Eric Knowles v Chuko Ojiri - Showdown Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, the show that pitches

TVs best-loved antiques experts against each other

in an all-out battle for profit.

I think I see a bargain!

Each day, one pair of duelling dealers

will face a mighty challenge.

Oh, yeah!

Putting their reputations on the line...

Ready for battle!

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

I'm a big boy, I'm a player.

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

It's not all about what you spend, it's about what you make.

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

It really is war.

..from buying and selling.

You've got to be in there like a whippet.

Prepare yourselves, viewers,

as it's the finale of our week-long contest of collectables.

Yes, it's the mighty Showdown.

Coming up - Eric gets confused in the auction house...

Sorry, what lot number are you?

Lot 224.

Thank you! That was a near one.

-Concentrate, Eric!

-..Ochuko takes his chances in France...

It's a cheeky offer, it's half of what he said.

..and our dealers square up at the Showdown auction.

-Yes!

-I take my hat off.

Which is more than you've done ever since I've met you! Ah!

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome one and all to an epic bout of bargaining,

in which a towering pair of antiques titans try to turn rarities into

riches. Yes, this is the Showdown.

The final hurrah and the last chance for our pair of combating competitors

to try and come out on top, while making money for their chosen charities.

First up, a new pup with a big bite.

An east Londoner who's sartorially smart, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,

but make no mistake, slyer than Stallone.

It's Ochuko "The Hat" Ojiri.

I look forward, not behind

and there's profit in front of me.

Up against him is an opponent more regal than a royal flush.

He's the Prince of Porcelain and a classy connoisseur of crockery.

It's Eric "The Knowledge" Knowles.

Ochuko, you may be the new kid in this school,

but I'm here to teach you a lesson.

So far, Ochuko has won all four of this week's contests.

So, can Eric redeem himself now and take this final battle?

Our experts have £1,000 of their own money to spend across four different

locations - an antiques fair, an auction, a foreign market

and a car-boot sale.

Showdown rules dictate at least half of their eight purchases

will be sold at the terrifying Showdown auction,

where their fate is out of their hands.

The difference between victory and defeat is all down to the bidding public.

So who will be crowned ultimate king of the collectables?

Let's find out.

-Hey.

-Eric.

Well, we made it. This is it, yes.

This is the Showdown!

-It's the big one.

-I know.

We've been given some information.

-Do you want to start us off?

-"Welcome to the mighty Showdown.

"You must each buy two items across four different locations.

"You have £1,000 to spend.

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

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

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

-Yes?

-THEY LAUGH

It says expert, not optimist!

And it finishes with, "Good luck." I'm going to wish you lots of that.

-You as well, sir.

-You're going to need it, mate.

-You're going to need it, kid!

-We'll see. We'll see.

-Yes,

there's fighting talk from both sides as they enter round one,

the antiques fair.

It's pitchforks at dawn as our duelling dealers begin their challenge at

Shepton Mallet Antiques & Collectors' Fair,

where they'll each have to find two items from the 600-odd stalls

selling their wares. So how does Ochuko rate his chances?

This is Showdown, so I'm really looking forward to this.

This is my chance to show Eric that I'm not the new kid any more.

He should've got a hat, because I've got a lot more tricks under mine.

Well, Eric may have nothing on his head,

but there's plenty going on inside it.

Well, the thing about the Showdown is that you can't pre-empt what

you're going to put in the auction and what you're going to sell privately until

you've actually bought all eight items.

Up until then, I'm going to keep an open mind.

Yes, open mind and open eyes.

And it's not long before he's opening his wallet

and enquiring about a pair of bookends.

What sort of price range are these little bookends?

I'd do those for 20 for you.

-Listen, can I show you a photograph of my mother?

-Yes, OK.

-She's here, look, there she is.

-Oh, she's lovely, isn't she?

When I was a little boy, I thought my mother was related to the Queen.

-Yeah.

-Do you want to hold on to that one?

-Yeah. Another one would be nicer!

-I'll hold two for you, shall I?

-Would you like that one?

Ta-da! Of his mother!

With a little help from his - ahem! - mother,

Eric buys the carved bookends for £20,

but will they help him sail away with a profit?

Date-wise, somewhere between around about 1910 and 1925.

Very much in the Arts and Crafts style,

when galleons were a very, very popular motif.

You'd find them not only on carved wood,

you'd find them in stained-glass windows

and you'd find them on embossed copper plaques.

