If I've got a plan, I want to try and buy things that I like

because if I like them, hopefully other people will.

And also, I want to buy things that are different,

that you can't look at the price of in a book.

So the quirky, the different, the strange.

Hmm, so Phil thinks there's money to be made in the weird and wacky.

I like things that are tucked away.

So, while The Fox dives headlong into the unusual,

David is determined to buy with his head.

Look at that, we could be twins, couldn't we?

So, I suppose it's a mannequin head, isn't it?

It's an unusual colour because most of them are a clearer colour.

-What sort of age, do you think?

-Sort of '70s or '80s.

-Which is very funky and trendy right now.

-Yeah.

That kind of last quarter of the 20th century is very on-trend.

The thing is it's not quality, is it?

-It's not a great quality thing.

-No.

But funnily enough, the market now

is less concerned with great quality.

It's more concerned with a look, a style.

"How much am I?"

-Best is 20, really.

-20 quid?

-Yes.

-So she's not going to come to me for a tenner, is she?

-No.

-20 quid is fine.

-Thank you very much.

-Good man, nice to meet you.

Come on, darling.

This business is marvellous because you go through phases

in your career of loving different sections.

Now I'm very much into glassware.

I love glass, I love the individualism of it.

Take that for an example.

A little bubble in the back of her head there,

just a sign that this is an absolute one-off piece.

Light will reflect through that, it'll bounce back,

it'll look the business in the right location.

So, for 20 quid, she's a bargain.

She's great-looking too.

Yes, but now is not the time for romance.

There's more to buy.

Meanwhile, across the fair,

Philip has got his eyes on something alarming.

HE REVS UP SIREN

-How old do you think it is?

-Er, I think '50s - late '40s, '50s.

-But how much is it?

-175, I'm asking.

See, that's what I love about this business. I said, "How much is it?"

And my new very best friend here said, "I'm asking 175."

-Which isn't sort of an answer to the question, is it?

-Wrong answer.

-How much is it?

-150.

-Is that the death?

-See!

-HE LAUGHS

This is a moving escalator, this business.

Who the hell would I ever sell that to?

How many other people are as mad as I am?

Well, Phil, you're unique.

And the thought of tracking down someone else with a love affair

of air raid sirens seems unlikely.

So, perhaps best to walk on by.

Meanwhile, David is re-living his youth

having spotted a pair of vintage water-skis.

You know, sometimes you see an object and it takes you back,

it reminds you of happy days.

Me and my two brothers, we used to ski off the coast of Salford

in the cold, freezing North Sea.

And I haven't been skiing for years.

The reason I'm drawn to these

is because they've got that vintage look.

It's really a trendy market, this '50s, '60s, '70s stuff.

So, are these your skis? Have you ever been water-skiing?

-I haven't, no.

-Oh, you've got to try it! It is fantastic.

-Not on them, though.

-No, I wouldn't go on them.

I'd put them on the back of a vintage car.

I'm guessing 1960s, '70s? Reminds you of the Beach Boys, doesn't it?

-Summer days. What sort of money are they to me?

-55.

55? Can it be 40?

Could be.

-Should be 50.

-50 quid, I'll have it. Thank you very much indeed.

We're going skiing!

Are we? Hmm.

Whilst David dreams of fun in the water,

Phil The Fox would like to be skating on top of it.

He's spotted a collection of vintage curling stones

with a price tag of £90 each.

Basically, you get your stone on the ice and it's like,

it's a bit like bowling on ice, isn't it?

All of these stones, they're made of granite.

I think these are quite cool things.

But there's a little bit of inlay just missing off there.

And if you look at this one, there's a bit of a dink just there.

That's wear and tear.

-Wear and tear on granite?

-Yes.

The thing is with these, for me, they're not curling stones.

I think they're fantastic doorstops. Would you take 120 for the three?

-120? No, it's too...

-Mean is the word you're looking for.

-Yeah.

-If I gave you 130 quid now, would it buy them?

-Why not?

-You're a gentleman. Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Going to go find an ice rink now.

Water skiing one minute, then ice-skating. Whatever next?

Meanwhile, across the fair,

David has his eye on a rather special early-Victorian writing box.

It really is like a laptop of its day, I suppose.

It's got a lovely inscription. Under the drawer.

The inscription's underneath.

Oh, that's absolutely lovely.

