Paul Hayes v John Cameron - 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.

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 made.

..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.

Coming up, Paul broaches the subject of buying jewellery.

One little tip with cameos - always, always hold them up to the light.

And what I'm looking for here is to make sure there's no stress cracks.

John dives on a deep-sea deal-breaker.

If I can't sell that down on the south coast,

I better get out of the game.

And Paul gets some shock news in the selling.

This one is looking like it's something that it's not.

That's genuinely really shocked me.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome, moviegoers, as you're just in time

to bathe in the glow of two leading lights

of the silver screen as they begin their bid

to collect a handful of antique awards and turn them into

-profit at the box office.

-Ow!

And the nominations are...

-a blond blockbuster hero who has his script off pat...

-Game on.

..and likes to do his own stunts...

I think I see my competition.

Aha!

..and a star dealer whose Technicolor talent

can illuminate the best bargains...

-Yes!

-..but who can play the villain as well.

I think I'll go and see if Paul would like a cup of tea.

I can't quite remember, though, if he's one lump or two.

Today, they are on the red carpet at Warrington Auction

in Cheshire with £1,000 of their own money to spend on items to

sell on later,

with all the profits going to their chosen charities,

but who will walk away with a clutch of Academy Awards

and who will be firing their agent?

It's time to find out.

-Ah, here he is.

-Good morning, Mr Hayes.

-Good morning, John.

-How are you?

-Not too bad.

This is a home fixture for you, isn't it?

This is about 45 minutes from my house,

but quite a long way from Portsmouth, I believe.

Well, it is, but the mother-in-law only lives about 20 miles

-up the road, so...

-Oh, does she? Are you looking forward to the auction?

-I am.

They've got about over 1,000 lots here.

-There's everything from plant pots to jewellery, Paul.

-That's right.

So even you and I couldn't fail to buy some items here today.

You know what they say up north -

-where there's muck, there's brass.

-OK.

-Shall we crack on?

-Why not? Let's not waste any time.

-All right, come on, then.

-Have you had a look already?

-Online. I've had a look online.

Have you?

Both dealers seem chipper,

but what script is auctioneer-by-trade John

really sticking to today?

My strategy when buying at auction is to mark down as many items

as possible, because there's always the danger you won't get the

ones you really want, and then you are really up against it.

And I know Paul is going to be panicking as well.

We are already looking at one or two of the same things,

but I'm going to make sure I get mine.

I want to beat the man from Morecambe.

It'll be a tough fight if John wants top billing,

because local boy Paul has also been using his time wisely.

I've had a look at the catalogue last night, twice -

it's always good to double-check - but there's nothing better

than coming to have a look at the items physically.

So my secret is, really, do your homework.

So, no first-night nerves from either of our dealers as they

both get stuck in to the preview session.

And John thinks he can do something special

with an everyday item from the 1960s.

Look at this wicker basket here.

It's quite a nice size.

Condition is good.

And this is the sort of thing that people are upcycling these days and

reusing for a completely different purpose.

Now, I think the size and shape and height of that, this would

make a pretty good coffee table with a nice glass top on there.

Estimate on this is £30 to £50.

At that sort of price, I think there'd be a definite profit in that.

The hamper also hides some sartorial secrets.

Look at that. It's full of ties.

Here's a classic one.

A lot of the mods and scooterists like that sort of thing.

So I think I'll have a look through,

that could be a little bonus that's inside the wicker basket there.

Heart-throb Paul is tied up elsewhere toying with

a pink trinket from the early 20th century.

They say that small is beautiful,

but in this case, it's quite a large cameo, isn't it? It's massive.

It's a shell cameo and - very, very cleverly -

the expert carver here

has carved this wonderful portrait of this classical maiden.

But a little tip with cameos - always, always hold them up

to the light to make sure there's no stress cracks or heat cracks.

This one is in really nice condition. It's beautifully carved.

It's in the catalogue between £50 and £80.

That one is coming home with me. Sorry, John.

Not so fast, Paul.

Your arch rival has also been bedazzled by the beautiful brooch.

Cameos like this have been carved since Roman times,

and there is still a tradition of this sort of carving

in Italy, in places like Sorrento and Florence.

And I feel they are better to buy in the secondary market,

where you can pick them up a lot cheaper.

I quite like that.

So both our dealers are pinning their hopes on the brooch.

And Paul uses a variety of tactics to keep John away from other

potential purchases, including distraction techniques.

And more distraction techniques.

I've just seen John. I'm going to have to hide this item

cos I know it's something that he would like.

It's actually a military belt.

It belongs to the Cheshire Regiment, a part of the uniform.

And what I like about it is underneath here...

Don't tell John, if he's about, please.

..there is a gentleman's name here and his actual number, so hopefully,

if I do actually buy this,

I'd be able to trace that to the regiment to see where he was.

It's in at £20.

The only problem is, I'm a 34 waist,

sometimes. This one is probably about a 22, honest, you know.

I better get off the sticky toffee pudding.

And while Paul plans his health kick,

John's got his eye on another tasty potential lot -

a 1980s brooch.

