Eric Knowles v Danny Sebastian - Auction Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

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

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

Let's make hay while that sun shines.

Each week, one pair of duelling dealers

will face a different daily challenge.

I've got a heavy profit here.

Putting their reputations on the line...

Who's there?

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

HE GROWLS

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

That could present a problem for me.

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

Ready for battle.

..from buying and selling.

Get in there!

Coming up - things get ugly in the auction room.

I know who's bidding against me.

Del Boy running me up.

Eric shows his rival how it's done.

He's not even letting the dust settle.

He's started selling already.

-And Danny meets his match.

-Style never goes out of fashion.

Absolutely. And fashion never goes out of style.

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

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

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

Today's battlefield is the picturesque town

of Crewkerne in Somerset.

It may look quaint and charming but make no mistake,

battle lines are being drawn as two commanders

of collectables prepare to advance on an auction house.

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

He's a crack shot auction assassin,

it's Eric "The Knowledge" Knowles.

You've got to have confidence in your goods.

And I have.

And ready to repel Eric's assault

is a profit-seeking private on parade.

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

by just one man.

It's Danny "Del Boy" Sebastian.

Let's get busy.

Today's battlefield is Lawrence's Auction Room.

Our boys have £1,000 of their own money

to deploy at will,

with all profits heading straight to their chosen charities.

So, Eric Knowles and Danny Sebastian,

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

-Good morning, sir. How are you?

-Good morning, Eric.

-I'm good, thank you.

-You are?

-I am.

-Are you a regular at the saleroom?

-Not at all.

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

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

and you know what's going on.

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

-That's all you need.

-Well...

-It's the great Eric Knowles.

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

THEY LAUGH

That being said, 500 lots to get through today

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

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

-Follow your gut also.

-OK. On that note, go for it.

Yes, it's nose against gut. Oh.

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

get the better of his challenger's cheeky chutzpah?

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

you might think that gives him an advantage,

but Del Boy had the same opportunity

and clearly didn't think he needed it.

In fact, he's feeling pretty chipper about what's on offer

and thinks his rival's strengths might not serve him well, here.

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

and I've not seen it here today

so I'm going to have a good look around

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

Young pup Danny is hopeful that success awaits,

but Eric is an old hand at auctions

and has more than one trick up his sleeve.

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

I go through the lots

and the things I really want, I put a star

against them but I will also mark up a few other lots.

Now, the other lots are not star lots,

they are what I call desperation lots.

Contingency plans for desperate times.

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

to get one over on Eric

and since he arrived at the auction last night,

Danny has his work cut out.

But he's already found something he likes the look of -

a mahogany desk chair.

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

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

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

there's no woodworm.

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

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

in their office.

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

Meanwhile, Eric has spotted a print,

and he must like it - he's gone all whispery.

I've got one behind me, I don't want to draw attention to it, you see,

because it's one of my favourite American artists.

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

I want to buy that.

Oh, Eric's all excited

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

This, I love.

A nice workbench, it's an industrial piece,

probably used in something like a woodworker's workshop.

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

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

I'll be a happy man.

Danny is wearing his heart on his sleeve.

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

It's um...nice...

Chinese fourfold screen inlaid with mother of pearl.

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

I'm going to have a go.

So they've both picked out the pieces they want

to take home, and now it's time.

The auctioneer takes his seat on high.

HE BANGS GAVEL

Morning, everyone.

And our experts take to their positions.

They are up against the rest of the room,

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

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

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

as a statue on a plinth.

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

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

They look good in somebody's garden,

it looks like it's been around

since before the Battle of Trafalgar.

Lot 41, statue on a plinth.

35. 38, 40, 2, now.

At 42 on my right.

All done, I sell at 42.

HE BANGS GAVEL

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

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

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

against the young pretender,

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

She might actually be one of a set of four,

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

Well, what she does have to her advantage is that

she has been around for, not a long time,

but enough time for lichens to build up on the surface

and this gives it a sense of antiquity.