Charming might be the word.

What I've got to do now is charm a buyer.

A confident start from the old guard,

but the young pretender hopes to catch up as he finds a piece of

-colourful crockery.

-Nice '50s colours.

I like the sort of geometric element to it.

How much is this?

That's 15.

Do you think you could possibly help me out on the price?

Please!

How about 12? I couldn't really go any lower than 12.

You couldn't go less? Let's say ten.

-Let's say ten.

-Go on, then.

-Ten?

-Yes.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-All right.

He charms the seller, forks out a tenner for the bowl and draws one all.

Yeah! Very happy.

Look at that. There's a mark on the back that says, West Germany.

West German pottery, its heyday was from the '50s until the '70s.

It's really known for its expressive use of colours, as you can see here.

So while Ochuko's straying onto Eric's ceramic turf,

The Knowledge is sticking to what he knows best,

picking up a glass figurine for £90.

This is a design by Rene Lalique.

Now, Rene Lalique lived between 1860 and 1945,

but this figurine has been made after his death.

I think it was revived in the last ten years or so.

Yes, it's pressed glass, but having paid £90 for it,

I still think there's got to be a profit in it.

So, Eric's second purchase is delicate and elegant.

Whereas Ochuko rounds off his antiques fair buying with a grubby old pink

petrol can for £5.

It says Aladdin on the tin,

so will Ochuko be able to rub it and produce a genie as profit?

It's a 1950s petrol can, it's made of steel.

You put your paraffin, your petrol in there, and look,

you've got your tap there.

It would make a great shop display piece. It's really unusual.

No-one would dream of having a petrol can this colour these days and this is what I love about it.

Unique, quirky, exactly the sort of thing that I love to buy.

And at that money, I think it will go into the auction.

And they're done with round one,

so let's take a look at the spending so far.

From a £1,000 budget, Eric has spent £110,

so has £890 left in the piggy bank.

Ochuko's haul cost him a paltry £15,

leaving a hefty £985 for the next three rounds.

The battle ground for round two is an auction house in Colchester

and once again, Eric has the advantage of experience.

Well, buying for a Showdown, especially at auction, is tricky.

Sooner or later some of the items that you're buying at the auction

will end up in another auction.

And with commission to pay on both sides of that equation,

Eric knows profits can take a hit.

But Ochuko has decided to put all such worries aside and take the auction by the horns.

This is my chance to really get ahead.

I've got to work really smart, buy something really poppy, colourful.

I'm going to win this.

Ah, such confidence!

There's just time for a perusal of the goods on offer before the bidding starts.

And The Hat is drawn to, well, some hats.

This is a job lot.

My favourite bit of all of this is the collapsible hat.

Look at that. Comedy all day long.

You can imagine just... Bang!

-Love it.

-Eric is employing a trick he's used before,

as he thinks he's found a precious gem hidden in a job lot,

with a low estimate of £20-£30.

This little mark on the base, it says, Gesso Faience.

And you can just about make out James McIntyre and Co.

This is around about 1895.

Designed probably by a man called Harry Barnard,

with this slip trail decoration.

You know, that little jug is worth the same as the rest of that entire tray.

And so the auction commences.

Both our boys need to win two lots each,

and it's Ochuko's Victorian hat lot that comes up first with a guide

price of £20-£40.

How can Ochuko "The Hat" Ojiri not win the hats?

Straight in at £34.

-At £34.

-Ouch!

-36. 38. 40.

Two. £44 bid now.

46. 48. 50. 55. 60.

At £60 at the back. All done.

After commission, Ochuko pays just over £74 for the hats,

that's a top price for a top hat!

You can't take a hat off me!

-Don't try!

-And The Hat tries to get further ahead when he goes after a

collection of Masonic medals, estimated at £20-£30.

Bid? 38. 40. 42. 44. 46. £46.

-And it's mine.

-Ochuko buys the medals for just over £57,

and he's all done for this round.

But what's he got for his money?

It looks like a whole collection of somebody's freemasonry paraphernalia.

Dated from the mid-19th century.

Looks like the lodge was in Essex.

It's unusual.

I don't know where it's going to end up, but I think I'll make a profit.

Dib dib dib. Hold on a minute, that's the Scouts!

Indeed it is, Ochuko.

Still, he's now done with round two.

Eric needs to catch up.

But that job lot of crockery is up next.

Now, there is one jug in there which is going to be worth

at least £50-£70 by itself.