I did have a quick look at this with the three lions,

which actually comes from the heraldry of William the Conqueror,

in fact, but it is something we now associate with this country.

And a few of the scooterists,

they do have three-lion badges on their Lambrettas.

That could be something I might be able to turn a quick profit.

Maybe not a massive profit. It is hallmarked. It is silver.

20 to 30 is the estimate. I think it would be...

I'd do very well to get that within estimate.

I think it's probably going to do a bit better than that.

So they've both learned their lines and played with the

profit-making props,

now it's time for our dashing dealers to take their place

in the spotlight.

All right. I see you've manoeuvred yourself into pole position.

That's it, yeah. Get as near to the rostrum as you can.

Are you trying to keep viewers away from the cabinets?

-Is that what it is?

-I wouldn't do that sort of thing,

John. I thought that was more your type of tactic.

-I'm quite early on in the auction, so...

-Are you?

-I was trying to catch a glimpse.

-No, it's all right, don't worry.

John gets a sneaky peek at Paul's shopping list.

-What about you, when is your first lot?

-Early.

-Early?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh.

And John is about to drop a big movie spoiler.

Let's just say, you know, it was a cameo performance.

-PAUL LAUGHS FAKES SURPRISE:

-Really?

Will John's hint that he's after the same brooch affect Paul's

performance?

-Are you all right? Are you after the same thing?

-After the same thing?

-Yeah.

-I have looked at it, yeah.

Are you really?

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

-There's a big crack in it, you know?

-Is there really?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Just near the top left-hand corner.

-I didn't see that.

-No.

-OK.

Well, what do you like about it?

-Are you sure there is a big crack?

-Well...

I can't lie, John.

And our two potential brooch buyers continue to needle each other

right up to the wire.

-Well, really good luck.

-You too, mate.

-All right, OK.

-I wish you meant it.

So the battle lines are drawn and lucky John's got

a rather special paddle.

I've got my bidding number, and I'm licensed to bid.

Let's hope he's not shaken, just stirred.

GAVEL BANGS And they're off!

The cameo brooch our boys have been fighting over

is up first, and with a top guide of £70,

which of our leading men will outperform the other?

I'm a bit nervous. He's definitely pulled a trick on me there.

If there's a beautiful photograph online, we've got no chance.

It is now a case of who is prepared to pay the most.

We all get carried away, you know.

-Here we go.

-I'll start the bidding on this one at £70.

I look for 75. 75 in the room now.

80 online. 85? 85.

-It has soared past the estimates.

-Would you like 120, sir?

-Yes, please.

-120, the bid.

Behind you is 130.

-One more.

-130. 140.

150?

-160, sir?

-No, sir.

-No.

-£150, the bid. 150, the bid.

-He's got it.

Was that you?

It was, sir. Sorry, Paul.

-I'm off the mark.

-Dear me!

Can someone remove him from the building, please?

John acted Paul right off the stage,

pinning down the cameo for £180 including fees.

Paul's one-nil down but hopes to coin it in with the next lot.

They're a collection of five Oriental coins.

Amongst them is a coin from 1865.

I'm going with my gut reaction here. The estimate was £20 to £40,

I'm going to have a go if it's 20 to 30 quid.

Five coins and tokens, £20 with me.

Is there 25? 25, the bid.

Is there £30 anywhere? 25...

No other bidders lurking behind?

-Sold.

-In the excitement, I've dropped my paddle. I do apologise.

Number 20, I think it was.

020, thank you.

With no competition, Paul gets his coins for £30 including

costs, just the price he wanted, and he is out of the blocks.

These look like solid silver, 19th-century

gaming tokens used by the Chinese on board ships,

used to sort of play mah-jongg and various other card games.

On the bottom of one of them,

A - it's got 1865,

so it is a good old Victorian piece, 19th century,

but B - it's got the numbers .900.

Now, that means that they are almost pure silver.

Just a token there. John, just a token.

HE CHUCKLES

And, with one lot in his bag, Paul has got the wind in his sails.

I think someone has come to see me today. It's my biggest fan.

HE CHUCKLES

You can have that one, John. Get it? Biggest fan.

Yes...

The Hammer is also after some silver - the 1980s brooch

he spotted earlier with a guide of £20 to £40.

OK, coming up now is the little silver three-lion shield brooch.

-It's by Monty Don.

-Monty Don? Isn't he a gardener?

He was a jeweller before he became a gardener.

Is there no end to Monty Don's talents?

Anyway, who's got a tenner for it?

Ten is bid there.

12. 15. 18?

18. I've got 20 online. 25, sir? 25.

25, the bid, then.

Yes. Yes!

-HE SIGHS

-Oh, well. I'm behind now.

Even got a bit of a celebrity name on it, I am really pleased with it.

And brooch number two is John's for £30 including costs,

and he is leading two-one.

I can kind of rest a little bit,

but I don't want to do a hare and the tortoise.

This man should never be underrated here.

Wise words, as Paul is back on the attack.

It is a Parker fountain pen.

25, the bid, in the room and selling.

