Christina Trevanion v Mark Stacey - 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 profits.

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 'eavy profit 'ere.

Putting their reputations on the line.

Who's there?

GAVEL BANGS

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.

Showing you how to make the most money...

Ready for battle.

..from buying and selling.

-Get in there.

-EVIL LAUGHTER

LIGHTNING STRIKES

Today it's the mightiest contest known to man,

the culmination of a battle-heavy week -

it's the Showdown.

Coming up, Christina shows she's on trend.

We don't see this shape very often, especially in this form.

And anything that is an unusual shape,

an unusual pattern, is selling really well at the moment.

There's shenanigans in the auction room.

Don't break my lot!

-Oh...

-SHE LAUGHS

And Mark forgets his trousers.

I don't think I've ever been to an auction with a gentleman in his jim-jams.

-No!

-It's a first for both of us, cos neither have I.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

It's time to batten down your hatches or run for the hills,

as two irrepressible experts of antiques are preparing for

the ultimate profit-punching encounter.

So challenging, it'll make Everest look like a molehill in your nan's back garden.

In this war of the sexes, the men are being represented by

the embodiment of prize-winning machismo.

Oh...it's Mark "The Maverick" Stacey.

Hold on to your seats. Don't go anywhere.

Representing the women, an auctioneer who could charm the birds out of the trees,

it's Christina "The Magpie" Trevanion.

As far as I'm concerned, who dares wins.

Today they'll be battling on four fronts.

At an antiques fair.

An auction. GAVEL BANGS

A car boot sale.

And...a foreign market.

Our experts have £1,000 of their own money to spend on eight items

they think will make gigantic profits.

But Showdown rules require them to put at least half their purchases up for auction,

where all control is lost to the slings and arrows of outrageous bidding -

either making them a fortune, or losing them the contest.

And any profit they do make will go to charity.

So, Mark Stacey and Christina Trevanion, this is it.

Put your money where your mouth is.

Starting in the rain isn't great, isn't?

-But never mind, let's plod on.

-We are. What are we here for?

-Well, we are...

-MARK LAUGHS

It's a... I'll tell you!

"Welcome to the mighty Showdown", it says here.

-"The rules are simple."

-Oh, I like simple.

-Good, much like us.

MARK LAUGHS

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

"Put Your Money challenges," OK?

-And we have £1,000 to spend.

-£1,000!

-A whole thousand pounds.

-There's more, though.

-Oh.

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

-OK.

"The rest will be sold at the Showdown auction in direct competition with your opponent."

-I dread that bit.

-HE GASPS

Out of our hands.

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

-Come on, let's go spend it.

-Come on.

Yes, we have two seasoned experts here

ready to battle the obstacles that lie ahead.

Battlefield number one is the Lincoln Antiques Fair,

where the first challenge is the weather.

THUNDER ROLLS

It's absolutely throwing it down outside,

and to be perfectly honest with you, that's why I'm going outside,

because everyone is going to gravitate in here where it's lovely and dry.

At the risk of looking like a drowned rat very shortly,

I'm heading out there.

Mmm. Interesting tactic.

And the rain isn't dampening Mark's parade either.

When you come to fairs like this,

there are some stands that shine out, you know?

And there's just lots calling me -

which is a very dangerous sign, I feel.

And Mark faces the danger head on,

as he finds a Victorian claret jug

with a price tag of £35.

This is a lovely shape. It's beautifully cast.

It's in a sort of Etruscan style,

which is going back to the whole sort of Roman period.

But the glass is nicely ashed as well, with little starbursts.

Sir, you couldn't do it for 25, I suppose, could you?

-I'll do it for 30.

-£30?

-Yeah.

£30. I think I'm going to take that.

A £5 discount on the jug, and Mark's up and running.

Across the fair, Christina is braving the weather

by taking shelter in the back of a van.

On a day like today, which is not the nicest of days,

I'm sort of picturing myself standing on a beautiful warm summer's day,

on a beach

in a pink kaftan

with a straw hat flowing in the wind.

Couldn't really get further away from where we are, really, could you?

So, does the price tag being a ray of sunshine to her day?

Go on, what's your best?

-15 quid.

-£10.

-Fine.

Thank you very much. £10.

And it can make me think like I'm on a beach...somewhere.

So, she shakes on her first buy.

It's that sort of wonderful feeling

of the great British seaside in its height.

And it's got that wonderful, sort of, slightly romantic feel about it.

Great frame as well.

And also, we have got a full artist label on the back,

which we can attribute obviously to a particular artist.

Memories of British seaside holidays,

it's got to be worth more than a tenner, hasn't it?

And what do you need for your seaside holiday? A hotel.