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

And it does seem to bring him luck,

as he also snaps up the collection of prints

which includes the Maxfield Parrish picture he saw earlier.

That's my Maxfield Parrish.

-£18!

-And with fees, that's a total of £22.21

for the prints.

Eric is showing Danny thing or two about auctions,

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

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

him reach great heights.

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

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

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

Everybody is using ladders nowadays as props.

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

they are shelving, you know they make a great prop.

I never normally go for anything like that but,

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

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

Great minds, eh?

With Eric 2-0 ahead,

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

Lot 83 is a wooden stepladder.

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

-All done, I sell...

-Look at that, simultaneous bidding!

30, 32.

-Neither of them is backing down.

-38. 40.

42.

At 42 on my right, at 42.

All done? Selling at 42. All done?

I know who was bidding against me.

Del Boy, running me up.

He can have them. £42 just a little bit

too much money, I feel for them.

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

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

Well, this is my ladder.

This is something I think probably dates to the early part

of the 20th century.

It could well date, you know, to actually before

the First World War.

However, I might do a little bit more finding out

and at least I know that there was one other person

keen to acquire it.

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

then victory is made just that little bit sweeter.

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

But Danny is hoping to wheel himself into the game

as he has spotted a bit of gardenalia.

There's a lovely rustic, distressed wheelbarrow

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

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

you know, distressed, a bit holey.

I might get it for nowt, this one.

-Lot 98.

-Here we go.

-Interest here, I start at 30.

-Oh!

-30, 32, 35, 38.

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

All done, I sell.

45. 48.

50.

Five, 60.

I sell at 60. Yes, sir.

-928.

-Whoops-a-daisy, Danny.

Dropping my paperwork,

everything's going all over the place,

I'm so excited, or am I nervous?

Hold it together, Del Boy.

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

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

Eric, however, has three buys already

and is bidding on his next.

90, 95, 100.

At £100, all done.

He is back on again!

I don't know what is going on here

but he's finding a lot of lots early.

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

but...instinctively, I liked the picture.

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

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

I love the composition. It obviously was painted in around about 1900,

give or take, 1890, maybe 1910.

It's an unusual composition.

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

Hmm...

I'll have to play this one very carefully.

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

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

Hmm, Eric sounds a little unsure

whether his impulsive buy was a good one,

but with four buys to Danny's slippery wheelbarrow,

his opponent is getting anxious.

I want him to just finish,

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

Yeah, there's not much chance of that.

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

They are sort of barrels, really.

£70. £70 with me. One more.

It's against you. 75.

My far right at 75.

-Last time.

-He's won another!

I tell you what, Eric's nearly there,

he's nearly done and dusted.

# Roll out the barrel... #

Yes, his overnight preparations are apparently paying off

when he takes the two flagons for £92.56, after fees.

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

and they are barrels that would have taken spirits

and they would have actually been in a pub

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

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

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

and that's what this business is all about.

Are you listening, Del Boy? Are you listening?

Hmm, could it be that our mild man of memorabilia

is getting a tad overconfident?

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

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

Eric has an impressive five lots to his name,

costing £341.83,

leaving just over £658 in the bank.

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

leaving him almost £926 to fight with.

Are you enjoying yourself?

I was until you started buying up everything.

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

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

-No, we do...

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

Yes, there was a pair of ladders!

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

Well, there was somebody bidding underneath me

who nearly paid too much.

-Well, it was me...

-That's I'm trying to say.

-Ooh!

-£42?!

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

for that sort of money?

Listen... Hang on for a second.

-What, are you still bidding?

-Yes.

There's something coming up in a sec.

-I thought you'd bought all you lots.

-I've bought a few.

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

-after dinner, my stuff is coming up.

-I knew it.

-Hopefully.

-You are pacing yourself.

Of course I am, yes.

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

-I tell you what I thought.

-Go on.

-Half of this crowd will be gone home.

-Yes.

-Might be cheaper.

-A lot of them will be picking up their

-children from school.