Look at that handwriting.

We've lost the art, the beauty of handwriting.

And look at the little kicks on the G. That is beautiful.

-So, is it a wedding gift?

-I think so, yes.

"Bateman of Tenridge Street, Regent's Park."

Married on 15th September 1835.

-That's really sweet.

-It tells a story.

-It does.

It is lovely when you find a real antique

that you can actually accurately date.

And 1835. All forgotten about now.

From a kid, this was the thing that drew me to objects like this.

It makes you realise that nothing is forever.

Is it incredibly cheap?

-HE CHUCKLES

-It can be yours for 45.

Can you make it 30?

-Shall we make it 35?

-I think we should.

Thank you very much indeed. Good man.

See you again.

As an object, it's nice but a bit boring.

Pull the drawer out and that's when everything changes.

That text sends shivers the back of my spine. It's fantastic.

And that's what I've just paid the money for. That information.

Real names, real addresses and a real date.

That is one of the big reasons why I'm in this business.

A connection to real people, long gone.

Devilish is certainly connecting with the past today,

having three purchases to Phil's one.

And it's not just history that David has a love affair with.

-Hello, gorgeous.

-RECORD SCRATCHES

You're two gorgeous creatures.

MUSIC: Puppy Love by Donny Osmond

Aren't they beautiful? Aren't you gorgeous, eh?

Ah! While Devilish has found the softer side of this fair,

it seems there's a cold wind whipping in from Middle Earth.

And a lost treasure is about to be stumbled upon

by a little hairy hobbit.

Or Phil Serrell, as he's also known.

Yes, The Fox has found a ring.

But not just any ring.

IMITATES GOLLUM: It's the precious!

I think that's really, really cool. It's quite a monument, yeah.

I would say '70s, '80s.

Might not be a good idea to put it on, Phil!

Oh, dear. It's got him.

-So, what's the best you can do?

-110.

Go on, then.

The one ring to rule them all snares Phil for £110.

So, what does he think of his precious?

I'm really very, very pleased with this.

Georg Jensen, he's a bang on-trend designer

and I think that's a really cool-looking ring.

And for me, the great thing about that

is it's either a gents or a ladies ring.

In fact, not unlike me, both modern and bang on-trend.

Yes, the ring is obviously playing with his mind.

And that brings us to the halfway point.

It's time to see who's barrelling their way through the bargains

and whose money is running away from them.

From a £750 budget, David has picked up three items

and spent £105, leaving him with £645 to spend.

Phil however has bought two pricey items,

spending more than twice as much as David, £240,

leaving him a £510 in his kitty.

So, our dealers must now throw themselves back into the fray.

Now, Phil's tactic to buy the weird and wacky

and what he likes has gone from the quirky to the, to the...

Is that a gravestone?

What the hell is that?

Ah, it seems to have flummoxed The Fox as well.

-Anyone?

-It's a bounty marker.

That line divides FR's land and JW's land.

And that would be set in the ground to set the boundaries.

-I've never seen anything like that before.

-No, I haven't.

I'm not being funny but how do you know that's what it is then?

It makes sense because that was probably the depth

it was set in the ground, where the line is.

I think that's a really interesting thing.

Who I can sell it to, I don't know.

What can you do it for?

40 quid.

You ain't going to find another one, are you?

I'm not quite sure that's a reason for buying it, really.

-Would you take 30 quid for it?

-35.

-Go on, you're a gentleman.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-OK.

Quite why I bought it, I don't know.

Well, not the biggest vote of confidence

in his tombstone-shaped purchase.

Still, there's lots of objects to choose from

at this sunny antiques fair.

What about this?

Or that, or those.

Or not.

As Phil unfolds a blanket with a coffin motif.

So, where did this come from?

It was a Masonic place in Newcastle that I got a load of stuff from.

-It's macabre, isn't it?

-It is, yes, yes.

There's a thin dividing line between being priceless and worthless

and I'm not actually sure where this fits in on that scale.

Where I'm coming from, there's only one buyer of this.

And if he doesn't want it, I'm between a rock and a hard place.

-So, how much is it?

-Well, I'm looking for about 100 quid for it.

-In my eyes, it's 50 quid.

-Give me 60 quid and it's yours.

-Go on, then.

-Everything's got to go.

-It's just gone, this has.