It's not huge money, but it just shines amongst all that,

to use a polite term, mediocrity.

So will anyone else have noticed this hidden jewel?

£5. Thank you.

Five is bid. £5, all done.

-Sorry, what lot number are you, sorry?

-We're on lot 224.

-OK.

-Six, thank you. At six. You have competition, madam.

Seven. Here is competition. Eight. Nine. Ten.

The gentleman's bid, I'm selling. All done then at £10.

Thank you! That was a near one.

-Concentrate, Eric!

-Yes, do try to stay alert.

He wins the lot by the skin of his teeth for £12.40, including costs,

and he's clearly buying in bulk today as he bids on

and wins another job lot.

This time it's a collection of Royal Doulton and Susie Cooper

dinnerware for £86.80.

I hadn't realised that I'd got four boxes of this stuff!

But Susie Cooper, stylish lady, stylish ceramics.

That's the mark you want to look for, with this sort of leaping gazelle.

And sometimes they're actually impressed with the year date.

1939.

But look at that design, it's so 1950s.

She was way ahead of her time.

Eric's bargain boxes bring us to the end of round two.

So let's see how much they've got left to spend.

From a £1,000 budget, Eric has so far spent £209.20,

leaving him with £790.80 to spend.

Ochuko has so far forked out £146.44,

which leaves him almost £854 at the midway mark.

Still plenty of money in their kitties,

which is good news because round three takes them to a French market

in Avignon where prices can often run a little high.

And with the sun beating down,

Eric is the first to spot a potential purchase,

as a green elephantine bowl catches his eye.

Well, I like that.

It's got an immediacy about it.

I think date-wise this is probably around about 1925.

So can he get a good price from the vendor?

I'm hoping he just said 40 euros.

Actually, he just came down to 30.

Ah, even better.

Fantastique!

I just gave him 40 euros and he's just given me 15 back.

Right, so Eric heard 40, the vendor came down to 30,

but he's actually charged 25 euros,

so that's a bargain price of £21.55 for the bowl.

I must take up those conversational French lessons at night school in

-the winter.

-Don't knock it, Eric.

You paid 15 euros less than you thought you were going to pay!

So this is an object which is going to sell purely on its decorative

merits. Like everybody else on the planet, we all love an elephant.

So I'm hoping these four elephants are going to be four lucky elephants.

And they do bring him luck, as next, he finds a jardiniere that he likes.

Could I buy that for 100 euros?

For 100 euros?

90 for your pleasure.

90 for my pleasure?

And it is my pleasure.

A pleasure. OK?

-All right.

-The discounted pot costs Eric £77.59,

so what's he got for his money?

Well, it's maybe just a plant pot to some people,

but for me, that's a lovely sort of work of art.

It's very Art Nouveau.

What makes it interesting is the glaze.

I've never come across this sort of decoration before.

Date-wise, probably around about 1900, maybe 1905.

And Bosch.

Well, Bosch were a quality maker,

so hopefully the quality will always out.

Ochuko is playing catch up now and for his first French item,

he's found a flamingo pink glass set

that's so very... Well, so very Ochuko.

Oh, I love this.

I think the colour, to me, and the cut, it screams 1920s.

Lovely decanter.

Yeah, I like this.

Please, please!

Let me put that down.

Let me find my book.

Never has this book been so handy.

It's a cheeky offer, it's half of what he said.

He may get upset, hopefully won't.

-7.50.

-No, no, no.

OK, meet me.

Eight?

Thank you very much.

The pink glassware nibbles a further £8.62 from his budget.

When you buy glassware, you have to be very careful of the damage.

It's a few little nicks, but in general, it's survived well, hasn't it?

Beautiful flamingo pink.

Classic 1920s shape.

We're in wine country.

I just wish I had a little bit of time so I could fill this up.

But I haven't, I've got to crack on.

Maybe someone should remind him that he's still got over £800 at his

disposal. Oh, well. Maybe his next item will be something big.

Something expensive.

Something like... A box of model beetles?

Where would you find them?

Who would look for them? Who would want them? Me!

The seller is asking 5 euros.

We shake, final and we shake on this price.

3 euros.

Yes?

-You are a gentleman.

-Ochuko pays a tiny £2.59.

He did well on the haggle, but apparently not so well in explaining what he was haggling for.

I thought I was buying the whole box.

I've ended up with one.

There's only Paul McCartney left, but I'll make it work.