-Exactly.

Exactly. Well, we'll let you know.

Hang on, what's he up to?

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

-Nothing personal.

-See you later.

-I'll be watching you.

Oh, the daggers are out in the auction today

with Eric lauding his strong start over Danny.

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

unless Danny can pull his socks up.

So, what's the plan then, Del Boy?

There's a few things that I've put a mark down,

and they sort of come one after the other,

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

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

I'll be back in the game.

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

Although Eric is certainly trying,

as he quickly nets himself a nautical picture.

I'm selling this one at 18.

Sailing away with the engraving for just over £22 with fees.

Now, Danny was hoping that the lack of pottery

at this auction might work to his advantage,

but what's this?

Eric appears to have found a job lot with a hidden treasure.

There is a fabulous bohemian enamelled glass vase and cover

in tiptop condition.

£60 is bid. At 65. 70, 5, 80.

-Oh, they've spotted the vase.

-£90, still with me

at 90 on the book. 95.

100, 110, 120.

130.

At 130 in the room now, last time.

HE BANGS GAVEL

The job lot costs Eric £160.42 with fees.

I've just gone and bought this job lot.

However, there's only one object there I want

and it's this glass vase and cover.

I know it looks like ceramic.

I can see that all the gilding is good,

the enamelling is exquisite.

You've got these two storks or cranes.

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

This is as good as the day it was made

and it was probably made in around about 1875,

no later than 1895, I think.

So that's a fifth buy for Eric

and a potential diamond in the rough.

Danny really needs to get buying and quick.

Could these boots walking him back into the game?

Got a nice set of leather riding boots coming up.

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

got a lovely pair of trees in them as well.

And Danny's up against the bids

on the auctioneer's book for the boots.

-At 45, we're selling.

-Here we go.

-50. 50, 55,

60, 65. 70, 75.

-Are you bidding?

-Go on, then.

-£80. Selling at 80 now.

Selling?

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

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

and I'm just starting mine.

I don't know what he's doing,

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

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

AS ELVIS: Thank you very much.

Danny pays £98.72 for the boots,

so will they help him walk off with a profit?

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

All the leather, it's not been cracked or overly worn,

the heels are good

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

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

Faulkners and Son. Lovely condition.

Nice little handles, it's just a nice lot

and can really be used anywhere.

A great decorative piece.

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

Go on, then!

With his boots in the bag, Danny marches on

and gets his hand in the air,

bidding on a box of retro Meccano.

Selling at 75 now.

HE BANGS GAVEL

And winning the lot for £92.56 with fees.

Danny now has three items to his name

and he makes that four when he buys the 1920s mahogany chair

that he saw earlier

in his usual flamboyant bidding style.

-Hey-up!

-All done at 140.

I'm happy with that lot.

Costing a total of £172.76 with fees,

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

The workbench is up next

and it is another must-have item for Del Boy.

-Got to win this.

-55 anywhere? All done at 55.

-Hey-up!

-60. 65?

70. 75?

-80.

-Go on.

-Is that a bid?

-Yes.

-85.

-90?

-Yes.

95? No.

On the right there at 90, and selling.

HE BANGS GAVEL

It seems like they like industrial down here.

£95.

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

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

I'm going to make it look good,

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

I'm happy with that last lot.

The workbench puts him back £111.06, including fees.

So hopefully there is still a workable profit in it

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

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

It's been a good day all round.

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

Danny has come back from nowhere and decisively bought

what he hopes will be a winning assortment of sellables,

but Eric, he's not done yet.

He's been waiting for the fourfold screen

and joins the bidding at £65.

New bidder, 60, 65, 70.

75, 80. 85, 90?

With the gentleman at 85.

HE BANGS GAVEL

I'm very pleased with that buy.

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

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

And I have.

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

and with that, the auction comes to an end.

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

Hold on, what's Knowlesy up to now?

Make me an offer I can't refuse.

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

-£50?

-Yes.

-Put it there.