-That's 25.

-There you go.

-020, thank you.

-Thank you very much.

There we are.

Paul gets the pen for £30 including fees and draws level with John.

I love a good-quality pen. There is nothing like it.

It makes a great present for somebody.

This is by one of the leading exponents of pens, Parker.

Sometimes they have gold nibs. This one doesn't, unfortunately.

You can tell a man by his pen.

-Look at the state of mine.

-HE LAUGHS

Up next is the military belt with a guide price of £20 to £40,

which Paul hopes will make him the leading man.

-Here we go.

-£10.

10 is bid in the room. Looking for 12. 12 here. 15?

-I'll have that.

-15 in the room.

-15 quid is all right with me.

-£15.

-There you go.

Interesting. I didn't see that one.

That's because he hid it from you, John.

The belt is Paul's for £18 including costs,

and he takes the lead three-two.

Makes that cameo seem really expensive now, doesn't it, John?

And with that, we've reached the halfway point.

Time to find out who is a rising star

and who is a big-screen has-been.

From a £1,000 budget, Paul has so far bought three lots,

costing a modest £78,

leaving him with a healthy £922.

John has bought two lots for £210

so has £790 left to spend.

Now our big-screen heroes take to the set again.

Their lines are learnt, the director is at the ready,

and the extras are standing by, so it's lights, camera, action

as John's got his eye on an early-20th-century novelty piece.

What's coming up now is a ship's telegraph cigar cutter.

It's only got 20 to 40 on it as an estimate.

So I'm hoping this might be a little bit of a bargain.

-Start me at £20.

-Here we go.

-20 is bid in the room.

-Shall I wind him up?

25 over there. 30? 35?

No, I won't. I couldn't do it to him.

You know what, I'm too gentlemanly in that way.

I might end up with it.

40. 45.

£45, the standing bid and selling.

45. Thank you.

Our cool character pockets his third item for £54 including fees

and puts himself level with Paul.

It's a cigar cutter and it's been modelled as

a ship's telegraph, which would be up on the bridge for

sending instructions down to the engine room and so on.

Fairly happy with that.

I would've liked to have got it at the bottom estimate of 20,

but, hey-ho, here we are. Nice item,

should be able to find a buyer for that down in Portsmouth.

With his radar set to detect maritime-related items,

will John take the plunge on another one with a guide price

of £130 to £150?

Next up is the chrome modern diver's helmet.

There's not great quality to it. It's purely a decorative item.

Got a £110 bid. Looking for 120 now.

120, the bid. 120 in the room.

He's going to buy the diver's helmet.

-Kept that one quiet, didn't he?

-£120 in the room.

-Can I just say, I think you might be a bit out of your depth.

-Ha, ha, ha.

You can have that one.

If I can't sell that down on the south coast,

-I better get out of the game, Paul.

-Do you know, I'm not sure...

Something a bit fishy going on here.

John wins the helmet prop for £144 including costs,

but has he found underwater treasure?

Now, this is not a real helmet.

It's purely a reproduction,

but what is interesting about it is it

has been finished in this kind of chrome white metal as opposed to

brass and copper, as the functional helmets would be made.

Genuine functional Siebe Gorman helmets can make anywhere

from £3,000 to £6,000 or £7,000.

So these kind of decorative helmets are quite popular.

Not for everyone's taste. But the colour is very current.

John is leading four-three,

but up next is a 19th-century Arabic vase

with an upper guide of £120,

and Paul is interested.

You don't see a lot of this sort of stuff around.

I'm going to give this a go.

It's an unusual lot. It's the Arabic vase, Moroccan.

Start me at, what, £80?

Start me at £80.

Start me 50, then.

-50 in the room.

-50 is all right with an estimate of £80.

-50 bid. 55.

-Drop the hammer.

£50 in the room, is there 55 anywhere?

-£50 in the room.

-GAVEL BANGS

Thank you very much. There you go. Oh, sorry, upside down.

-Thank you.

-It's Australian.

That's fantastic. That is £30 under estimate.

Paul secures the mysterious vase for £60, costs included.

This is called Iznik pottery, from Turkey and that sort of region,

and it dates from the 1500s up until the 20th century.

And it is instantly recognisable by the colourway palette -

the use of these wonderful dark blues and the yellow.

If you find old pieces of this, it can be very, very valuable.

My gut feeling says this is 19th century.

The earlier pieces, believe it or not, are beautifully,

beautifully painted.

So this one has been quite quickly painted.

But it is still very decorative. I just think it is one of

those items that is a bit quirky, a bit out on a limb.

I think it could do quite well.

And continuing his search for more exotic roles,

Paul bids on some Indian art works...

Yeah.

I'll sell it at 60.

..winning them for £72 including fees.

These are from the Mughal Empire of India.

That dates from sort of...anything from the 16th century right up

until the 19th century.

They used to do these wonderful watercolour drawings as basically

illustrations for books.

And I can tell that is one of these because there's two being

framed together. They're both pages out of a small book.

And with those Indian illustrations, Paul is all bought up.