-Yes.

Hmm. £60 and Phil's purchased a blanket once used by the Masons.

Intriguing. But the question is, what does he know about it?

Now, this piece of cloth relates specifically to

a piece of Masonic ceremony.

And where I come from in Worcester, we're lucky enough to have

one of the best Masonic museums in the country.

Now I hope the museum would want to buy this off me

and then the whole story will unfold.

The Fox's mysterious blanket leaves him four items to Devilish's three.

So, David's decided to put the pedal to the metal

and found a stall dedicated to one of his own personal passions - cars.

What's this little baby doing over here?

This is a cross between Karl Kling, the very famous Mercedes driver,

and Mille Miglia, a famous Mercedes winning car.

I think made as a toy as opposed to just a model,

it also doesn't have a steering wheel, have you noticed that?

-Yeah, but, you know, you can't have everything.

-No, you can't.

I mean, yes, it is in classic played-in condition.

Well, I think it's less a toy now.

It's more of a desk piece for a wealthy car collector.

Or someone who's just very interested. No markings on the base.

No, but I'm pretty sure that it would be German-made.

-OK, you say German, I say French.

-Ah.

-Do you know why I say French?

Well, a mystery. Could it be the style of the metalworking?

The availability of this shade of silver paint

or perhaps the size of the wheels?

Surely typical of French producers.

Go on, Devilish. Tell us.

Says "Made in France".

-Oh, you're just showing off there!

-HE LAUGHS

How much money is it?

To you, 45. To anybody else, a million pounds.

A million-pound motor for 45 quid? Not bad!

This is a real, proper mantique.

Great colour, in as-played-with condition

but this is just a boy's toy.

There are lots of middle-aged men out there with a bit of spare cash

who would love that in their office.

And that is where this little baby will be heading.

CAR HORN TOOTS

Well, you can't say he's lacking confidence.

Meanwhile, The Fox has been buzzing around

and spent £30 on a vintage beehive, no less.

But to what end?

The point of this would have been

you would attract your new queen bee

in through this little gap here.

The hive would follow her

and you would effectively create a new hive.

People buy them in this country for all sorts of decorative purposes -

they look great in kitchens, they can dress a room.

And with that final purchase,

Phil decides it's time to buzz off and call it a day.

David, however, still has money burning a hole in his pocket.

Speaking of holes in things,

it seems this Soviet-era moped he has his eye on has seen better days.

Look at that thing.

Absolutely screams 1950s Eastern Europe.

I can tell you, Simson,

ancient firm started in the late 19th century.

During the First World War, they were making weapons

for the German army, the famous Mauser rifle.

And this moped dates to about 1955, 1960.

In its original colours, which I absolutely love.

Look at the original seat, completely and utterly worn out.

It's been patched and bodged throughout its life.

The history of the Cold War is written all over that moped.

I absolutely love it to bits.

-Is this yours?

-It is.

-It's fantastic.

-Where did you get it from?

-It's from Hungary.

-So, who brought it over?

-My dad brought it over.

-Right.

-We just thought it looked nice.

-It does look nice, doesn't it?

-I love the colour, don't you?

-Yeah, isn't it great?

-It's almost a little piece of art.

-Make a really good feature.

-Have you had it working?

-No, not yet.

-Have you not tried?

-No.

-Go on, give it a go.

-No, definitely not!

What would be the absolute best for me?

-Well, it's on at 300. We could do it for 280.

-Is that it, really?

-That's really it.

-As tight as that?

-Yeah.

-It couldn't come at 200, could it?

-No, I'm really sorry.

Oh, you are terrible!

-Couldn't be 250?

-260?

-Go on, then. 260.

-Deal.

There you go, 260. Marvellous, thank you very much indeed.

-But you've got to give me a push, OK?

-All right.

-Clutch in!

Come on! Faster. I'm off.

Oh, my Lord, it's the worst one I've ever ridden in my life.

CRASHING

Oops, that smashing and quite significant purchase

signals the end of our antiques fair foray.

But before our daring dealers compare and contrast,

let's see what they spent.

From a £750 budget, David had spent rather modestly

until that fifth purchase

which boosted his total outlay to £410.

Phil also bought five items

but spent slightly less

with just £365 from his pocket.

-You've had a good old spend, haven't you?

-This is a good old spend.

-I love that bike.

