Curtis Dowling v James Lewis: Foreign Market Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

We've all seen them on TV but how will the country's favourite antique experts fare when they're challenged

to make a profit with their own cash?

Watch out.

Who's going to make the biggest profit of all? Me.

From car boot sales to auction houses, our experts will be recreating some of their real life

deals as they go head to head and try and make the most money for their chosen charities.

-Come on, Knowles.

-The competition is really hot.

The challenge to our experts is clear.

Dealers, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Today's experts are animal-loving auctioneer, James "the Lionheart" Lewis

and antiques investigator, Curtis "the Detective" Dowling.

It's a fake.

Curtis was in his teens when he first became interested in antiques and was quick to discover that if

you know what you're looking for, there are potentially huge profits to be made.

I was at a boot fair and I bought a silver specimen vase for £1.

I remember it particularly because the woman said, it's not silver, love.

Well, it was and I sold it for £600.

Curtis' moniker of "the Detective" comes from his expertise

in spotting reproductions and fake antiques.

His opponent is a well-respected valuer and auctioneer.

James Lewis has over 20 years' experience in the business

and just like his rival, it was as a young teenager that he first got his taste for the world of antiques.

The turning point for antiques and collectables for me was when I took on a stand

at Newark Market on a Monday.

I remember coming home absolutely shattered.

It had been a really long day.

But when I worked out that as a 14 year old, I'd made £180 profit, I wasn't tired any more.

A regular on Flog It, James can also be seen dispensing words of advice on Bargain Hunt.

So, we have our experts. They have the knowledge, the contacts and a fierce desire to win.

For the day's challenge, we're going continental.

We've taken our experts across the Channel to Dunkirk.

And with their reputations and hard-earned cash on the line,

it's time for us to find out the aim of today's game.

-Lionheart.

-Bonjour.

-Hello.

-Good to see you.

-What do you think of Dunkirk, then?

-It's amazing.

-Fantastic beach.

-Not many antiques about though.

Well, let's hope that changes.

Someone gave me an envelope for you.

-And for you.

-Wow. Shall I go first?

-Go on.

-"Curtis and James,

"your challenge today is to spend up to £750 of your own money...

"on antiques.

"You must then resell your purchases with the aim of making as much profit

"as possible and the winner is the presenter who makes the most cash."

That'll be me, then.

And I like a man with a sense of humour. Maybe there's one here.

-Very good.

-What have you got?

"Today you must buy all your antiques from a French antiques market."

Bonne chance, it says.

-Well, best we get on then.

-Come on.

Lead the way.

So, Curtis and James can spend up to £750 worth of euros on antiques

at the annual Marche aux Puces, held in the town centre of Dunkirk.

In order to buy the pieces that he thinks will help him win today's

contest, Curtis is planning to buy items that he falls in love with.

Let's hope there's some good things.

His rival, on the other hand, has decided to try and hunt out English

antiques that are being sold cheaper than they would be back home.

Detective Dowling, I don't think he stands a chance.

Pretty much everybody who Curtis and James try to do deals with will be aware

they're on a mission to raise as much money as possible for charity.

And our experts will be doing everything in their power

to get the best prices when they buy and sell the items that they hope will drive them to victory.

With the starting whistle having been blown, our two

intrepid experts have set to work, and the Detective has been attracted by a couple of elegant ladies.

Now, they're bronze, on a marble base. And they're really heavy.

These are about 1925 in style.

The name on them is Chiparus

and he is probably one of the most famous modellers from this period.

Now, if we came across these items and they were real 1920s Chiparus

items, they'd be sitting here for something like £50,000 for the pair.

You've still got the style of Chiparus but what you don't have is the crispness of Chiparus.

Also, if you're buying reproductions, you're not getting the vibes from that period either.

I do only want to walk away with one of them.

I don't think I've got the budget for two.

Now, it's going to be down to which one I like the most and I'm favouring this young lady here.

It's just about the face. Don't think this one's too good-looking.

What are they worth to me? I guess one of them's going to be worth personally about £200.

Let's see what we can get it for.