The secret with any good auction is knowing when to stop.

I've had enough. I've bought all I wanted to buy here today.

I can't see me buying anything else now,

so it is time for a well-earned rest.

But, Paul, you'll miss the strangest lot of the day.

Next up is the wicker basket,

which has got an estimate of £30 to £50.

I like the basket. I think it would make a great coffee table.

But there's a few ties in there as well, neckties.

20, then.

20 bid.

25 online. 30? You can put all your swag in it.

It won't get broken on the way home.

30 in the room now. The net is hovering. 35. 40, sir?

40 bid. 45 online. 50?

-One more.

-£50. Bidder in the room.

-£50 it is. Bargain, sir, bargain.

-No, it wasn't.

Oh, well. There we are. Curse that wretched internet!

When you are an auctioneer, the internet is your best friend,

but when you are a bidder down in the audience,

it is your enemy, and there...

Got in there at £20, I thought that was going to be a bargain,

ended up getting taken to £50.

The Wicker Man gets the hamper and ties for £60 including fees,

and the buying show is over.

Both our auction action heroes have armfuls of awards to light up their

living rooms. But will they perform as well in the selling sequel?

Before we find out, let's tot up the totals.

From a £1,000 budget,

Paul bought five lots and spent £210.

John also bought five lots

but spent more than twice as much,

splashing out £468.

But all that matters now is profit.

So, what will our suave stars make

of each other's cache of collectibles?

-It's been a long day, hasn't it?

-I'm glad the auction is over, though.

Yeah. Do you ever get that sinking feeling?

-It is a bit modern for me, I must admit.

-Yeah.

No age to it, but should be able to sell it.

I've got to say, my favourite item

has to be the little silver brooch there.

That was a complete surprise to me, that one.

-And what a bonus! It turns out it's been designed by Monty Don.

-I know!

I need an England-supporting gardener, basically.

-And the cameo.

-That is the one that got away from me today.

I really wanted to buy that. Did you find that little slight hairline crack in the top left?

Stop it already!

-I did have another look. So what about you? I mean...

-This I like.

What did you pay for it?

-I think it was around £60, all in.

-That's not bad. That's not...

Paul, that's a good item. You've got a good chance with that.

I think it's got a bit of age to it. And I think it was a good buy.

But, Paul, I've got to ask, the belt?

-What's going on with that?

-That's my secret weapon, that belt.

-Go on.

-Well, it is a military item.

-Yeah.

What I like about it, actually, it comes from the Cheshire Regiment.

-Yeah.

-But the name of the gentleman is on there.

-I like things with a bit of a journey, a bit of a story.

-Yeah.

And the good thing is, none of us have got anything big and bulky

-to take home.

-Well, good luck, Mr Bond.

-Ah!

-OK, Blofeld.

-There you go.

Paul, I think that's our Q.

Our Q, I see what you did there, actually.

Well, there is a lady looking for you - Miss Moneypenny.

-She says you owe her a tenner.

-Is that right?

THEY LAUGH

Fresh from the cut and thrust of the auction house, our debonair

dealers head for their homes at opposite ends of the country.

This buying challenge was a mere hors d'oeuvre

before the main course -

the selling of their items for the most money,

with all their tasty profits going to the charities of their choice.

In Morecambe, Paul's casting his eye over his eclectic mix.

My favourite item has to be this wonderful Islamic-style vase.

What a fantastic decorative item.

I believe it may have actually come from a mosque,

and the reason I believe that is that the inscription here

actually translates as the opening word to the Koran.

I contacted the British Library,

and the language translates as "In the name of God".

I found out that this one is a stable belt,

and these were bought by officers to use in the stables

while they were looking after the horses.

So, the idea is, they would put these on,

it would protect their clothing from whatever they were doing

with the horses, and they were self-bought.

So, it's not a particularly rare thing,

but still a collectable item, a bit of militaria.

Upon researching the coins,

these are probably my least favourite items.

They're very common.

When we started to trade again with China and the East,

we used to actually make these coins from silver,

because that's the only coin that they would trade in,

so, there were lots and lots of them around,

so, rarity value isn't here, but they're still interesting things,

but they're probably my least favourite out of all of these items.

There's certainly variety here -

and variety is the spice of life, John, as you know.

So, Paul will also need to find buyers for his pen

and the 19th-century Indian art.

Back at his Portsmouth HQ, is John happy with his lots?

Well, no surprise that there is a couple of maritime pieces here.

I'm always going to be able to sell those.

My little cigar cutter - love that.

I wonder whether it would be good to polish this -

I did do a little test patch, but I actually think that the patination

adds to the charm and age of the thing,

so I'm going to leave that as it is.

The Monty Don silver England brooch I think was a surprise package.

Now, in a previous profession, Monty and his wife

ran a very, very successful high-end jewellery business,

and they only closed due to an economic slump

which had a knock-on effect.

My favourite item here is possibly the hardest one to sell,

and it is the one I paid the most for. £180 I paid.

Cameo brooches, just not so fashionable today.