-Do you like it?

-It's so cool, that!

-It's a Harley-Davidson.

-Hardly Davidson!

-Not going to get very far on that. How much is that?

-260.

-Brave go, isn't it?

-Yeah, but it works.

I was actually riding around the fair on it.

Not very well, and pedalling, but I was riding.

What's with the old Eddie the Eagle bit?

Now, that's got nothing to do with being airborne.

-This is on the flat, on water.

-Water-skiing?

-Water-skiing!

-Oh.

-Have you ever water-skied?

-What, like this?

-You must be joking, I'd sink.

-Do you want to come with me?

-No, I do not.

-I want to see you in a wet suit.

-Really?

-Well, not really.

What about you? You're on ice here?

These curling stones, they're fun things, aren't they?

-Do you do curling?

-I do now.

-I think you will be.

-Yeah, I'll have to, won't I?

-But I think they're all right.

-Interesting thing.

-Good decorative lots.

-Yes.

What on earth is that? Is it a hat?

It's a beehive. I've decided I might get into apiary.

-What, something to do with monkeys?

-Beekeeping.

-Beekeeping?

-Yes, I'm in apiarist.

-You've been called worse than that.

Absolutely right, and will be. I just hope I don't get stung with it.

-Ha-ha! How much did you pay for that?

-30 quid, for a bit of straw.

-Half a straw bale, 30 quid.

-You could wear it to a fancy dress.

-I might have to.

-So, I've got five, you've got four.

-No, no, look.

-Oh, hello, darling.

-Hello!

-Hello, that's rather...

-Georg Jensen.

Do you mind? Do you mind?

-A really lovely touch.

-That is rather, rather nice.

It is, isn't it? I like that. £110. I think there's a profit in that.

Fantastic, well, what a collection.

You and I should have just set up a pitch here and have a go.

I'll shake you by the hand and wish you jolly good luck.

-Sure you don't want to go skiing?

-No!

-Come skiing.

-No! No!

It's now time for the dynamic duo

to turn their attention from purchasing to profit.

Using their knick-knacking networks and all their antiques acumen,

David and Phil will scour the country from north to south

leaving no stone unturned

in search of suitable homes

for their respective treasures.

The profits will go to their chosen charities, but whose will be bigger?

Back at home, at his Durham HQ, David is overjoyed with his haul.

Well, I can tell you something.

I think this is the maddest, most eccentric collection of objects

I have ever bought.

I absolutely love them.

The motorbike is just to die for.

It's a little moped, Eastern European.

A bit ugly but it's gorgeous in its ugliness

and I think it's going to end up being a piece of art.

Something to look at and marvel.

The glass mannequin head.

I'm going to do something very different.

I'm going to turn this blue head into an individual

one-off David Harper artwork.

Well, David is an established artist as well as an antiques aficionado.

So, this visionary of the valuable gets straight to work

creating his masterpiece.

It's quite a nerve-racking moment because it's a one-hit wonder.

Whatever happens, happens. I love looking at people's faces.

Noses, lips, eyes, people-watching.

So, glass is a great one.

Think of it as a canvas.

Can I do something to it...

..to add more value?

Because you can take a £20 head

and turn it into an individual piece of art.

What's an individual piece of art worth?

It's worth what someone's going to pay you for it.

Well, it could be priceless, then! Let's have a look.

Oh, hello!

There we have it.

We've turned one face into several people-watchers.

Hello, baby.

Hmm, as well as turning his Picasso-like creation into profit,

David will also have to sell the 19th-century writing box,

vintage water-skis and model racing car.

Over in the shadow of the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire,

Phil is sizing up his slightly creepy cache of collectables.

My Masonic carpet, I'm rather hoping this doesn't bury me.

And at the same time, we all might learn a little bit more about it.

My boundary marker, I think it's a really cool thing

and I've found a man the other side of the Malvern Hills.

He loves quirky things like this.

I think that the social history behind this will encourage him

to buy it, and hopefully give me a nice little profit.

And I found a Worcester beekeeping society

and I'm hoping that one of their members might just buy this off me.

In retrospect, it might not be the sharpest trick in the book

to go and buy some Scottish curling stones in the Midlands

and move them south, where no-one goes curling.

To the best of my knowledge,

there isn't an ice rink within miles of here.

They could turn out to be hard-core with a handle.