Eric is already doing deals on the unwanted items

from his job lot of china.

The lot cost Eric £160.42 and he's already

made £50 of that back.

Thank you very much. The deal is done.

Eric's not even letting the dust settle.

He's started selling already.

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

Got to pull my socks up.

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

from the grand master.

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

shelling out £629.36.

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

costing £549.14.

Time to glance over each other's hauls.

Are you happy with your purchases?

Oh, I'm over the moon.

To be honest with you, I can't find a favourite lot at the minute

because I love my workbench,

I love the 1920s chair.

It's all good lots here today.

Yeah. And you almost loved my ladder.

I just felt that at that money...

40, going on, bits on top, £50,

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

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

You're welcome. Your favourite piece?

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

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

now you've made half your profit on this lot already, the glass vase?

Well, it's a very good question.

I'm hoping that it might be the screen.

I need to have a good look at that.

Danny, this is a game of look and learn.

Our pair of intrepid experts have finished the buying,

so now it's time to sell.

But before we dive into those turbulent waters,

our heroes are back home with their hauls.

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

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

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

where I've bought this lovely workbench.

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

As soon as I get it waxed and sanded,

it's going to look absolutely fabulous.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, my Edwardian chair, this desk chair.

Fantastic, lovely scroll back on it.

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

My barrow, my old French barrow, very nice.

I know a fair few gardeners, florists,

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

My boots and my trees, these are great.

They're going to need a polish,

just to freshen them up a little bit,

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

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

and sell them at a sort of equestrian centre.

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

I know Eric bought a lot of stuff that day,

but I think with what I've got,

they all warrant fairly strong money,

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

and leave me in profit.

I'll be right on his shirt.

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

but over in Wycombe,

how is Eric feeling about his considerably large haul?

I was very happy with what I did buy,

even if it is a lot.

In fact, I've got eight items here.

Certainly my two stoneware spirit barrels,

and also my Chinese hardwood screen,

not forgetting the girl on the plinth.

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

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

He thinks it might be by a gifted amateur,

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

just to see if there's any signature.

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

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

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

I bought is going to offer me the biggest profit,

well, fingers crossed,

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

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

Indeed. Both our dealers must get down to business,

as they scour the land for the right buyers,

utilising every resource available to find a match

and maximise their profits.

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

Eric kicks off his selling spree in London,

and he's going underground in search of profit on his flagons

that cost him £92.56.

Well, here I am in the cellars

of one of London's oldest wine merchants.

They've been here since the 17th century.

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

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

-Hello, Simon, I've found you.

-Eric, you have, yes.

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

-No, fascinating, fascinating.

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

-Not an issue.

-As long as you've got a corkscrew.

-Oh, of course, yes.

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

I think quite fascinating.

We are looking somewhere between 1820, maybe 1835.

They're 200 years old, almost.

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

-Certainly getting on that way.

-What would they have been used for?

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

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

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

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

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

Because you have a bit of a collection

of wine memorabilia and suchlike.

We've got a collection of wine memorabilia

and indeed stoneware, but nothing like this.

So, personally, I'm always looking for things

that have a little bit of interest there.

And because they've got the royal warrant,

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

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

and for Her Majesty the Queen,

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

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

-for the pair, but...

-For the pair?

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

How about if we went for...

£80 each, therefore 160.

160 for the pair?

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

do you think we could do something at 170?

-OK.

-Do you think so?

-Yeah, I think we could.

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

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

but with an opening profit of £77.44,

Eric is delighted to have popped his cork.

Well, that was a fascinating place to do business.

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

but it was a very gratifying sale because my spirit barrels

are now where they would have been back in

the early 19th century.

It's a good start for Eric and one that he immediately builds on

when he takes his garden statue to Hertfordshire landscaper Jason.

-115? We've got a deal.

-We've got a deal.

And makes a statuesque profit of £63.17,

making it two sales to Danny's nil.

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

a town just north of Milton Keynes, with a mind to ride off

with a profit for his riding boots from Kathryn,

a co-director of an equestrian shop.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yeah, well, these are dressage boots here.