It will take somebody like Beyonce or Victoria Beckham

to start being seen wearing a cameo brooch,

and suddenly everyone would want them,

but I don't think that's going to happen

in the window I've got to sell it.

John also has to find a home for his 1960s wicker basket

and tie collection,

and his modern decorative diver's helmet.

Now, both our savvy sellers must surf the web,

call their contacts and crisscross the country

as they track down the best sales

and the biggest profits for their chosen charities -

and remember, no deal is truly sealed

until a hand is shaken and the money is taken.

There's nothing to hamper John's start as he sets out to Southsea

on the trail of his first prospective sale -

the vintage basket and ties that cost him £60.

He's meeting antiques dealer Ian.

-Mr Parmiter.

-All right, John.

-How are you?

-How are you?

-Nice to see you.

-All right?

Now, Ian, when I saw this at auction, I thought,

right size, nice height, and I think, nice glass top on here,

it would make a good coffee table.

If I had it, I'd use it when I go to the fairs,

because these are strong, so you can put stuff inside.

-Do you like it?

-I do, yeah.

How much is it?

I was looking for around £100 for it, Ian. I think it's a nice basket.

It's a bit steep, at 100. More like 80 quid.

How about this as a deal sweetener?

-Now, what came with this is a whole bunch of ties. Tootal ties.

-Yeah.

Good old vintage '60s mod brand.

What about that for a nice kipper Tootal tie?

That's from Eric Knowles' sort of date, isn't it?

I'll tell Eric you said that!

How about the ties as well for £100?

-Go on, John.

-Oh, good man!

So, John ties up the deal with a first profit of £40 -

and he's taken an early lead.

I'm sure the next time I see that basket,

the wicker basket will be more well travelled than Alan Whicker.

Better than that, he liked the ties, as well. Two deals in one.

Determined to strike his first deal,

Paul has brought his beloved 19th- century Islamic vase to Ormskirk

in search of antiques Mecca.

This gentleman here that I'm going to see collects religious artefacts,

and hopefully he can shed some light on this one.

The vase owes him £60,

so, will collector John put some profit in Paul's pot?

John, I can see you've got a wonderful collection here.

What was it about Islamic things that interested you at first?

-Well, it's not just Islamic, it's just religious artefacts.

-OK.

They're absolutely beautiful items.

I've had this Islamic inscription translated here.

-It's the opening words to the Koran.

-To the Koran, yes.

Is that something that you would actively look for, that?

Well, yes, it's hard to find things with Islamic writing on...

-OK.

-..and that is an unusual item.

Do you have an idea of where this particular piece

-would originate from?

-It looks Turkish.

-You can see one of the sections here...

-Oh, wow.

It's made in the Chinese way of making pots.

So, what would happen there, then? So, it's made up to there...?

-This part was made separate to this part.

-Oh, wow.

If you put your hand inside, you can probably feel the...

-Oh, the line, there.

-That's it, you see. Yes.

-Well, it stands me at £60.

-You paid 60 for it?

-I paid 60 for it.

-Oh, OK.

-Can it be £100?

-It is a lovely piece. I do love it.

-I'll give you the hundred.

-Thank you very much, John.

-I can't believe that you bought it for £60.

-Well, there we go.

-You are a very good buyer. I can say that.

-Thank you very much, John.

That Turkish delight nets Paul a starting profit of £40 -

and, still in a global frame of mind,

he sells his 19th-century Indian art to dealer Raymond in Dorset

for a profit of £28, putting him one deal ahead of John...

..but The Hammer is certainly not coasting.

He thinks he's found the perfect venue

for his early-20th-century cigar cutter.

I've come to the waterside village of Emsworth

with my novelty nautical cigar cutter -

now, I know smoking is very bad for you,

and not so in vogue as it once was, but this is a genuine antique,

and restaurant owner Sam has recently refurbished the place

and incorporated a cigar lounge type area within the restaurant,

so I'm hoping this is going to appeal as a decorative object.

Hopefully going to be full steam ahead.

The marine-themed trinket cost him £54...

-Morning, John.

-Nice to see you.

..so, he needs to cut a good deal with dapper Sam.

So, this is the ship's telegraph,

where the captain would send his orders to the engine room.

They would be sort of chest height.

The lever is what actually operates the little guillotine, there,

to trim the cigars. So, what do you think? Do you like it?

Yeah, I can see us using it, for sure, John.

Perhaps practical - or even for decorative purposes, really.

So, yeah. What sort of asking price are you looking for it?

Perhaps £120, something like that. How does that sound to you?

-£100, John?

-£100?

-Yeah.

-Is that a serious offer?

-Yeah, that's a serious offer.

-OK, yeah.

-£100, then.

-Lovely. Thank you.

John pockets a smoking-hot profit of £46 from his trinket,

and draws level with Paul at two-all...

..but our Mr Morecambe is looking for his third sale,

and he's brought his military belt

to show Southport vintage-store owner Susan.

This particular item doesn't have a lot of military interest,

but it has that retro look

for that sort of re-enactment of the 1940s look,

so, hopefully, it's something that she wants to buy.

Hello?