That's quite fun, isn't it? It's a hotel...

..luggage...thing, isn't it?

Hotel luggage thing?

Yes, I think the word you're looking for is trolley, Christina.

How much have you got on those brand-new, rather ghastly...

SELLER LAUGHS

..luggage things?

The very best price to you, Christina, is 240.

-So 240 for the pair?

-No, 240 each.

OK.

It would make be happier to be more nearer the 200.

HE LAUGHS

Go on.

-I'll just tell the kids they can't eat again this week, then.

-Oh, no, don't...

-And they can't have new shoes again, can they, you know what I mean?

-SHE LAUGHS

Yeah, sob stories don't work on the Magpie.

The man agrees to her £200 offer

and she's all bought up for the first round.

Mark, however, needs one more.

He has the whole fair to choose from,

and yet he's drawn to the same stall.

Do you know what? I spotted these earlier on. There's only one left now.

So they're selling like hot cakes.

So, Mark is going for the same item as Christina.

Ladies and gentlemen, this could be

a Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is first.

The battle of the trolleys.

-Come on, the very best price for your last one.

-240, Mark.

-No.

No, no, no, no.

They're selling like...mad.

And unexpectedly,

the dealer reveals that the missing trolley

went to Christina for £200.

So, Mark takes advantage.

-Go for 190, go on.

-I can't do it.

-You can.

-I can't, honestly.

-195.

-They cost £200 each.

-195, come on.

195. Just the fiver.

-Just for the fun of it.

-Christina...

-I got mine cheaper.

-SELLER LAUGHS

Who's going to make the most profit? Come on.

Luggage, anyone?

With the antiques fair done, let's take a glance at the scoresheet.

From a £1,000 budget, Mark has spent £225,

leaving 775 in his kitty.

Christina has spent a little less - £210 -

so still has £790 to get through.

And so it's on to round two - the auction.

Our competitors are in Sevenoaks at Ibbett Mosley salerooms.

Things are about to get under way.

But, with the gavel looming,

Mark's nerves are jangling like wind chimes in a wind tunnel.

Am I feeling nervous? Of course I'm not feeling nervous.

What have I got to be nervous about?

I'm only up against someone who is attractive, intelligent,

younger than me...

What's to be worried about?

The auction is looking quite busy, lots of people in the room, so...

I'll have to keep everything crossed.

And it's Christina who's first to go out on a limb,

on a selection of champagne.

I'm thinking the quantity of it, if it's cheap enough, I'll have it.

£20 anywhere for the champagne?

20, I have. 25 now.

50 anywhere else? Coming back at 50.

55.

60 now?

55 with the lady.

60 anywhere else? At £55, all done.

GAVEL BANGS

-55.

-£55. Party at mine?

-Well done.

CHRISTINA LAUGHS

Yes, Christina is in a celebratory mood, as she pays

£64.90 for the champagne after auction costs are added.

So, is she popping her cork when she gets to see it up close?

Turns out all that glitters is not gold.

And I have bought quite a lot of, some nice examples,

but also some shop's own brands of fairly cheap and fairly

cheerful champagne and also a little bit of whisky thrown in, so...

Oh, dear. A lesson to us all there.

Maybe Christina can get back on the good foot

with an early 20th-century penny slot machine?

It's a great looking thing, really fun thing,

but there is a very buoyant collector's market for these pieces.

So I'm expecting to have to pay for it if I get it at all.

But Christina is not the only one to have marked the lot.

There may be trouble ahead.

This could be a battle royale.

And all over a penny arcade machine.

The bidding gets going

and Mark is against another rival in the room -

while Christina is keeping a low profile.

72. 75.

78. 80.

I'm not bidding on this...yet.

140, 140.

-150 now? It's at 140...

-It's getting away.

150 anywhere else?

It looks like Mark's got it.

At £140, all done...

But what's this?

160, going to be an argument in a minute.

What a cheeky monkey!

170?

At £160, all done.

GAVEL BANGS

Mark holds his ground and wins the penny slot machine for £188.80,

after costs, and after Christina pushed the price up.

I wouldn't have minded if she'd bid one penny.

Oh, he doesn't look happy, does he?

But is he pleased with the penny slot machine?

It seems, actually, in not bad condition,

there's a little bit of wear and tear on it.

But the glass is in good condition.

It's got various patent numbers on there.

I would say this was sort of 1910, 1920.

And if I'm right, that could be a really good thing.

So, Mark still has one more item to get,

while Christina bags her second.

With a little frantic waving, she buys a spinning chair for £33.04,

so, will it help her spin out a profit?

Possibly Welsh.