Yes, Ochuko's solitary beetle brings to the end of round three,

so let's see how much dosh our experts have saved for the final round.

From a £1,000 budget, Eric has spent just over £308,

leaving him with almost £692 to spend.

Ochuko has spent a minuscule £157.65,

so has just over £842 in his kitty.

So they've both plenty of cash to spend

in Round 4, a car-boot sale in Chesterfield,

and after spending just over £11

in the previous round, what's Ochuko planning today?

Good thing about boot sales,

you can often find a big profit if you're willing to spend big.

-That's what I'm going to do.

-So, he wants to splash out now, does he?

And how's Eric hoping to tackle the final round?

My tactics are, I see it, I like it,

if the price is right, I buy it,

because it's always the early bird that catches the worm.

Eric says he has a need for speed

and he steams straight into the car boot.

-I'll tell you what, there's a lot of work gone into that.

-There has, yeah.

I'm assuming it's Stephenson's rocket.

That's what I'm led to believe that it is.

It bears a close resemblance to it.

It certainly does, doesn't it?

How much is it?

£48 on the rocket and the trailer.

Come on, tell me what's the best?

35.

-I think it's a bargain.

-Eh?

Well, you're a man that knows a bargain. Excellent.

# Come on, come on

# Do the locomotion with me... #

I think this might be described as a man toy.

Erm, it looks as though it's got some age, but it hasn't.

I think this has been made in the last, maybe 30, 40 years,

and I'm assuming that it's the Rocket.

I need to do a little bit of homework,

but either way you'd expect probably George Stephenson

to be stood behind that boiler.

My every hope is that when it sells, that it goes like a rocket.

TOOTING

Ochuko is lagging behind yet again in the buying,

as Eric spots a potential second-hand final purchase.

Do you think £24 would buy that lot?

-Yeah, 24 would buy that lot...

-Yeah? OK.

Are the boys all right with that? They're OK? Yeah, yeah, OK.

A family decision.

-Thank you very much.

-All right.

All this glassware was made in the United States of America,

some time in the 1920s, 1930s.

Collectively, it's called Carnival Glass,

because it's the sort of thing people would win at the fair

if they knocked a coconut off.

And if they were emulating anybody it was Tiffany Glass.

Tiffany Glass had been made up until 1928,

and that in itself was far, far more expensive.

I'm just hoping to make a smidgen of a profit.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Eric's all bought up, but what of Ochuko?

Is he going to stick to his plan of spending big?

It's time to find out, because he's found a vintage slide projector.

This is unusual for a boot sale.

To find something all boxed.

Yeah, I like that. Really good nick.

-How much have you got on that?

-I could do it for seven.

Hmm, £7 isn't going to break the bank.

How about adding something else?

Look at these. This is right up my street.

Lovely little butterfly coasters.

How much are you selling for these?

I've got £10 on them.

Ten for both?

I think you started a bit rich on that.

-You think?

-Cos that could've been more.

-I started low on that.

-OCHUKO LAUGHS

-Go 12.

-12?

-12.

Look at this. Great box.

Made in England.

I don't think there's a great deal of profit in it, but I love it.

It's just a great piece of history.

Mid-century. Great condition, instructions.

More than PAT testing. I'd say it'll need a plug.

People don't use these things any more,

so it's important to preserve them, and to have it in such good condition, lovely thing.

And look at these, how precious these little butterfly wings are.

Screams 1970s to me, with this bamboo,

the sort of thing that I probably would've hated

in the mid to late '70s when I was a small boy, that I love now.

I love the macabre, I love taxidermy, I love curio,

and this has got all of those - and it's practical, as well.

Ochuko felt flush, but spent frugally, with an outlay of just £12

on his final two items.

And that brings us to the end of this mighty struggle of purchasing.

Our boys are now armed with their eight items,

each hoping they hold the key to victory.

So, let's see what they spent overall.

From £1,000, Eric spent £367.34.

Ochuko though only ended up spending £169.65.

Well, Ochuko,

that is all the Showdown buying done and dusted.

-Favourite object?

-I've got a really unusual little delicate coasters

that have got these lovely little butterfly wings in.

Quite like those. Not a great deal of money in them, but a nice thing.

-Nice thing.

-How about you?

-Well, I'm going to go French.

That lovely green Pearson dish, ceramic dish, with the elephants.

-I think that's absolutely lovely.

-Nice piece.

-Do you know? All we've got to do now...

-Yeah...