These are probably for training.

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

I've got my beautiful vintage...

I'd date them around about the 1920s.

-Yeah.

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

-Style never goes out of fashion.

-Absolutely.

And fashion never goes out of style.

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

-What's going on?

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

really well looked after.

That was the hard work I put into it.

-You should have seen them.

-You polished them yourself?

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

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

-Exactly.

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

Yes, beautiful boot trees, aren't they?

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

-Absolutely.

What do you think they'd be used for?

I think originally these boots would have been for hunting,

going out in the field. A good general boot.

What would you use them for?

We'd use them as a nice prop.

We could make them look beautiful in the shop.

Would they be something that you're interested in?

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

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

-Mm-hm.

-I was thinking roundabout the 240 mark.

OK, we were thinking more about the 120 mark.

Excuse me?

-120?

-Yeah.

-You've chopped me right in half.

-I know.

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

What about 160?

Oh, Kathryn.

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

-I hope so.

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

Oh, Kathryn, how about 195?

180.

185 and we've got a deal.

-Great, OK. Deal.

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

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

and make plenty of profit.

Boot-iful.

Yes, a boot-iful profit of £86.28

means that Danny has entered the race.

But it's Eric next with his Chinese screen.

Well, I'm in rural South Oxfordshire.

I'm here to meet Teesha.

Teesha has a gallery in Oxford, but she is also

something of a multi-tasker because she's got

a bed and breakfast out here.

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

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

so will she want to buy it?

How can I best describe it?

Well, as you can see, fourfold, inlay.

I think date-wise about 1880.

It has got this wonderful inlay

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

Do you ever see this type of screen in China?

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

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

It could be. What's the price?

I was looking for around the £300 mark.

I was thinking around the 200 mark.

What if we went 250, would that go?

250 is not a good figure.

Chinese like eight.

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

-OK.

-I was thinking 218.

Oh, 218! If we said 238,

would that be just as good?

-OK.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-You are sure?

-Yeah, you sure?

-Yes, I'm sure.

-Shake hands.

-It's a deal.

Eric makes an impressive profit of a smidge over

£133 for the screen.

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

including the Maxfield Parrish, to gallery owner Chrissy

for a further profit of £97.79.

Danny needs to catch up. He's paid £75 to have

his workbench restored.

It now owes him over £186.

He's had it delivered to Stockport Antiques Emporium owner Gabby,

and hopes he can still carve out a profit.

-Hey, I tell you what, it looks

-well, here. It does indeed.

-What do you think, Gabby?

-It's come home.

Love it. This is very now.

Everyone's after one of these.

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

-for a shop fitting, as a front counter.

-Oh, wow!

-I mean...

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

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

and you can oil them down.

-A bit of slate?

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

-Let's talk about price.

-Come on then. Spit it out.

550.

Ouch! OK.

Got to be a bit more in it for me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

500?

Will you go 520?

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

-Yes, I know.

-They're horrible.

-I know, they are horrible, yes.

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

-but they are quite...

-Cheap.

-510.

500, come on, we like round numbers.

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

-Right.

-Thank you very much, Gabby.

-Thank you.

Incredible. Danny's spending pays off,

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

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

but how's he doing in the scores? Let's find out.

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

of £384.48.

Danny has only sold two of his five, but after his success with the bench

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

With figures like that, only a fool would speculate

on who's going to win today's clash.

Danny is up next with

his job lot of Meccano.

He's decided to split it into groups and sell it online.

He's had some initial success with a couple of rarer pieces,

some headlights and a steering wheel...

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

And it's made £50.

..and does shift the rest,

but after postage, packaging and auction costs were deducted,

he only makes a total profit of just £7.02.

Meanwhile, Eric is continuing on his selling quest

with his prize buy, the blue glass vase.

It still owes him just over £123,

so will London-based antiques dealer Mousa

like it enough to give Eric a profit?