So the Detective has picked out one of the ladies and when it comes to the all-important business of

negotiating, he's keen to make sure there aren't any misunderstandings.

300. A bit too much for me.

-Let's see if we can get away with absolutely nothing.

-No.

No.

That's about 220. Right.

Let's see if we can get our final deal.

-Allez. Good.

-Job done. She's going to look lovely somewhere, isn't she?

Just got to work out where now.

Well, that's a problem for another day.

At the prevailing exchange rate, Curtis has spent almost £210 on the bronze lady.

It's a big chunk of his budget

so he'll need to make a good profit

when he gets back to the UK.

Elsewhere in the market, Mr Dowling's rival

is sticking to his strategy in trying to hunt out English antiques.

Now this is what I've been looking for.

This is a little piece of English silver.

It is engraved and chased with these wonderful stylised daffodils

and it has a suspension ring there for you to put through your finger

or if you were a 19th century lady, going to a dance, going to a ball, this would be over the finger, you'd

take the gentleman's hand and you would dance with the bag in hand.

But what also tells us it's for a dance is this, a little aide-memoire.

And what you would do, you'd be sitting down waiting for your next dance and you would note

the next gentlemen's names that have asked you for your dance.

So that is a wonderful little piece of 19th century history, made in England, and the hallmarks

that I saw through the glass are on this side here, we have a lion which is the mark for

English silver, the anchor to say it was hallmarked in Birmingham, and the T, the date code for 1893.

And this is an altogether very saleable piece in England.

-Monsieur, combien pour ca?

-Cent cinquante.

-150 euros.

I think he'll come down a little bit. What is your best price, sir?

-Cent vingt euros.

-OK.

120 euros. That's about £110.

I still think there's a profit in that. So that's bought.

Thank you very much. Well done. Merci.

So the Lionheart has snapped up a bit of Blighty in this corner of France.

Today's competition is all about making the most cash, though.

And James is determined to find items that have the biggest potential profit, even if that

means putting your strategy aside. He's seen the light and picked up a French 19th-century chamber stick.

Now, there are a few pointers here that would almost guarantee this is genuine.

First of all, when you look at it, there is what we call a patination.

Bronze, in itself, is patinated when it's made. It has a covering.

You can either get gold on the bronze which is called ormolu,

a silvered bronze, a dark patinated bronze or just a natural bronze like this.

And if we turn it over, look at that wonderful dark colour. That screams 19th century.

That's 150, or at least 130 years of age to it.

The other thing is its price. It's cheap.

Well, the chamberstick may be cheap and at just under £17 it may have

made James cheerful, but he'll need to sell it back in the UK.

Curtis is using his time here in France to try and buy things that he falls in love with.

He's bought a beautiful bronze woman but the item he's currently got his eye on isn't quite as attractive.

Chairs like this always drag me over

because this isn't shabby chic, this is just plain shabby, at the moment.

But what it is is a very tired chair that's going to need a lot of love and attention.

That's quite exciting, really. Excuse me.

-Yeah.

-Oh. A nice English lady.

Well, look at that. I love this.

Think it's lovely, but it's got to be the right price for me.

How much is it?

Well, I was asking 65.

-I was...

-My God, I am in this French market, aren't I?

I know it's dirty but it is quite a nice chair.

I'll do it for 30 and that's it.

I can't go any lower.

I wouldn't ask you to. That's good enough because it needs some restoration so let's shake on 30.

-It needs a lot of work.

-It does need a lot of love and attention.

-Yeah.

-But at 30, it's mine.

Thanks very much. Job done.

That's a good deal for the Detective.

He's picked up the chair for a little under £30

and it's going to need a bit, well, actually quite a lot, of TLC to restore it to its former glory.

James' strategy was to try and find English

antiques at knock-down prices, but as any good tactician knows, the key to victory is to be flexible.

And the more he searches the stalls, the more James likes the look of some of the local antiques on offer.

I've just picked this up. It's a wonderful little corkscrew.

Look at that. That's 19th century.

That's going to be 1890. It might just creep into the '20s but that's getting on for 100 years old.