-..is sell it.

Is sell it, yes. OK.

-See you at the auction.

-I'll see you there.

So, our profit-seeking pair

head back to their base camps to prepare

for the second half of this tournament,

where they must sell as if their lives depended on it.

The wheat must be separated from the chaff

and the boys from the men,

and every penny made is destined for their chosen charities.

In Eric's High Wycombe corner of the world,

he's taking stock of his goodies.

Well, this is my Showdown compilation, if you will.

The Lalique figure, I managed to find out, was designed

by Rene Laliques's granddaughter, Marie-Claude Lalique,

a very talented lady in her own right.

Next to that is a jug.

It was made in round about 1895,

designed by a man called Harry Barnard,

working for the firm of James Macintyre.

He left in 1897, and the chap that followed him,

his name was William Moorcroft.

The piece that still features in Moorcroft's catalogue for 1903.

Then, erm, all the fun of the fair, Carnival Glass.

This particular colour is referred to as marigold, so it is a motley

selection, but I think it could well be a winning formula.

Of his eight purchases,

Eric has decided to put into auction the pair of bookends,

the Carnival Glass,

his job lot of dinnerware and his second job lot of mixed crockery

including the Macintyre jug.

So it will be private buyers for everything else.

Are you watching, Ochuko?

Actually, he's not.

He's busy sizing up his own Showdown selection.

Showdown! I've got some great items here.

My projector. There's electrics in there,

so I'm going to need to get an electrician to put a plug on

and to PAT test it.

My unusual, I'd say '70s bamboo butterfly coasters.

I wouldn't condone you going out there

and finding butterflies and putting them in a coaster,

but these have been done and they're old.

So let's make sure they go to a good home.

These masonic emblems and jewels,

I thought they were called medals, but in fact they're called jewels. I don't know a lot about it.

It's the secrecy of the society that drew me to it.

My little lonely beetle.

I paid a couple of euros.

It was a mistake, really, but off to auction,

it's going to make a profit for me, I hope.

As well as the beetle, Ochuko also plans to put his petrol can,

projector and coasters into the auction,

leaving his decanter set, hats,

plate and freemason's jewels to sell to private buyers.

Our eminent experts must now become supersonic sellers,

with profit as their watchword,

and remember, until they've shaken on it and the money's

changed hands, no deal is ever sealed.

In Hertfordshire, it's Eric who's first to pick up the trail

of a potential sale.

He's hoping to cut an early lead and snip out his first profit.

Now, it just so happened I came across an article

about a lady barber

that was also selling antiques, so I got in touch with her.

She's expressed an interest in my Stephenson's rocket.

In the meantime,

I'm hoping that I'm on the right track

when it comes to doing a deal.

The rocket cost Eric £35,

so will Joey help him chug off with a profit?

Oh, wow!

-What do you think?

-I absolutely adore it.

It's something that has been made in, probably the late 20th century,

but that is, I think fair to say, George Stephenson's rocket.

It is an image, really, that we learned from childhood, isn't it?

It is. Well, probably more yours than me.

THEY LAUGH

Only joking.

No, that's all right.

The price has just gone up!

Believe it or not, I would like to get my back room more industrial,

and when I saw this, this is going to be my first piece.

-Oh, right.

-So, I would like to get some sort of good deal out of you.

-I thought probably round about £80, something like that?

-Oh...

All right, OK, come at me with a figure and we'll find common ground.

How about...65?

I think it's fair to say, Joey, you've just struck yourself a deal.

-Good one, Eric.

-So, Eric departs with an opening profit of £30...

..and continues his selling spree in Westerham,

where he sells his 1920s elephant bowl to gallery owner, John.

How does 60 sound?

60...

Listen, time's precious.

So, that's a further profit of £38.45 and Eric is two sales up.

But Ochuko isn't far behind and he's not far from home, either.

He's in East London with his flamingo pink decanter set.

It owes him just under £9 and he's hoping restaurant owner, Andy,

will view it with rose-tinted glasses.

Let's have a look at how it looks in there with the light. Because...

-Yeah, see that?

-I haven't even got to sell this to you, have I?

See that? I don't like that chip, I'll be honest with you.

I understand. So, the 150 that I wanted, you don't want to pay?

-Nowhere near 150.

-OCHUKO LAUGHS

-Go on.

-35 quid.

-Ooh, my goodness.

-HE GROWLS

Let's be sensible.

65.

-45.