So, Phil thinks he could be skating on thin ice with his curling stones

and he'll also have to find a buyer for his Georg Jensen ring.

With our experts raring to go, they're hitting the phones,

the internet and the road in an effort to convert

their wares into wealth.

But no deal is sealed until the handshake takes place

and the cash is collected.

Keen to get cracking, Phil begins his push for profit

by venturing into a world cloaked in mystery.

I'm at one of Worcester's best kept secrets, the Masonic Museum.

And this room is full of the most fantastic things.

From wonderful engraved glass

to the most fantastic symbolic inlaid tables.

But I'm not here to look at this.

I'm going to try and sell my Masonic carpet and to do that,

I'm going to go into the room where the Masons hold their meetings

and hopefully learn a few more of their secrets.

A few more of their secrets, eh, Phil?

Wink wink, nudge nudge, all that, eh?

Well, Phil was once a trustee at the museum,

so he knows a lot more than what he's letting on.

He's meeting Masonic mate and museum chairman Colin.

Remember, the item cost him £60

so are we going to be privy to the legendary handshake?

Oh, members only then.

It's interesting, isn't it?

Because everybody perceives freemasonry as being

a totally secret society. Which, of course, it isn't.

Well, only if you're a member.

If you become a Mason,

-you take part in these almost ancient little plays.

-Yes.

It's all about symbolism, isn't it?

Which particular bit of symbolism does my carpet relate to?

I would call it a grave cloth. This would take part in the third degree.

And it's where a man becomes a Master Mason.

And in the third degree, he symbolically dies,

the lights go dark and your candidate is very gently

laid into the grave, covered,

and then he's raised from that grave and he's symbolically risen

into light and happiness and brotherhood

with all his other Masons.

I'm assuming it's a rare thing.

I've seen them in black but never seen one in purple.

-How much were you thinking?

-Well, it cost me 60 quid.

So, if I gave you 65, you'd make a profit.

Yeah, nice try, I like your style.

What about 160, how does that sound?

145. Go on.

-Oh, there's a handshake coming.

-Cheers.

Thank you very much indeed. And that wasn't a Masonic handshake.

That was a mate's handshake.

Oh, right.

Well, it may not have been Masonic,

but that handshake secures Brother Phil with a profit of £85.

Meanwhile, up in Darlington, David has also joined an exclusive club.

He's hit the highway and become a Hells Angel. Well, sort of.

Well, actually not at all.

Ha-ha! Well, any excuse to get dressed up in some cracking gear.

So, here's my moped. Doesn't she look gorgeous?

Started life in Germany, then went to Hungary.

And then shipped to Newark, where I bought it, to Darlington.

He's meeting shop owner and fellow motorbike fanatic Andrew.

Remember, he paid a mighty £260 for this Cold War collectable.

Andrew.

-Very good to see you.

-Yeah.

-How are you?

-Better than the bike.

-HE LAUGHS

-Better than the bike!

I assume you're blown away by it.

Yes, something like that, you could say that. Er, does it start?

-What do you think?

-Er, possibly not.

-No. But it does pedal.

It's a bike, not a motorbike.

It's sort of a bike with a bit of an engine.

-That probably hasn't run for several generations.

-So, what is it then?

-It is a Simson moped.

-A Simson! That's a bit of a rare bike.

Normally, at this point, I'd ask the mechanic to come

and have a look at it.

I don't think there's much point of that.

I think it speaks for itself, doesn't it?

-You love bikes, you live and breathe bikes.

-Yes.

-Now you just have a look at that handlebar.

-It's like a push bike.

-And been welded as well.

-It's welded.

It's a snapshot of the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc countries.

So what do you think?

Yes, it certainly is different, certainly is different.

-I don't think you're ever going to restore it, are you?

-No.

I think it's going to be more of a case of sentimental value.

It's an ornament, it's a piece of art.

Every biker that walks in here,

-they're going to be interested in this.

-They certainly are.

-May not be overly complimentary.

-So, where are we then?

-Where do we need to be?

-Where do we need to be?

-I think I would like to be, erm, 480.

-Right.

-£4.80 or...?

-HE LAUGHS

-What can you come down to?

-How about 450?

-I'd shake hands on £400.

-425.

-OK, we'll shake on that.

-Good work.