19th-century, maybe just nudging into the early 20th century.

The thing I love about it is this wonderful carved,

what we call a lyre - L-Y-R-E back - as in harp.

Then these wonderful dragons

coming out of it here with their great faces.

And if I can find a spinner that is in need of a chair,

I think I'm quids in.

Well, he may not be a spinner,

but Mark does volunteer to test out Christina's antique chair.

Don't break my lot!

-Oh.

-SHE LAUGHS

Yes, Mark's certainly in high spirits,

but he's still in need of another item.

So, as the final gavel falls... GAVEL BANGS

..has he left it too late, or does he still have a trick up his sleeve?

There's one lot I know didn't sell,

which was a set of glass finger bowls and some other glasswares.

I'm rather hoping there's no reserve on it,

and I can steal it for ten quid.

So Maverick Mark lives up to his name

and picks up the glassware for £11.80 in total.

Joy. It's all over.

So what has he got for his money?

They're Edwardian, with this sort of cut, or sliced, decoration,

with a nice star base to it.

And there are eight of them.

But I think those must be worth at least £10 each.

So potentially...

there's a very hot profit in these.

So, as our experts wash their hands of the auction,

let's take a look at the half-time scores.

With two rounds down and a £1,000 budget

Mark has spent £425.60,

leaving over £574 to spend.

Christina's used less money, £307.94,

so has just over £692 for the remaining two rounds.

Next up, round three takes our dealers

to Ford Carboot Sale in Sussex,

where an early start is all-important,

as the beginning of the day can be a little frenetic to say the least.

So, does Christina have a plan of attack?

Strategy...?

-Watch people unpack?

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh, dear.

Could it be this ultimate challenge has sent the Magpie cuckoo?

It's very fast and furious. People are unloading.

The dealers are scouting everywhere, grabbing everything that comes out.

Still, Christina is the first to dive in

and emerge with a pair of silhouettes for £20.

This one is actually picked out with gold highlights here.

Really beautiful,

quite early 19th-century little silhouette there

in its nice original ebonised frame

and with a gilt slip. £20? Can't be bad.

No, not bad indeed.

Mark also needs to make a timely purchase,

and it looks like he's about to do just that.

Cast metal, it's a...as you can see, a longcase clock,

or sometimes what are generally referred to as grandfather clocks.

It's quite nicely modelled

with a bit of beading on the clock face there.

It's just quite a fun little item, isn't it?

I'll find out how much it is. Sir?

Can I just ask you how much this is?

Er, £2.

-£2?

-£2.

I'll take it for £2, sir, thank you.

Mark makes a miniature dent in his budget with his diddy clock,

and for once picks it up without a haggle.

Listen, I can't really argue for £2, can I?

But you see, that's my problem. Generosity.

Yes, generous to a fault - when an item is £2, that is.

Now, Mark always does have an eye for the flamboyant

and the fabulous, which may explain why he's drawn to this picture.

This isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, of course.

This is a print, not a watercolour.

This is a performer getting ready,

but it has to be the perfect price.

And in this case, Mark's perfect price is £15.

-I'll do it for 15.

-Are you happy with 15?

-Yes.

-Fantastic. Let's do that.

-OK.

-Thank you very much indeed.

So, £15 lighter, is Mark hoping his painting will steal the limelight?

Well, it is not very old, it's not an antique.

It's probably 10 or 20 years old.

It's in a reasonable frame, and once I've had a go

at putting it straight it'll look better.

The reason I bought is the subject.

I mean, it's obviously an entertainer,

who's being transformed.

It's like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.

Oh, Mark is made up and bought up at the car boot,

but Christina has one more to go,

and she's found a set of wooden printing blocks

all the way from Germany,

being sold by a vendor all the way from Holland.

Put your ink on there and then print it like that. These are lovely.

I mean, that's very detailed, isn't it?

How much have you got on those?

-The very, very best?

-Yes, give me your bestest price.

-25.

-For all of them?

-Yes.

-What's "Thank you" in Dutch?

-Dank je.

-Dank je?

-Dank je.

-Dank je.

Thank you very much. Dank je very much.

-SHE LAUGHS

-You're welcome.

So, £25 for the three blocks,

but will they help her print out a profit?

I love the combination of patterns on them.

You've got this quite stylised, almost geometric,

very regular print on this one.

This wonderful one here which is just random foliate and floral.

And then, as a contrast, this wonderful metal example here.

I would love to sell these to somebody who would actually use them

as textile printing blocks. I just think they're fabulous.

But for £25...

I'm made up.

Before the final round, let's take a look at the money.

From £1,000 of their own cash,

Mark has forked out £442.60,

leaving over £557 in his kitty.