-Let's meet in the middle, 60.

50.

-It's 55 then, isn't it? Go on.

-55.

The decanter set pours out an opening profit of just over £46,

despite the slight damage.

A little bit annoyed.

There was a tiny little chip on one of the glasses,

which must have happened in transit, but the thing is,

he sold it to himself. I need a few more of those.

Well, three more to be precise.

With his profit put in the forefront of his mind,

he sells his retro geometric bowl to London-based interior designer,

Jamie, for £25, making a profit of £15

and drawing level with Eric, on two sales each.

Ochuko certainly knows how to make money in The Big Smoke,

which is precisely what Eric hopes to do with his next sale.

He's brought the Lalique figurine, that cost him £90,

to specialist dealer, Raul.

Well, bearing in mind that you are primarily dealing in pre-1945,

that was the year he died, wasn't it?

-That's right.

-I'm surprised that something like this would be of interest you.

Normally it wouldn't, but I happen to have a bottle.

It's called Miosotis,

-so it's the same...

-I don't believe it.

-..lady.

-That one is designed in 1928.

-Yeah.

And it's nice to show people the difference

of a slightly earlier piece with a little bit more detail.

Not only that, this is too early.

-Probably it's about 1950s.

-Yes.

-And you can't buy it any more,

so there will always be somebody wanting to buy that.

Well, if I went round about the 160 mark?

I think we are more talking 140, 150.

-OK, £150. We've got a deal.

-We've got a deal.

Thank you very much.

Eric clears a profit of £60 on the figurine,

leaving just one more item to sell before the auction.

Ochuko has two,

until a trip to Basingstoke-based specialist dealer, Dean,

results in the sale of his masonic medals...

140.

-Put it there.

-Brilliant deal.

-Well done.

-..for a profit just shy of £83.

So, he's left with the Victorian hats he bought

for just over £74, and he hotfoots it to see

Chelsea-based hat shop owner, Martin.

This opera hat's fine, but it does need quite a bit of...work.

Now, this is exquisite and very difficult work.

Costly to do it, and then I've got to sell it.

The bowler hat, it's just too small to go on a modern person's head.

I mean, I've got no head at all, but look on me, I mean...

-I can see Laurel and Hardy.

-I hadn't thought of that.

But what I would hope is that I could buy this from you

and leave you to sell that to somebody.

If you can put a price on it that you're happy with, we'll shake hands.

I would give you £40 for cash, in cash, for this.

OK, so let's say £50.

-Do I have to say £50?

-You've shook!

-Oh, well, it's happened so quickly.

-£50. I'm happy with that.

You say that, but so you should be.

But despite Ochuko's cheeky price hike,

with the other hat too small to sell,

he suffers a loss of £24.40

and reaches the private sales finish line.

Eric's last night before the auction is the Art Nouveau jardiniere,

which he sells to New Forest-based hotel manager, Andrew...

-I'm thinking maybe 130.

-I think that'll be fair.

..making a profit of just over £52.

Well, that's all my personal Showdown sales done and dusted.

Now comes the tricky bit.

It's called the auction -

and things now are very much in the lap of the gods.

Yes, indeed, and as the gods prepare their laps,

let's take a glance at the scores so far.

Both our experts have now sold four items.

Eric is leading at this stage with a profit of almost £181.

Ochuko is also doing well.

His private sales have earned a profit of just under £120.

And so we reach the point of no return, the Showdown auction.

Here, there'll be no bartering or badgering, no cajoling or coaxing.

All our experts can do is stand back and hope that the bidders at

Brighton General Auctions can fan the flames of profit.

-So, hello.

-Hello, Eric.

-How are you doing, dude?

-How are you, sir?

-I'm all right, thank you.

How is the selling been going?

-Mmm... Hot and cold.

-Has it?

-How about you?

-It's not been an easy ride but, you know,

it never really is.

But now we're going to the auction, we've both got four lots in there

and they are all going to be sold without any reserve whatsoever.

High stakes. I've got a good feeling.

-Have you?

-Yeah, I've got positive energy.

-OK.

-It's just come over me. Just as I looked into your eye...

-Oh, really?

-..and I can see a weakness in there.

-Ha!

I never noticed that before.

Methinks you are playing mind games.

Shall we go and face the music?

-Yeah.

-Maybe not dance but face the music.

# There may be trouble ahead... #

Ah, but as well as facing the music,

they'll also have to pay the piper, as auction costs will be taken

whether the items are sold or not. And there's already a problem.