So, David manages to shift his Eastern Bloc buy

and scoots off with £165 to his name.

I think he really quite liked it and something I didn't consider is this.

That bikers love all types of bikes.

And that thing actually is a historic little beauty.

And all revved up, David doesn't hang around.

He spins his wheels of wares to Buckinghamshire

and sells his toy car, that cost him £45,

to petrol head and toy car collector, Anthony.

Can you do 80?

Every pound counts in this one. I'm against Philip Serrell.

-Oh, then definitely.

-Thank you very much!

Quite right, Devilish.

Adding £35 profit to his campaign fund to beat The Fox.

David is now leading Phil two sales to one.

But The Fox is ready to strike back, heading to Ledbury in Herefordshire

with his boundary marker to see an architectural antiques dealer.

Don't forget, it owes him £35 but will owner David Urquhart

help him to lay out a profit?

-David, how are you? Lovely to see you.

-This thing arrived here today.

-Yes.

-I thought, "What the heck's this?"

I mean, you deal in the weird and wonderful.

Have you ever seen anything like that before?

-I've seen boundary markers.

-Really?

-Yeah, but it's charming, I like it.

Would you sell it to someone for what it is or would it

just be a decorative item for outside?

I'd sell it as a surfboard for someone I really didn't like.

HE LAUGHS

-How much are you going to pay?

-30 quid?

There's a very long silence, Philip.

-Well, I was hoping you'd give me 100 quid for it.

-Oh, no, no.

-50 and we'll do a deal.

-55.

-Go on.

-55.

Well, David didn't give much ground away in the deal.

But our stone-cold Fox managed to carve out a small profit of £20.

Well, I've sold it.

But I've still no idea whether that was ridiculously cheap

or ridiculously expensive.

-Who knows?

-Well, surely you should, Phil.

Nonetheless, he goes on to sell his precious ring

in his native Worcester to local jeweller Francis.

-Give me your best offer.

-We could offer in the region of 180.

Making a £70 profit, which brings us to the halfway mark.

So, let's see whose stock is rising and whose profit is plummeting.

David has made two sales so far and banked £200.

Phil has sold three items but has less to show for it, just £175.

Eager to continue his pitch for profit, our Devilish

has packed his bags and headed south with his piece de resistance.

Right, well, you find me and my completed glass head

right here in the middle of the most vibrant city in the world, London.

I've come to see a friend of mine, Robert Robinson,

who is a big collector of modern art

and hopefully, he's going to like this completed blue glass head.

Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

David paid £20 for his glass head

but will Robert like its new face-lift?

-I'm going to spin it around, I'm going to reveal it.

-OK.

-OK?

This is always a bit of an anxious moment.

-Let's hope I like it.

-I know!

Brace yourself, Robert.

Well, I think it's great. I think it's absolutely fantastic.

So, it's all about people watching.

One of my great hobbies and pastimes.

I'm hoping you can see there are faces in there.

Well, there are, I can actually see there's a number

and obviously, the features and attributes are moved around a bit.

Well, I like it.

It's a rarity to come across something

that hasn't been seen before.

I think the wife will like it, which is more important.

-Right. So, I'm thinking 250.

-OK.

I think it's a fair price, to be honest.

Because I can see you put a lot of work into it.

-I like the fact that it's the first.

-Might be the last.

And also, I think the painting is fairly good. So, well done.

Fairly good? What do you mean fairly good?

Good grief, no haggle necessary?

David's painted head was a hit with the only critic that mattered,

giving him a huge profit of £230.

Wow, relieved and super pleased.

Glass head has found a pretty good home, I think.

Devilish continues to ride the wave of success,

selling his vintage water-skis he bought for £50

to a shop owner from Darlington for £70, pocketing £20.

So, The Fox needs to get his skates on.

And he's headed to the picture-postcard town of Burford,

in Oxfordshire.

He's brought his three curling stones

to show specialist antiques sporting goods dealer Manfred.

Oh, blimey!

The set owes him £130.

Would someone buy these to use them?

Or are they just a decorative item?

I'm not aware of people curling with old stones.

But certainly, people buy them as doorstops or just a decorative item.

-They're nice-looking things.

-Are they of interest to you?

Yes, they definitely are. I'm impressed by what you brought me.

-Really?

-I like them.

-I was thinking £70 a piece for them.