The stable belt owes Paul a modest £18,

so, can he secure a smart profit?

Hi, there. How are you?

-I'm absolutely fine, thanks.

-Lovely to meet you.

-In great company, here.

-Oh, yes. All the ladies.

-Well, that's it!

But you're obviously really passionate about vintage fashion.

Oh, yes, I love vintage textiles, I love everything about the quality.

It's the individuality it affords you, really, I think.

I've brought you along something that really belongs to a gentleman,

but is there ever a crossover -

do ladies wear some gents' sort of military-style things?

-Well, absolutely, absolutely.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

I think the land-girl look, anyway, and Marlene Dietrich look,

where she would dress in a tux.

Yeah, there are a lot of women that like - hence the wide-leg trousers.

-Yeah.

-We all like a little bit of the masculine.

Well, I've brought you a stable belt.

-It belongs to the Cheshire Regiment.

-OK.

-Now, this is the regimental colours.

-Mm-hm.

He would have been a gentleman that was working with horses,

and while he was cleaning his horses and tending to them,

these are the belts that they used to have, 1950s onwards.

Right, OK.

Do you think that has the look that you would go for?

Could I just try it and see whether it would fit my ladies?

Of course - first of all, it's the size that matters. Look at that.

Yeah. I mean, obviously, something like this would be quite stylish

-with a pair of wide-leg trousers.

-Yeah.

If I was to ask you 25 quid, as that gives me a little bit of profit,

can you sell it, or is it too expensive for you?

-Please just say if it is.

-Um... Possibly.

I mean, obviously, for me,

it's what would a lady spend on a belt that she would wear...

-Yeah, got you.

-..now and again.

-Yeah.

Er...

-I'll take a punt on it and see.

-Yeah, are you sure?

I will, I'll take a punt on it.

I should be able to find some lady who'll like that,

because of its history.

-Do we shake on that?

-It's a deal.

-That's a deal.

Not exactly a belter,

but that £25 deal sees Paul pocket a profit of £7,

and takes us to the halfway mark.

So, let's find out who is fashionably in front

and who is behind the times.

Paul has sold three items, making a profit of £75.

John has only sold two items, but is slightly ahead with a profit of £86.

So, John has more dosh in his profit pot

and three more items left to sell -

so, not a bad way to storm into round two.

Keen to line his coffers even further,

he thinks he's found the perfect buyer for his unusual silver brooch.

I mean, Southsea, to me, collector and dealer of small artefacts, Lee,

who is also an England fan and a bit of a keen gardener,

so, I'm hoping my Monty Don silver three-lions brooch

is going to tick all three boxes.

-# Three lions on a shirt

-It's coming home, it's coming

-# Jules Rimet still gleaming

-Football's coming home... #

The '80s brooch cost him £30 - so, can he dig out a profit?

-Oh, John.

-How's it going?

-How you doing?

-Nice to see you.

-Nice to see you again.

So, this is the nerve centre of all the artefacts.

This is where it all happens.

I picked up this little thing here.

-That's nice, John, yeah.

-Have a look at that. Have a look.

-Now, I understand you're a bit of an England fan...

-I am!

..and somebody else told me you are a bit of a keen gardener.

-I am a very keen gardener, John, yeah.

-So, there is a link to that.

-Would it be Monty Don, by any chance?

-It would be Monty Don.

His jewellery is, you know, still sought after. It's quite nice.

-I'd really be interested in buying this.

-You like that?

-Yeah.

I'm going to chuck a figure at you - £100.

I'm going to give you the full amount.

-I'm going to give you £100, John.

-Really?

-Yeah. Cos I like it.

Well, do you know what?

-That's the best deal I've done in the show...

-Right.

-..and I'm going to shake your hand.

-Thank you very much, John.

And a near-speechless John pins down a profit of £70 -

his biggest so far.

Lee clearly liked that,

and that's good evidence

of taking the right things to the right people.

I think I'll come here again.

Our rival dealers are now neck and neck at three sales each.

Determined to take the lead, Paul has travelled to Yorkshire

hoping to make his fortune with his Chinese silver pieces.

So, who'd have thought it, eh?

Those Chinese trade dollars have brought me here,

to Hornsea in the north-east,

to a gentleman who specialises in gold and silver -

and hopefully he can shed some light on these coins.

The five coins cost Paul £30 -

so, will he pocket a profit from dealer Rob?

-Ah, hello, Rob.

-Now, then, Paul. All right?

-How are you?

-Not bad, and yourself?

-Yeah.

Now, you sort of specialise in coins, in gold and silver,

-that type of thing.

-Yeah.

-Have you ever seen anything like these before? Like Chinese...

-Yeah.

-Dragon dollars.

-Dragon dollars. Now...

-Opium trade coins.

-When the opium trade wars ended, China had to open the market...

-OK.

..and these were sort of a recognised currency

between China and the rest of Asia.

Right, now, is it because China didn't really trust paper money?

-Yes.

-They wanted to deal in material.

-Silver, solid commodity.

What period are we looking, then, in China?

These are probably 1860, 1880.