And it's ten euros, less than £10.

And I reckon there's got to be a profit in that.

Well, time will tell if the Lionheart is right but having paid

just under £10, he certainly seems happy with the antique corkscrew.

His expert eye is picking up piece after piece in today's market.

And he's using his haggling skills to try and snap up another French gem.

It started at 150.

See if we can get it down a little bit lower. Cent?

-Cent dix.

-Cent dix is it?

She's sticking at £100. She's a very tough bargainer, this woman.

Well, the stallholder might be a tough negotiator but the Lionheart is no pushover and after a little

more haggling, he manages to bag the box for 105 euros, just under £100.

Everything about this shouts mid to late 19th century.

1850, 1870, somewhere around there.

This shape, these canted sides, rectangular form, the way the two veneers are used together,

the way the embosses are applied, that's all classic of its period.

And with the enamel, typically French.

Elsewhere in the market, Curtis is hunting through the stalls searching for potentially profitable pieces.

Yes. It looks as though the Detective is having a few problems picking

out pieces that he really loves.

Mr Lewis, though, is all fired up and he's just sealed another deal.

Merci. 15 euro. That's about £12.

They're 18.50, they've got a great deal of character and imagine those polished up in your fireplace.

James has bagged himself two pairs of andirons for just over £40.

And he's also bought a 20th century oil on canvas seascape for just over £75.

Curtis, on the other hand, is finding it harder to spot items that take his fancy.

# But I still haven't found what I'm looking for. #

Now, they're may be 1,000 stalls here,

and we may have been walking around for five hours, but what there is is an awful lot of really average stuff

and that really average stuff is at really high prices.

Curtis is putting in the legwork to find potentially profitable items.

And it looks as though his herdwork has finally paid off.

What have we got here?

We've got a 1920s, probably maybe a little bit earlier,

art nouveau coming into the art deco period, wine flagon.

French, says so on the bottom which is good. Lovely bit of heavy glass.

Lovely bit of pewter.

Curtis thinks it's a winner and he snaps it up for just under £17.

He also bags a plant stand for just over £33.

But before he can track down another potential purchase, his rival wants to know how he's getting on.

Detective Dowling, my old fruit, how you doing?

-It's my old friend.

-Good to see you. How's the day going?

Well, a lot of stalls but I'm afraid I'm not over happy with the quality.

-Why?

-Well, there's been a lot of bits here, but the prices, the prices seem to be through the roof.

What have you found?

An aide-memoire and card case.

-Very nice.

-Silver. Birmingham. 1893.

-I wish you best of luck with that because I'm a bit concerned about you, that's all.

-Are you?

I've just seen you darting all over the market.

I thought your strategy might be just buying rubbish.

Darting, me? I don't dart.

-I wander.

-Time's pressing on.

-I suppose we'd better crack on.

-Go on.

-Best of luck.

-Good luck.

-See you later.

-Have fun.

Finding the right pieces at the right prices in a

market of this size is no easy task, but both our experts are working hard to unearth hidden gems.

The question is, how much of their kitties have they spent?

Remember that our experts could spend up to £750 of their own money.

Curtis has parted with a little over £285, leaving him with just under £465 still in his kitty.

James, on the other hand, has spent just under £355

and at the prevailing exchange rate, that leaves him with nearly £400 still to spend.

With so many people at today's market, Curtis and James are having to call on all their expertise to

negotiate prices with stallholders that will give them a chance to make good profits back home.

James started the day looking for English antiques but he's bought lots of French items

and his latest find is another local collectable.

Whenever you're deciding what type of clock to buy, if it's in this form, the first thing is,

make sure you buy a decent heavy object, because if it's light it's likely to be spelter.

If it's heavy, you've got a good chance of it being ormolu or bronze.

The quality of the casting is also important.

Just look at these flowers on the top here.

You can see almost every petal and that tells you it's a good casting.

The mounts, themselves, these are porcelain.

Each panel, individual and hand painted.

These were contemporary with the clock, made 1870 and were inserted into that clock 130, 140 years ago.