Nothing has gone under the hammer yet but you'd be forgiven for

thinking otherwise by the look of Eric's crockery.

No, I've not been to a Greek wedding.

Sadly, this particular lot of porcelains has suffered in transit.

Consequently, I've had to take them out of the sale, which is a shame

because, collectively,

I thought it was quite a smashing lot to start with.

Oh, dear. The Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is games masters refund

Eric for the broken dishes and he still has two lots of intact pottery to sell.

So, what does Ochuko think of the crockery that survived?

I think Eric has definitely gone for quantity over quality.

It's not my thing. It's a bit grandma's cupboard.

My opinion, honestly?

-He's gone a bit potty.

-Do you know, when I saw Ochuko buy this,

I'm thinking, "Who in their right mind would want a paraffin tin?"

But the world has moved on in recent years.

People are looking for the quirky and they are looking for industrial

design but when it comes to spending money on something like that...

it wouldn't be my money.

I can see why Eric has gone for these.

These are a little bit more up my street.

Nautical, they are nicely carved.

We're in Brighton, I can understand why he's put them in the auction.

This projection may well sell on its merits when it comes to nostalgia.

Lots of us out there have got a quantity of 35mm colour slides without a

projector. And when it comes to the money, he only paid £7 for it.

So, if it all goes somewhat wrong he's not going to lose out big-time, is he?

But it's no longer their opinions that matter.

The auctioneer will do his best but now it's down to the bidders to make

our experts' dreams come true or shatter them on the rocks.

-Let the battle commence.

-Yeah, we are on freefall now, aren't we?

I have to say, very good attendance here today.

-What I want is atmosphere.

-Atmosphere.

-It's like a football team.

-You know, I want the away supporters to fill the others stand and give me a lot of noise.

-Yeah!

So, will there be enough noise for Eric to score with the nautical

bookends that cost him £20?

I don't want to put a dampener. I think you're going to do just under.

Oh, do you? OK.

You've got this ability to foretell the future?

-I don't know!

-No, I have! And if I were you I would take out some insurance pretty quick.

Yes, but with no reserves, there are no safety nets at this auction.

-Here we go. Come on you bookends.

-We've got eight on the net.

-Come on.

-Now on the book, we've got 12 on the net, now.

-This is not Bond Street, is it?

-We've got 14 now.

-16, we've got 18 on the net... 20 now on the net.

-There you go.

22 now in the room. I've got 24 on the net.

I will sell it at £24.

So, the bookends sell for more than £4 than Eric paid for them but

after auction costs are taken, he suffers a small loss of £1.32.

-You should be happy with that, no?

-No, no, no.

This is real agitation.

-Real perspiration.

-Seething inside.

Now it's time for Ochuko's solitary wooden beetle to scuttle into battle.

I need about £4 to break even.

-So if I get to five, I'll be happy.

-You are way ahead of the game.

So, will the solo beetle have the wings to fly off with a profit?

I've got £6 with me looking for eight.

-Oh, straight in.

-I've got eight, I've got ten.

Would you like 12? Would you like 14?

All of a sudden I feel a sense of pride about my beetle.

I will sell it at £12.

That's a profit of £6.25.

-They like me here, don't they?

-Well, I think they do.

-I'm really pleased for you.

-OCHUKO LAUGHS

Ooh, you could cut the atmosphere with a knife and Ochuko flutters off

with even more money when his butterfly coasters come under the hammer...

Sell it at £26.

..making just over £15.

Yes!

I take my hat off, which is more than you've done ever since I've met you.

Argh!

Next is Eric's crockery which he's split into two lots.

The first box of assorted bits sells for £22.

-Well done, Eric.

-In profit, in profit.

It brings home a profit of just under £11 but Eric's big hopes are pinned

on the 19th century jug that cost him a little over £6.

It really is a collectors item. And it should do, you know, at least £40.

This is when your knowledge comes into play because I wouldn't know.

Yeah, but does their knowledge come into play?

Eric looks nervous.

I've got £10 with me. 12, there...

14, do you want 16? Looking for 18...

-Come on.

-All done at £16.

That's a hammer price of £16.

It's not the big profit Eric was hoping for but it does pour a

further £5.92 into his pot.

I'm going to shed a tear somewhere else...

Eric's pottery may not be flying but does Ochuko's pink petrol can have

enough fuel to zoom into the lead?

It's the colour that really drew it to me.