There's a very small market for them.

-There is a silver content, as well, on them.

-We've got five.

-Yeah.

-What are you thinking, about a tenner each?

-Tenner each, yeah. £50.

There's not a great deal in them.

-All right, OK, well, if that's the going rate for them...

-Yeah.

-..I'm quite happy with that. Shall we shake on that?

-Yeah.

-OK, then, Rob.

-Excellent.

All right, so, we've done a trade, just as they did 100 years ago.

Well, Paul may not be minted, but he makes £20 profit

on his dragon dollars, and is ahead four sales to three...

..but now it's the turn of the early-20th-century cameo brooch -

the lady our dashing dealers fought over like two rival Romeos,

pushing up the price until John won her hand.

-Was that you?

-It was, sir.

He's discovered the carved image is one of the female followers

of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine,

so he's hoping Havant-based sommelier Keith

will give him a return on his £180 investment.

Well, cameo, basically, it means carved in relief,

-and this, here, was carved in shell...

-Mm-hm.

..and if you think about shells, they have natural layers,

and natural colour variation,

so, you have pinks and creams and reds and so on,

and what they do in carving these cameos

is to release those different layers and use its natural colouring

to kind of highlight certain areas.

-Mm-hm.

-So, that's all one piece.

-That's amazing.

-What do you think?

-Have a look.

-Yeah, it's pretty beautiful.

Now, I think this is a follower of Bacchus, the god of wine.

-We've got grapevine in her hair, there...

-Yeah.

-..and this little staff is called the thyrsus...

-OK.

..and that is an item,

-an attribute associated with Bacchus and his followers.

-Yeah.

So, it's either Edesia or Bibesia.

Ah! Your knowledge is better than mine.

Edesia is the goddess of feast,

-and Bibesia is the goddess of drink.

-OK.

-It's also set in nine-carat gold.

-I think it's stunning, yeah.

I'm amazed by the craftsmanship...

-..how someone can do that.

-I'm looking for, Keith, on this, about £280.

-How does that sound?

-I was hoping for around two, to be honest.

I would like you to own it. Would you do 250?

I'd go 220.

220... Could you do 240?

-220.

-220.

You've got yourself a deal.

Settling for a full-bodied profit of £40,

John celebrates his deal with a wine-tasting lesson from Keith.

-Now, what am I looking for here?

-Get some air into it.

Open it up, and then take a really, really big sniff...

..and then you're getting all the fruit,

touch of spice, cos it's the Shiraz.

-Yeah. It's pretty good.

-It's got good body, good depth.

-Well, I'll drink to that.

-Cheers.

Mm!

And with one final item to sell, John's back on the south coast.

Hang on, what's he up to?

Came down to the harbour at Emsworth here

to try and test the helmet before I sell it.

Schoolboy error - should have checked the tide times.

I suppose I'd better change into something more appropriate.

Yes.

And, as it is only a reproduction, John's had a lucky escape.

In a more lucid moment,

John has decided to target local landlord Giles,

and hopes he will want to buy the modern helmet to decorate his pub.

Remember, it owes John £144.

-Giles, how are you?

-Very well.

-Good to see you.

-You all right?

-I've brought something to show you.

-I always get a sinking feeling when you walk in, John.

-Oh! Very good.

What do you think of this?

I just thought it might lend to the decor of the pub.

You've got a few maritime bits in here.

Yeah, we've got all the navy stuff and things like that

that we've collected over the years. No, I like it.

I think it would probably suit us well in here.

Looking for £250, Giles.

-I was thinking more 175.

-175?

Cor, you've really set your stall out, there, Giles, haven't you?!

Could we do a bit better than that?

I like round figures - could we do 200?

It's got to be worth 200 quid, hasn't it?

What about 195, and I'll give you a dinner?

No, I tell you what, £200 and I'll polish the brass for you.

Yeah, brilliant. Deal.

So, John polishes off his selling with a profit of £56,

and he's all sold up.

Come on, John. Put some... Put some elbow grease into that.

-I think you missed a bit up here.

-Easy - come on, Giles.

Well, that's me all sold up,

and I made more than a deep-sea diver.

That's a fiver, for those of you

that don't know cockney rhyming slang.

Paul Hayes, you're not the only one that likes to be beside the seaside.

I'll see you with your briefcase.

But Paul has one final deal to seal.

His search to find a home for his 1930s pen

has led him to dealer Mark in Yorkshire.

I think it's a wonderful-quality item,

but there are literally thousands of varieties.

So, I've brought it to a friend of mine in Hornsea

who specialises in all things vintage fountain pens.

Hopefully, he can shed some light on it.

The pen owes him £30.

-It's nice to see you, Mark.

-And you, Paul.

-You specialise in fountain pens, is that right?

-I do, yes.

Vintage fountain pens.

The golden age of fountain pens was from the 1920s through to the 1950s.

-Right.

-After the 1950s, the fountain pen market died,

-because of the ball pen.

-This is one I've brought along to show you.

-OK.

As far as I'm aware, it's a Parker, and it dates sort of 1930s.