And if we turn this clock around...

we can see, first of all, the bell in the back.

This means it's a clock and not a time piece.

A clock has a bell and strikes.

A time piece doesn't strike.

That's the difference. So if we unscrew the little nut at the end here, the bell will come off.

And behind it, there we are...

the maker's mark in the back, Japy Freres.

Good makers specialising in clocks of good quality, around this period.

So those are all the good points.

But there are a few bad. Here, we have some little holes in the top.

The other problem, if we turn it back round...

is there. We've got one hand.

But what I would suggest, two new hands, £5, absolutely job done.

Now, I've already asked the stallholder how much this clock is.

It's 150 euros. Now, to me, it's worth 120 which is about £110.

I'm going to offer her that and if she takes it, we've got a deal.

Madam, cent vingt pour ca?

-Oui.

-Oui.

-Oui.

-Cent vingt.

-Oui.

Deal. Thank you very much. Merci.

Now that is worth buying.

Nicely done, Mr Lewis.

He's found plenty of pieces that he seems to love in today's market.

Sadly, his rival is having a much tougher time finding love.

Everyone just seems to be selling T-shirts and pants.

Curtis' strategy of trying to buy things he loves is all but a distant memory.

Now, he's just desperate to bag himself something he can sell for a profit.

Now, I always stop at pieces like this because I can't help myself cos I think they're attractive.

It's a marble base and it's a lady made of spelter lying on top of it with her dog.

It's not the most fascinating item in the world, is it?

It's all about money. 75 euros. Well, I wouldn't mind paying that, to be fair.

Let's see if we can get a bit off. Let's call him over.

Let's hope my menu French works. Monsieur.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Now, what's the best price you can give me on this?

Got 75 on there.

If you speak English, no, no.

Could go on for a long time.

-70?

-70.

-70. OK. OK.

-Job done. Fantastic.

So, even though the spelter lady isn't really Curtis' type,

for just over £66, he's taking her home in the hope of making a profit.

And he's spotted something else that he thinks he might be able to make money on.

Would I normally buy this?

Absolutely no way.

It's not an antique, but it is interesting.

It's in the shape of a Dutch wine flagon with acorn finials.

And it's made of pewter and it's new.

And I guess it's eclectic enough

for someone just to pick up and say, do you know, we're going to buy that, like I want to. Monsieur.

Lovely wine flagon.

How much?

-Cinquante pour vous.

-40.

-50.

-50.

-50.

35.

-40.

-Perfect.

Job done. Thanks ever so much. Now that's a good deal and that is coming home and it's got some profit in it.

And profit is the name of the game.

Now, Curtis might not have found too many items that he's fallen in love with but his rival

has had much more of a successful day

and he's picked up a couple of pieces from Blighty

that he started the day searching for.

These are Staffordshire.

They're made about 20 miles from where I live.

And they were made in the 1850s, 1860s.

And these little greyhounds resting on cushions were used as pen rests.

The pen goes in the little hole at the front there and they would

sit at the back of your desk with the gold line facing you.

On the back, no gold line.

And the dogs always face each other.

So if you have two dogs that face away, they're not a pair.

These are really good examples but you have to be careful because at the fairs at home at the moment,

there are hundreds of these about but most of them are fakes and they're made in China.

Now, since the fakes have been on the market back in the UK,

the price for these has actually gone down slightly.

But having said that, they were still cheap.

Hopefully, we'll nearly double the money.

So, James has got his paws on another English antique

and paid just under £50 for the Staffordshire dogs.

Elsewhere in the market, his rival has got his hands on a collection

that he thinks will pour some profit into his pot when he gets back home.

What we've got here is a complete set of pewter tavern measures.

For this set, we paid £9.

I wonder how that's going to make Lionheart Lewis feel.

He's going to be whimpering into his beer when he sees what I've paid for these.

Well, you can't fault the Detective's confidence.

But only time will tell if it's misplaced or not.

Our experts started the day with up to £750 worth of euros in their pockets.

Curtis has spent just under £400 on seven items,

leaving him with just over £350 in his kitty for restoration work.