Christina has spent £352.94,

going into round four with just over £647.

In this case, round four is the foreign market.

Mark and Christina are in Tongeren in Belgium,

which has outdoor and indoor sections.

There are all kinds of shiny things

to appeal to Christina's magpie tendencies,

but it's Mark who's the first to swoop down on a bit of bling,

as he spies a silver-gilt napkin ring.

-What is the best price on that?

-Really best would be 100.

-100 euros?

-Yep.

-Thank you very much.

Mark pays £74.07 for the napkin ring,

and emerges into the daylight to see what he has got for his money.

It's by a well-known name, Stuart Devlin.

It's very architectural, very angular.

It's silver-gilt, fully hallmarked - London, 1971.

It wasn't cheap, it was 100 euros, but it's a good-looking object.

I'm hoping I shall get a profit out of it.

Yes, Mark there hoping to ring in the profits with his napkin ring.

Meanwhile, across the market,

Christina has spotted a piece of pottery with potential.

Very nice little coffee pot,

blue-printed with this wonderful design,

these sort of bacchanalian cherubs here.

Would you take 30?

No, no. 40 euros.

-What would be your very, very, very best?

-40, 40.

-SHE GROANS DISAPPROVINGLY

-It's a correct piece.

It's nice. It has got a chip on the inside cover.

35?

Well, then, 35.

So, Christina pays £25.93 for the pot,

drawing even with Mark.

You don't see this shape very often, especially in this form.

Anything that is an unusual shape, an unusual pattern,

is selling really well at the moment.

And I love the pattern on it -

look at this blue and white print here.

These children just frolicking around,

picking grapes, having fun -

what could be more whimsical and more lovely?

Now, it's time for Christina to reclaim her Magpie mantle,

as she spies a sparkly diamond ring.

Oh, that's nice.

OK, what sort of money would you be talking on that one?

Very, very best -

185.

185.

160...and you've got a deal.

-170 and you've got a deal.

-170 euros...

-Yes, please.

..is a lot of money for this ring,

but you are a delight and I can't resist diamonds,

-so you've got a deal.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Oh, my goodness, what have I just done?

Well, Christina,

you've just bought a diamond ring for £125.93.

This is the most beautiful 1920s little

what we call gypsy-set diamond ring,

with a lovely old-cut diamond in there.

The colour is really good, the clarity is really good,

probably just over a quarter of a carat. Really lovely thing.

Christina is done, and can kick back and relax,

while Mark fills his quota with a glass vase

that cost him another 100 euros,

or £74.07.

It was probably produced in the 1960s.

But it's very heavy, and I like that simple design -

that's something that could go into a modern flat or a modern home.

It would even sit quite comfortably on an antique table

just as a very nice sculptural vase.

And that final item brings the showdown buying to an end -

but the real work is still ahead of them.

Before our unstoppable forces begin the selling

of their eight incredible items,

let's see the final spending figures.

Both our experts started the challenge

with £1,000 of their own money.

Mark Stacey has stayed well within his budget,

paying £590.74.

Christina has spent even less -

£504.80 in total.

-All shopped up.

-All shopped up.

-Can you believe it?

-I can't, it has gone so quickly.

But what are your two favourite pieces?

It's got to be my little bit of bling that I bought today.

-Ooh...

-I bought myself some jewellery.

Well, they do say diamonds are a girl's best friend.

I couldn't resist. I just couldn't resist.

And your second one?

Second one, probably... You know my little silhouettes?

I think those would be my favourites. How about you?

Oh, it's difficult because I've bought so well.

I think my...end-of-pier game that I bought at the auction.

I love that.

-I was bidding against you for that.

-Yeah, one bid.

That was really saucy of you. Minx.

Well, look, you're obviously not going to need my luck because you bought so well,

but I wish you all the best of luck anyway.

And I DO need to wish you well.

We'll see you at that Showdown Auction.

Now, with their bags bulging with brilliant buys,

our heroic hagglers must use their mastery of the trade

to decide which of their eight items will be sold privately

and which will be sent forth unto the auction.

In his Brightlingsea base,

Mr Stacey is getting to grips with the task ahead of him.

I have to put four items into auctions, and it's tricky.

I've decided to put in things that I think might fly.

The claret jug I particularly like.

It's a nice Etruscan theme going on here. I think it's a nice quality

so maybe that should attract a good buyer.

Then the rather nice silver-gilt napkin ring.

1971, very much of its period.

I'm hoping, with the internet, that might strike a profit.

The glassware I'm going to put into auction.

I think it's a nice auction lot and I didn't pay very much for it.

And the other item...

I've decided to put in is the clock.