I was intrigued to know your opinion.

Would you say Bohemia, rather than France?

I think it might be any, Bohemian or French,

but in my opinion, it is French.

But the date, I think about 1870, 1880.

-Beautiful.

-It's beautiful, yeah.

Well, I'm expecting around the 400 mark,

so where do you come in on that one?

I would be coming to £300.

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

Then why don't we shake hands on 350?

350, we've got ourselves a deal.

Eric walks out with his biggest profit so far.

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

with the rest either sold at the auction house

or given to a charity shop,

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

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

when you get a price like that.

Having said that, I'm only too pleased

that I had an early night before the auction.

And he steps his profits up again when he sells his ladder

to Buckinghamshire antiques dealer Chloe.

Can we meet halfway at 60?

-Is that halfway?

-Between 50 and 70.

Yeah, it probably is, isn't it?

Put your hand there.

Making a small profit of just £8.17,

and ticking another item off his list.

Danny needs to catch up, and he's hoping to do just that

with his mahogany chair, and so he carries it over

to the same Stockport emporium where he sold his workbench,

and he's hoping antiques dealer Laura will like it enough

to add some profit on top of the £172 that he paid for it.

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

with a rail back and a solid seat.

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

-Oh, yeah.

-What do you think of it?

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

and it's certainly not the type of desk chair

-you see every day.

-You like it?

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

is if I'm going to like the price.

Say 300.

300, OK. That is a little high,

I think, for this chair.

Would you do 225?

-HE SIGHS

-260.

-I can do 250.

-255. We'll go in the middle.

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

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

Danny makes a profit of £82.24 for the chair and, finishing up,

he sells his wheelbarrow to a tearoom in Ribchester,

as a shop display, wheeling out a profit of £65.96.

And that's him all sold up. Hoping not to be far behind,

Eric's bought his watercolour to Edenbridge, in Kent.

A little bit of investigation fails to reveal a signature.

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

But will he want to buy it?

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

I was just captivated by it.

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

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

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

so I start looking online

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

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

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

and then I started seeing that this man was prolific.

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

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

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

and a child side by side.

-There are several problems with that attribution.

-Go on.

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

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

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

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

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

-Nothing.

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

but it's very, very charming.

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

Are we near the 220?

-About 220, yes.

-About 220.

-Yeah.

-Have we got a deal?

-We've got a deal.

So Eric fails to get a definitive answer on the name of the painter,

but his instincts pay off

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

He makes it a full house when he sells his nautical engraving

to maritime art specialist David.

Maybe we could meet in the middle, say 45?

45? Listen, 45 is perfectly good by me.

Making a final profit of £22.79,

and that's both our profit panthers over the finish line.

So let's remind ourselves of how much they spent today.

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

Danny bought only five items, but adding restoration costs

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

But who brought home the biggest profits?

All of the money made will go to our dealers' chosen charities,

so who is today's champion?

-Hey, how are we doing?

-Not so bad.

-How are you?

-I'm fine.

-Always a pleasure to see you.

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

the auction scene, for me.

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

What was your best buy?

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

most of which was worth very little.

There was a glass vase and cover.

-Right.

-It was fabulous.

And it was about 1880, probably Bohemian,

beautifully enamelled,

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

So what was your best buy, Danny?

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

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

-Yes, I do.

..woodworm and all sorts going on.

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

I got a little shelf put on the bottom.

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

-Oh, right.

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

-Come up trumps.

-Good lad.

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

-Yes.

-OK.

-Let's have a peep.

-Are you ready?

-I am.

-We'll do a one...

-A one...

A two, and a three!

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

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

-Yours is even healthier!

-And that's what matters!

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

-Come on.

-Come on then.

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

and it's all down to that blue glass vase.

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

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

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

to one Bohemian glass vase and cover.

I'm absolutely gutted.

I actually thought I was going to win that one.

It just goes to show,

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

But Danny will get another shot at the crown tomorrow

when our boys go into battle at an antiques market in Belgium.