Hmm. Manfred's a hard man to read.

You want £210?

-Yes, £210, yes.

-Hmm.

-Well, hmm.

What are they worth, Manfred?

-I'm not going to tell you what they're worth.

-Tell me afterwards.

-But you've got a deal.

-Really?

-Thank you very much.

Really?

I would have given you that price for this one.

-For that one alone?

-Yeah. This is a collector's item.

Oh, no. Phil, what have you done? Pitching it too low.

Looking on the bright side, he has made £80 profit.

Now, you might think

and I now know that I probably could have asked more money for those.

But that's the point, I brought them to one of the country's

leading specialists, he gave me what I wanted and I'm happy with them.

And his knowledge is going to get him more money

but good luck to him because that is what knowledge is all about.

Yes, but you still didn't make as much

as you could have done, did you?

Anyway, both Phil and David each have one item left to sell.

The Fox heads back to Worcestershire to the village of Feckenham.

And the big question is to be or not to be?

Well, it all appears to have gone quite well so far.

I know I'm not going to make a huge profit with this

but it is an opportunity to find out a little bit more about bees.

Remember, he paid £30 for his vintage beehives.

Time to meet apiarist Paul.

-This is what I brought you.

-Ah, OK.

Well, you know what that is, don't you? It's a skep.

Well, I bought it off this guy and he told me

it was for collecting a swarm of...

-A swarm?

-A swarm of bees, OK.

So, actually, it's not just for collecting,

it's in fact, probably meant for keeping bees in.

What he said to me was that that was there so that bees

could rush in there when they were swarming, that's what he said.

-Clearly he knew nothing.

-Yes.

-He had obviously a keen interest but not much knowledge.

-Yeah!

So the bees, when they swarm,

they will collect in a hedge or in a tree.

If you're a beekeeper, you're looking out for these swarms.

-They'll be hanging like a rugby ball shaped thing.

-Seen them.

And that's where you get your skep and you hold it underneath

and you get the branch and you give it a whack

and they all fall in a blob into the skep.

Do they not get slightly agitated by that?

You would think so but actually swarming bees,

they've had so much to eat before they left

and that makes them very good-humoured.

And they are totally obsessed with following the queen.

So you could actually hold the queen in your fingers

and the bees would literally collect around her without stinging you.

They don't care about...

I'm going to take your word on that one.

We won't test it out this afternoon!

-I will take your word on that one. Have you got one of these?

-No.

Do you want one of these?

Well, for sheer intrigue value, yes, it would be great fun.

-Well, it cost me 30 quid.

-OK, I would do 35.

-I'll shake your hand.

-Brilliant.

-I'll shake your hand but on one condition.

-What's that?

Now I'm here, I've got to see some bees.

-OK, but we're going to have to get some gear on.

-Really?

-Absolutely.

Yes, Phil. It's time to face your fear.

FILM TRAILER VOICE: As we present the biggest bee-movie ever.

One man against a million, or so, bees!

So, most of them are down below.

Good, that's the best place for them.

See displays of incredible courage.

-They're beginning to buzz a bit. Is that a sign of agitation?

-No.

As our hero comes face-to-face

with one of nature's most ferocious creatures.

A story of adversity in the face of antique beehive selling.

And having walked away rather quickly, The Fox puts £5 profit

into his honey pot, which rounds off his selling.

David however has one item left to sell

and is determined to remain steadfast in his sales offensive.

So, he's decided to play his ace card.

So here I am in Barnes, London,

and I've come to see a great friend of mine.

He's one of the cleverest, funniest people I've ever known

and he's made his life and his work through words.

And I think this writing box is perfect for him.

Oh, this is exciting.

Remember, the Victorian writing desk cost David £35

but who is this mystery man?

Oh, there you are! Lurking, you rascal. Nice to see you.

Giles, wonderful to see you.

-And you're still wearing those ridiculous trousers?

-I am.

-When I told my wife Michelle I was coming to meet you...

-Yes?

She said, "Whatever you do, don't buy whatever he's got this time."

-Oh. Thank you!

-Anyway, tell me what it is.

This is an early 19th-century writing box, circa 1840.

-The laptop of the 19th century.

-Lovely.

-Yes, it's plain.

So, the time people like Dickens are writing, that sort of era?

Completely. I've seen many of them.

-But this is what made me think of you.