It was only £2, so fingers crossed

there may be clock collectors in there who want a paperweight.

Then it comes to the battle of the trolleys.

Mine was £5 cheaper.

But will it make £5 more? I don't know.

So, Mark will need to find private buyers for his remaining items -

the penny slot machine, glass vase and picture.

Meanwhile, over in Shropshire,

Christina is also casting her eye

over what should go to auction.

So I've come to some decisions.

And first thing I'm going to put into auction

is my little oak Welsh spinning chair over here.

I bought it at auction,

so I'm hoping that if I put it back into another auction

which may have some internet bidders,

we'll be able to find somebody that wants the chair.

Second thing is going to be this

little silhouette on the left here,

and then the other example here that has been picked out

with gilt highlights, which is a really lovely example.

The third thing that I'm going to put into the auction

is my group of champagne, my bubbles over here.

Sadly, I can't keep them and drink them.

I think, potentially, with some auction interest...

I didn't pay a huge amount for them,

so I'm hoping to make a bit of a profit on those.

Finally, my gorgeous little blue-printed coffee pot.

I bought it in Belgium, which is a long way away,

and sadly it was damaged in transport.

So I don't know, I'm in two minds

as to whether to have it restored or to sell it as it is

so that whoever buys it can have their restorer attend to it.

So now, I need to find buyers for the rest of my items.

The crowning glory...

is this

rather wonderful luggage cart,

which I'm sitting in here.

I know that Mark Stacey also bought one of these and he paid £5,

five whole pounds less than I did.

So who will be victorious in the profit stakes?

It'll all come down to the luggage rack - we'll have to wait and see.

With Christina's auction lots decided,

this means she'll have to find private buyers

for her printing blocks, picture and diamond ring.

Each of our wily coyotes are determined to ensnare a victory,

but there are no tricks allowed here,

and no deal is sealed until a hand is shaken and the money is taken.

Mark is first to make a move, as he pings over to London,

where he's hoping to start

with his penny slot machine, which cost him nearly £190.

I've come to a very secluded part of north London to meet Pinball Geoff.

My machine has already been taken up to him, because it's quite heavy.

We've had lots of e-mail conversations,

but I'm not convinced he's going to buy it.

Fingers crossed I'm on to a winner. Please!

MUSIC: Pinball Wizard by The Who

Now, Geoff, tell us about the history - do you know much about it?

I have to say, although I'm mainly a pinball machine man,

I've got quite into slot machines over the years. This is an Allwin.

Well, "All win" is rather optimistic,

maybe "Sometimes win" would be a better name.

But when you went to the seaside in the '50s and '60s,

you would have got rows of Allwin machines, which were all slightly different.

Now, most of it is there.

There are some bits have dropped off, that's all a bit knackered.

It could be got going, but would need some work.

It's pointing in a direction that I haven't bought exactly

-the most wonderful machine in the world.

-No.

I wouldn't give more than 100 for it, me,

-personally, in its present state.

-Right, OK, yeah.

-I don't think I can sell it for 100.

-Yeah.

-That's too big a loss, really.

Well...that's not the way I wanted it to turn out,

but sometimes you don't win them all.

I've learnt a lot - now I've got to go and find a buyer.

Oh, dear - not the best of starts for Mark.

So, maybe Christina will have better luck.

She's popped over to see

Shropshire-based specialist jeweller Nigel.

Remember the diamond ring that I got?

I did invest over £125 in this,

so here's hoping he's feeling generous.

I've brought you some jewels.

Oh... What sort of trouble are you in this time?

-SHE LAUGHS

-I don't know... Well.

-Aaah!

-That could be promising.

-Ooh. Good.

-Am I allowed to look at it?

-Yeah.

Actually, don't look too closely.

I've finally brought you something that you might be interested in.

Well, yes. It's a little Victorian old-cut diamond.

Very pretty.

-Beautiful colour.

-Yes.

-There is a downside, there is a downside.

-There is a little bit of a chip on the stone.

-What?!

-Yeah.

-I think you need to polish that. Really?

Do you know what it weighs?

It's about 5.5g.

-About 5.5g, OK.

-And it's 18-carat.

-OK.

We'd have to take the stone out and re-polish it,

-but we can do that.

-Is that possible?

-Yeah.

The gold is worth probably about £120.

5.5g of 18-carat, OK.

-About 120. We can re-use the gold in a workshop.

-OK.

-The stone...

-Is a great colour.

-It's a beautiful colour, actually.

-Yeah, it is, isn't it?

-It is a lovely colour.

Apart from the chip, it's very clean. It's lovely.

Hmm...

I would say, realistically, we'd offer about 250 for that.