What are you going to do with it? What does somebody do with a paraffin...

-I think people collect these things.

-What? In their front room?

-Why not?

I can think more of whys than why not?

Eric might not get it and it stands Ochuko at £5,

so is his faith misplaced?

Going to start the book at £15 with me.

-Straight in.

-Oh, look.

-15...

-18, 20, 22...

-A bit of Brighton loves pink. This is great.

-..24, 26...

Eric can't believe his eyes.

I will sell it at £26.

-Look away, Eric.

-Why's that?

Yeah!

That's a profit of £15.32 and Eric looks over the moon.

Ochuko, it's a treat for me to see you being so happy.

I really am. Over a paraffin tin.

Yes, there's suddenly a marked difference between the items our experts

have put into this sale.

So far, both are selling but how will Eric's colourful glassware do?

What did I pay for it? £24 for this little lot.

It's got to make over 30 for me to break even.

You'll be profit if you get 30.

If, if...

Hm... Has the knowledge's confidence taken a knock?

It's a slow start as the price creeps up to £12.

-Do you want 12? Do you want 14?

-Come on.

-Come on.

-..I will sell it at £12.

Ouch, ouch, ouch.

Eric's final sale brings a crushing loss of just over £15.

Life goes on.

Yes, but the auction is drawing to a close.

Ochuko's final item is the projector which after PAT testing and a new plug, stands him at £7.50.

I'm nervous about this.

-I don't know why.

-I've got five, six, eight, ten, 12, 16 on the net.

-16? 18! Hey!

-Is there 18 anywhere?

-Got to be 18.

-18 in the room...

-18 in the room.

-I will sell it at £18.

That final profit of 6.26 brings our expert's auction to an end.

I'm happy with that. I've made a profit on every piece today.

Yeah. And you've told me every time you've made a profit, haven't you?

It's not my nature to do that. I don't know what's happened to me.

So, before we find out who's come out on top,

let's remind ourselves of what they spent.

From a £1,000 budget,

Eric spent £280.54 after his broken crockery was refunded.

While Ochuko kept his costs down,

spending £170.15, including electrical costs.

But now it all comes down to profit.

All of the money that Eric and Ochuko have made from this challenge

will go to charities of their choice,

so let's find out who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Showdown champion.

-Hello, Eric.

-Hello, my dear friend.

-The mighty Showdown.

-Yes, it is as well, isn't it?

-So, how did you get on?

-Well,

I'd like to try and draw a veil over the auction because I got that lovely

Macintyre jug in there and I met the buyer and he told me that he was going

to go up to £60 for it.

-So annoying.

-What about you?

-I sold a beetle.

And I made a profit. The auction was very kind to me.

-Yes, it was Ochuko's day, that day.

-It was my day, wasn't it?

-And what about other items?

-Do you know, I'm so disappointed I made a loss - on of all things, the top hat.

-Oh, yes!

-Gutted.

-Well, I had a rocket, didn't I?

In the form of a locomotive.

It did OK but it didn't, you know, rocket off...

-It didn't rocket off!

-..and make a huge price.

-Shall we have a look?

-Shall we go?

-I'm scared of this one.

-BOTH:

-One, two, three...

-Oh...

-Oh! You've pipped me!

Well, there you are now. All about saving face, isn't it?

Not a complete whitewash this week.

Yes, after a week of losses,

Eric takes the big one and wins the Showdown but there's one more thing

to reveal. Eric and Ochuko have been pursuing profits all week,

so who's the overall winner?

-Shall we see?

-Yep!

-One, two, three...

Oh, look at that. A clear win.

I take my hat off to you.

-Thank you, sir.

-Well, the main thing is, collectively,

that is a nice total for our charities.

Yeah, I'm pleased about that.

-And I have to say, Ochuko, well done!

-Thank you very much, sir.

You may be a new kid on the block but this old dog hasn't been able to teach you any new tricks, have I?

-Come on.

-Yes, our new kid on the block is this week's winner.

Between them, they've made over £2,350 and every penny of that will go to charity.

My chosen charity is Mencap.

They support people with learning disabilities and their carers.

Well, my chosen charity is Brake.

Now, this is an organisation that helps to support the bereaved families of road accident victims.

And on top of that, they also endeavour to make sure our streets are safer.

It's been an incredible week of competitive trading in

the ever-changing world of antiques and our experts really have put their money

where their mouths are and shown they can make a convincing profit

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