Other than that, really, I'm not exactly sure which model it is.

Can you tell straight off?

It certainly looks like a Parker Vacumatic.

They were made from celluloid,

and they were made from rings of celluloid

-that were actually glued together to create this striped effect.

-OK.

There is a couple of things on this that are immediately concerning me.

-Really?

-That cap band there has got a double stripe on it,

and Parker never did a cap band like that...

and also, the striping on the barrel is uneven.

You see it's tapered off towards the end. It's not...

They should have been made from concentric rings.

So, this one, at the moment,

is looking like it's something that it's not, if you see what I mean.

-Really?

-So, I'm going to have a little look at it...

-Have a look at it.

-..with my glass.

-The Vacumatic name would be, normally, on the barrel.

-OK.

There's nothing on this one at all, so I can say, categorically,

without even looking at the nib, that it's not a Parker Vacumatic.

-Um...

-Well, I'm shocked.

Looking at...

-Sorry, Paul.

-No, it's all right - it's all right.

-Is it something that is pretending to be a Parker Vacumatic?

-Yeah.

It's got on the nib, "special pen",

-which doesn't really do it any favours.

-OK.

I am pretty sure that this is a clone pen,

originated, probably, from Japan or India.

There were thousands and thousands and thousands of these

clone pens made, because the Parker Vacumatic was such a successful pen.

-Right.

-Such a desirable pen, and such an expensive pen.

-Right.

Then there was an opportunity for - even in the 1930s -

for the Japanese to make copies and import them into the UK

and other places, and this is one of those, I'm afraid.

A devastating blow to Paul -

especially when Mark shows him the real thing.

Very, very similar.

-So, this is something that is trying to imitate this one.

-That's right.

Well, you can see that the striations on here

are consistent all the way to the end,

because they were made from rings of celluloid that were bonded together.

-Got you.

-And this one has just been...

it's actually in the plastic itself, it's made from a sheet of acetate,

so, you get a seam on that - you don't get a seam on this one.

Well, that's... That's genuinely really shocked me, actually.

-And the unfortunate thing, Paul, is it's virtually worthless.

-Oh!

Well...!

You know, you've got to laugh sometimes -

even the best of us get caught out, don't we?

OK, well, it matches this suit very well.

It's been fantastic chatting to you -

I knew you'd be the man to help me out here, but...

-that's what happens in real life. So, Mark...

-No problem at all.

I'll leave you now. I'll go and drown my sorrows somewhere.

-No problem.

-Thank you very much! Thank you.

That is a terrible shock for Paul, but he's putting on a brave face.

Well, there we are. Do you know what?

That wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear. Who'd have thought it, eh?

It just goes to show, anyone can get caught out.

But there is a silver lining for Paul -

the auction house has agreed to give him a full refund,

so, although he can't make a profit, at least he doesn't make a loss.

That signals the end of our selling spree -

but who will be the victor, and who has been vanquished?

Before we find out,

here's a reminder of how much they spent at auction.

Having started the day with £1,000 of their own money,

Paul bought five lots -

but, after the pen was refunded, spent a total of £180.

John also bought five lots, spending £468 -

but who has made the most profit?

All of the money that Paul and John have made from this challenge

will go to the charities of their choice -

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

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

John, how are you?

-All right, Paul? How are you doing?

-Great to see you.

-Good to see you.

I've got to ask you, how did you get on with that cameo?

-Cos I wanted that cameo!

-I know! Well, do you know what?

It was quite tough.

Trying to find someone who wants a cameo these days was difficult,

so, I had to kind of think outside the box.

Really, best lot for me was that little silver

-Monty Don England brooch.

-Oh, of course, yeah.

Made good profit on that - but I think,

really only because I bought it so cheaply.

-And it is Monty Don the gardener?

-It is Monty Don the gardener. Yeah.

There's hope for me and you yet, we could go into business.

Could be another career for us after this.

The Arabic vase was my best thing out of the auction.

I found it quite a struggle, I must admit.

-Quite a difficult one, this one, wasn't it?

-Yeah, it was quite tough.

-Shall we see how we got on?

-Whew! Take a deep breath.

All right, after three, is it?

-OK. One, two...

-Three.

-..three.

-Oh, there we are, look at that!

-Oh!

-Massive profit.

-There we are.

-What was your biggest profit of that, then?

-It was the brooch...

-I don't know, I think it was about £70 or something like that.

-Yeah?

It was a good profit, I was very happy.

Oh, well, I'm just glad it's not negative!

-There's an auction down the road, actually...

-No more auctions.

No more auctions!

So, a convincing win, there, from John,

making money across the board, and more than doubling Paul's profits.

Well, I'm really happy I've won the auction challenge,

because, consistently, I do bad at auction.

Won that one, now bring on the next.

Do you know what? I'm kicking myself, there, actually.

If I'd have asked £20 more profit on each item,

I'd have given John a real run for his money -

but that's one battle down, but the war's not over yet.

Never fear, plucky Paul will come back fighting tomorrow

at an antiques fair in West Sussex.