-Oh, would you?

-Yeah.

If it wasn't chipped, you'd have done very, very well,

because the offer would have been about 400.

-Really?

-Mm.

-£250.

-Yep. And that's sort of non-negotiable really

-cos that's a good price.

-OK.

-That's a good price.

I will bite your hand off at £250.

And so the one they call the Magpie flutters off

with an impressive profit of £124.07.

And she stays in Shropshire to sell her beach painting

to local dealer Sarah

for stock in her new shop...

What about 30?

30, and I'm giving you a leg-up in the industry.

SARAH LAUGHS

Very happy at 30.

..and splashes away

with a sunny £20 profit.

Recovered from his pinball backfire, Mark has headed down the road

to Battersea in south London, to see a pair of interior designers,

and he's taking the vase that cost him just over £74.

I might be in double trouble here, because they like the vase,

but I don't think they like my estimate range of £150-£250.

I think you're going to have to send me all the sympathy,

this is going to be a bumpy ride - don't go anywhere.

Now, I've sent you a photographs... Do take it.

-I think it's wonderful.

-It IS heavy, isn't it?

-I think it's a great shape.

-It's unusual.

And I love the pinched-in handles,

the sort of exaggerated big loop handles.

It's seriously heavy, it's obviously very nice quality.

But I'm not selling it by the weight.

-That's lucky.

-I'd be asking a lot more if I did.

I was hoping for somewhere in the region of...

£150-£250.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Oh, dear.

-I don't think so.

You see, I know I'm in trouble, because they're cackling.

Now...

THEY LAUGH

We were really thinking about 120.

120.

I told you, didn't I?

I told you this was going to be a bumpy one.

Well, could I squeeze you a fiver, to 125?

-Yes, we're happy at 125.

-Group hug.

And it is a heavy old thing.

Well, it's the most expensive doorstop we've ever bought.

Mark makes a clear profit of £50.93 for the vase,

and he's back in the game.

He then goes on to sell his entertainer portrait

to a West Sussex dealer, who pays £20,

which gives him a profit of just a fiver.

Yet, he needn't be worried, as Christina also makes

just a £5 profit

when she sells her printing blocks

to a West London dealer for £30.

And so the Magpie is down to her final private sale.

And the battle begins.

This is it. This is do or die.

Mark and I bought exactly the same of these luggage carriers

and we both spent an awful lot of money on them.

It's a luxury thing,

so I've brought it to the plushest hotel that I know of -

let's hope it carries me to victory.

Will hoteliers Laurence and Victoria

help her unpack a profit from the £200 invested?

Obviously as a top four-star hotel,

you're looking to give your guests

-the best experience possible, aren't you?

-Yeah.

Yeah, so that you want them to come in

and feel like it's a luxurious, beautiful...

Well, I mean it IS a luxurious, beautiful country house, isn't it?

-It is.

-So I was thinking a luggage carrier might add to the experience.

-It would be a great asset for the team.

-Exactly, exactly.

You're a wonderful welcoming committee -

I thought the guests could get their luggage out, place it on here,

then it could be wheeled around the hotel, should you want it to be.

What would you be looking to pay for it?

Er...I'd like to say £500?

-£500.

-Yeah.

£500 seems incredibly generous,

so, at £500, I will say thank you very much.

-Are you all right, there?

-Yes, fine, thank you.

THEY LAUGH

£500 would be wonderful. I'm very grateful.

Surely even Christina didn't dream she'd get that much -

it's a spectacular profit of £300.

So, how will Mark fare with his?

But, before we get a chance to find out the answer, disaster strikes.

Everything was going incredibly well, swimmingly well -

you know, I was getting out there, selling things -

until a catastrophe struck.

I broke my ankle.

Which means he goes into the halfway point

with two items left to sell,

so let's see how that affects the scores so far.

On the two items Mark has sold, he's made £55.93.

Christina has made all four of her private sales,

making a profit of £449.07.

But, as sure as the sun will set in the west,

so this great competition must reach the point

that can only be described as the Showdown Auction,

cos that's what it is.

Haggling and hustling give over to the turbulent waters

of Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in Essex.

However, Mark's accident means that he's turned up at the auction house

without his trousers.

Thankfully, he does have his PJs on.

I don't think I've ever been to an auction

-with a gentlemen in his jim-jams before.

-Have you not?

-No.

-It's a first.

Honestly - you couldn't get more laissez-faire if you tried.

I know! I'm just looking around for somebody with grapes.

SHE LAUGHS

I'll just go get a fan, start fanning you.

Yes, it takes more than a broken ankle to hold our man

the Maverick back.