-There's a story, is there?

A story. Something that you would hardly take any notice of.

It's the most wonderful inscription.

And it tells us who owned the box,

when she was married, September 1835.

It tells us where she lived, who her father was.

It says here he's an esquire, that means he's a gentleman.

Yeah, he is a gentleman, he's a dentist in that part of town.

So, the daughter comes from a good family, she's educated.

I can now see the name, it's Bateman and they're of Regent's Park.

-I was brought up literally within 100 yards of this.

-You were not!

I genuinely was.

Of course, this is the part of the world that inspired

Arthur Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes

and have him living in Baker Street.

-All of this...

-All within a stone's throw.

-Is within a stone's throw.

I've traced the family

and I can tell you that not very many years after 1835,

this family who were obviously educated - they could write -

ended up in the workhouse.

But the story runs cold in the early 1840s, it's remarkable.

So, we know where this thing was in its early part of its life.

Where it's been since the '40s, we don't know.

So, here we have the story of a family fallen on hard times.

They begin in Regent's Park in rather grand circumstances

and they end up in the Marylebone workhouse.

-It can happen.

-It's very intriguing.

Now tell me honestly, you weren't up all night, because you are a bit

of an artist yourself, inscribing this in order to enhance the value?

Not all night, just a couple of hours on an afternoon.

-I do quite like it.

-OK, so price wise, £65.

-Oh, please.

And I think you've stolen it.

I'm not going to fork out 65 quid on a bit of old junk.

-I mean, it's charming, the story you've talked up is lovely.

-Yes.

-Isn't that worth something?

-It is indeed worth something.

-It's a lovely original piece. I'm ready to pay £40.

-What about 55?

-£40, that reasonable. I can give you £40.

-It's a fiver profit.

-Well done, you!

-You're very good at this bartering thing.

I'll spin you. If you win, you get it at 35. If I win, 45.

-Are you up for it?

-OK.

-Call.

Heads.

-It's tails!

-Tails. That's it, 45. That's the way to do deals.

Thank you very much.

Well, Giles isn't just mighty with the pen.

He's a notable negotiator.

And with a little help from Lady Luck,

David comes away with a £10 profit.

And that's all she wrote on Devilish's selling soiree.

Well, not a fantastic profit but always wonderful to catch up

with Giles and that now is me completely and utterly sold out.

So, it's almost time to find out who's smashed the sales

and whose profit has fallen to pieces?

First, a quick reminder of how much our experts spent

at the antiques fair.

From a £750 budget, David bought five items and spent a chunky £410.

Phil also made five purchases but spent a modest £365.

But selling must now give way to profit.

All of the money that Phil and David 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 champion.

-Hey, Philip.

-Mate, how are you?

-Very good, how are you?

-Oh, I'm good.

-This all reminds me because that head thing.

-Yes?

-Didn't you send it to a hat shop?

-No, I sold it to an art collector.

-What, a glass head?

-Yeah.

-Why?

Because I looked at the head as a blank canvas.

I created a piece of modern art.

-It's adding value, Philip Serrell, adding value!

-So, it did you proud?

-Very well.

-Well, well done you. That's good lateral thinking.

Thank you. The beehive thing, was it a beehive?

-I nearly got stung with that.

-Oh! You made a loss?

-No, I made a profit.

-How did you do that?

I just snuck out of it. What about your...?

The Cold War dream machine, hey?

-I can see that turning into a nightmare.

-No!

Did you do well out of that?

Really well, went to a great motorbike dealer.

-You did really well out of that?

-Made good money.

You find another. Shall we discover?

-This might not turn out very well.

-It might turn up really well for me.

Hellfire! That isn't just a victory, that's a whomping, that.

Good show. Thank you, head. Thank you, moped!

-Take a step back, I'll see you later.

-No, no!

-No, I've had enough.

I'm not doing this any more.

Yes, David has walked off the winner.

And it was all down to his prowess with the paintbrush.

Fabulous! Sometimes, plans just come together beautifully.

And the antiques fair was a plan that worked rather well.

That wasn't so much a beating as an absolute drubbing

but fair play to David.

He used his head. See? Used his head? Oh, forget it.

Yes, tomorrow it's the grand finale as these men must muster

the energy to guide it one more time in an ultimate battle.

Yes! It's the Showdown.

No! Philip...