He may be upset about his breakage,

but that's nothing to how he feels about Christina's coffee pot.

You know, I could cry, really,

because I absolutely adore this coffee pot.

I mean, I'm a lover of blue and white printed ware.

It's lasted 200 years and now it's broken,

but it's still a good-looking thing and

if there's collectors out there, I hope she makes a good profit on it.

Of all of Mark's purchases, this is the one that I'm most anxious about.

It is the most stunningly beautiful 19th-century claret jug.

I'm certainly finding that at the moment

these in my saleroom are doing particularly well.

If this doesn't make over £100

there is something wrong with the world.

I don't really like this sort of thing, to be honest with you.

This is sort of late 19th century, early 20th century.

It's got nice bits of carving on it, but it's just not my sort of thing.

I like the more primitive 18th-century ones.

This...is a napkin ring.

I think Mark bought it at a very good price,

but Stuart Devlin never, ever seems to make as much

as I think it should.

It's a great entry-level collector's piece.

Is it going to show him a profit? It should do.

And, as the auctioneer lifts his mighty gavel...

Fantastic, we'll make a start.

..first up into the limelight are Christina's silhouettes,

that cost her £20 at the car boot.

-I love the little regency lady.

-Really?

-Very Jane Austen.

You have to remember I bought these in the dark.

Ah, now the excuses are coming out.

-Start with the works of art silhouettes...

-Oh, here they are.

Where shall we start for those? £40 to bid.

-40.

-Ooh...

-45 to bid now.

Good set of silhouettes there. At £40...

I seriously thought I was going to get a fiver for those.

Ah, but after the auction costs are taken

Christina does only make £5 on the silhouettes.

They really need those prices to rocket

if they want to make a profit,

and up next, it's Mark's clock paperweight.

We'll start the bidding at £30 for this, surely.

Rightly so.

20, then. Any bids at £20?

-Oh, no. Come on.

-Any bids now? Any bids?

Oh, no.

Blank faces all round, I'm afraid.

-Did it not sell?

-No.

Oh, dear. The clock ornament goes unsold,

meaning Mark has to swallow a loss of £2

plus minimum auction costs of £15,

making a total lost of £17.

Maybe his napkin ring will fare better. It owes him nearly £75.

It's got to make 100-plus for me to make anything, I think.

50 is bid.

-Oh, there we go. Good start.

-Well, we've got 50.

60. 65. 70.

-Brilliant.

-At £70.

-Oh, come on, a bit more.

£70, here on commission.

-Oh, no...

-75. The internet takes it.

-Oh - internet.

-Oh, 75.

Make no mistake at 75...

The napkin ring sells for just a smidge more than he paid for it,

so with cost deducted, incurs a lost of £20.83.

Mark has so far made a total loss of nearly £38 at the auction,

and his claret jug doesn't do well either.

35.

GAVEL POUNDS

Christina, what happened?

Yes, THEY may have both loved it, but today's crowd didn't,

pushing Mark a further £10 into the red.

-My goodness.

-That's the way it goes at auctions. You can never tell.

That's what makes them so exciting.

Can Christina do any better with her damaged coffee pot?

I had a chat with the auctioneer just before the auction,

and he said in perfect condition it would probably be £200-£300 -

now he thinks it might be 50-ish.

Where should we start that? £50 for it?

Ugh. Wishful thinking.

-40.

-Ugh...

30 I'm bid, then. At £30.

-30, it's got a bid at 30.

-Oh, has it?

Make no mistake at £30...

The chipped jug chips £10.93 off her profit margins.

Oh, Christina, I'm so sorry.

Really.

No, I'm actually...

-For once, I'm being genuine.

-CHRISTINA LAUGHS

And so Mark's final lot comes up -

the finger bowls and glassware, which cost him just under £12.

I can start the bidding here

-at 55, 65... 70.

-Yes!

At £70, straight in there. At £70.

-Calm down...

-75, 80.

-80?!

-There's an internet bid coming in now at £80.

-What?!

-You nearly leapt out of your chair.

Do you know, if I had a good leg, I'd dance.

No mistake at £80...

Fantastic!

Good heavens above, Christina!

-I bow down.

-Well!

And the bowls bring Mark's first profit

at the auction - £45.40.

Christina still has two lots, and next to come up

is the champagne, which cost her almost £65.

-They've put an estimate at 80-120.

-Have they?

-Yeah.

We can start the bidding here

-at £45 is bid.

-Well, it's got a bid.

Gentleman here in the room at £60.

75, he comes back in.

No? He shakes his head again. £75...

Really? No...

Make no mistake at 75...

-You were very nervous.

-I thought it was going to be £10 and that was it.

Once again, the hammer price wasn't quite enough to bring a profit,

and so Christina swallows another loss of £11.66 for the champagne.

Well, it sort of fizzed, though, but not quite a raging bang.

No. Quite.

So it's the final lot. Christina's spinning chair she paid £33 for.

At £25, anyone? I'll sell...

Oh... Oh, has it got a bid?

£20 only...

-£20.

-Oh, it sold?

-Yes, it sold for £20.

That's fantastic. I'm delighted.

Christina suffers her biggest loss so far -

a whopping £28.04.

And that brings the auction to an end.

Could have been a lot worse, and we've enjoyed ourselves.

-An awful lot worse.

-We're still smiling.

Well, let's hope it stays that way,

as Mark still has a couple of sales to make.

He's already turned down £100 for his penny slot machine,

but he's tracked down another pinball enthusiast,

Brad from Ramsgate.

But is he enthusiastic enough?

Can I hit you at 160?

160. Gosh...

Leaves me the option to repair it

and to keep it rather than to sell it.

I... Do you know, I think that's a very fair offer, Brad.

Sometimes you've got to take a hit in life.

Yes, Mark seems to be taking a lot of hits today,

losing £28.80 for the machine,

which means he only has one to go -

the luggage trolley.

Now the battle of the hotel trolleys,

I've come to the Queens Hotel in Brighton to hopefully sell mine.

I hope I'm going to get more than Christina. I'm £5 up,

I paid 195 for mine, so let's go in and find out the final result.

Remember, Christina made an impressive £300 profit on hers -

so how will Mark do when he meets Craig,

the food and beverage manager?

The one thing I've noticed coming here for so many years is

in this wonderful foyer,

you've never had one of these luggage trolleys.

Indeed we haven't.

And I thought it's rather grand, very Brighton.

Something you might be interested in?

I think we could talk about a price, definitely.

So, Craig is making the right noises, but will he buy?

Will Mark make a profit today?

And, more importantly, who will win the battle of the luggage trolley?

Soon, all will be revealed.

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

From a £1,000 budget, Mark Stacey spent £590.74.

Christina has paid slightly less - £504.80 in total.

But now, it all comes down to profit.

All of the money that Mark and Christina have made from today

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.

-How are you?

-I'm very well.

-Bearing up under the strain?

Bearing up under the strain.

-I'm bearing up under the strain of that auction.

-Oh, yes.

-Oh!

-Well, at least you made a profit on something!

-I did,

but then, you know, by the time everything's deducted...

-But the key thing is...

-Yeah.

-..the big battle.

-Oh, the mighty battle!

-The luggage trolleys.

I'm absolutely dying to know what you sold yours for.

I'm not sure I want to know what you sold yours for.

Go on, you tell me yours and I'll tell you mine.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-Yours will be bigger than mine.

Um...350.

Oh, OK. I sold mine for 500.

Oh, Christina!

-I'm sorry.

-Shall we find out the total, then?

-Shall we?

-I think we might know, don't you?

-I'm quite excited.

-Ready? One...

-Two...

-Three.

-Let's go.

Oh, Christina, well done!

£179, that's fantastic.

Well, the losses at the auction,

-and I made a loss on the pinball machine as well.

-Oh, you didn't?

-I did.

-Oh, I loved that.

I think it was because somebody bid against me at the last minute.

If that hadn't happened.... Christina, you're a naughty woman.

-Oh, I know you love me.

-I'll forgive you.

So, Christina won the day

and the battle of the luggage trolley.

Do you want to throw an opening offer at me?

I reckon we'd go for 350.

-I'm very trying, normally.

-Well, I've heard.

But I think 350 is fair.

Mark made a healthy £155 profit on his sale,

but it just wasn't enough.

Now, there's one more thing to reveal.

Mark and Christina have been fighting it out

across a week of challenges - so who's made the most profit overall?

Ready? I'm not looking forward to this, Christina.

-Oh, my goodness!

-Oh, Christina!

-That is unbelievable.

-That's massive.

Well, I'm very pleased for you. I really mean that...

Yes, Christina is the overall winner,

but our plucky pair accrued

over £3,000 between them,

all of which will be going to their chosen charities.

And for Mark, that's The Dream Factory.

My charity is a small charity which makes dreams come true for children

and young adults with life-limiting and severe disablement.

My profits will be going to the Beechtree Community Centre

in Whitchurch, which includes a day centre for elderly people

to combat loneliness and isolation within the community.

It's been a week of thrills and spills,

and our excellent experts have really put their money where their mouths are

and showed that they CAN make a convincing profit

from buying and selling antiques when their own money is on the line.