At the prevailing exchange rate, James has spent just over £515

on nine items, leaving him with just under £235 in his kitty.

Before the boys begin to make their way back home to Blighty, they're keen to show off their purchases

and more importantly, to take a look at what their opponent has bought.

-Well, hello, James.

-Good to see you.

Look at this. What an array of stuff.

Yes. I thought you'd actually been buying stuff, not raiding the tip.

-How's your day been?

-It's actually been very good. Enjoyed it. Had a great day. How about you?

-It's been a little tough but I think what I've ended with is OK.

-Yeah.

I agree. It looks good from here.

What's your best thing?

I reckon it's going to be the aide-memoire.

I really like it. Fantastic quality. How about you?

Oddly enough, it's my chair.

Now, I only paid 30 euros for that.

What do you think of my tavern measures?

-They've got a great look, haven't they?

-Yes, they have.

I have to say, I'm never sure with French pewter.

It always looks older than it actually is.

-They're not old. Course they're not.

-How much?

-That's the best bit.

I paid nine quid.

-£9, for these?

-Yes.

I think they might have got the decimal place in the wrong...

-They might have done. So, £9 for a complete set.

-Well done. They're great.

A bit of a bargain, I have to say, even though obviously not antique.

-No. Brilliant though.

-It's not been a bad day, has it?

No. I'm very pleased with it and hopefully, there might be a profit.

When we get back to England, I guess that's the most important thing of all.

I'm not sure about that chair though.

You will be laughing on the other side of your face.

-Good luck with it.

-That chair's profit. Good day.

And you.

Having made their purchases, our experts will now have to sell them for the highest prices possible.

Curtis will be hoping to profit from a Chiparus reproduction bronze statue,

a rather tired relaxer chair, an art deco marble and spelter figure,

an early 20th century French pewter and glass wine flagon,

and an even larger one, with acorn finials,

a garden plant stand, and a set of pewter tavern measures.

James will be selling an English silver aide-memoire,

two pairs of andirons,

a bronze chamberstick,

a 19th century corkscrew,

a mid to late 19th century French tea caddy with mother of pearl enamel decoration,

a 20th century oil on canvas seascape, a 19th century spelter clock,

and a pair of mid-19th century Staffordshire dogs.

So, after their antiques buying head-to-head in Dunkirk, the challenge now for James

and Curtis is to sell their wares for the biggest possible profit.

Hello, Tim. How are you?

They'll both be pulling out all the stops to find the right buyers for all of their items.

They're working their way through their little black books

putting deals together on the phone and by email.

But until they've shaken on it and money's changed hands, no deal is truly sealed.

Now, when he was in France, James' painting got

damaged when a freak gust of wind blew it over, ripping the canvas.

As it wasn't his fault, the Put Your Money games masters have decided, with the agreement

of his rival, to reimburse the Lionheart for the cost of the painting.

The bad news for Mr Lewis is that he's now got one less item to sell.

James isn't a man to dwell on setbacks though

and he's lined up a potential buyer for the tea caddy he bought in the French antiques market.

You definitely are trying hard, aren't you?

I tell you what, 250 and you'll mend that as well.

Oh, please, James.

Go on, then.

That's a good sale for the Lionheart and gives him a profit of over £150.

Unfortunatley for James, when he took the box away to get it repaired, disaster struck.

Whilst he was driving, an electrical fault caused his car to catch fire.

The tea caddy was inside and no tea caddy means no profits.

James' insurance claim means that he will be reimbursed for the cost of

the item but now he's lost two pieces from the nine he bought.

If he wants to win today's contest, he can't afford any more accidents.

In the West Country, Curtis has arranged a meeting to try and sell

the large flagon he bought for just under £40 in France.

How about 70?

90?

-I tell you what, I'll do you a deal.

-Go on.

-I'll split the difference. 80.

-Right.

-And we'll give you a wine tasting at the same time.

Now that is well worth shaking on.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Done.

That's a good sale for Curtis.

The large flagon has poured over £40 into his profit pot.

Well, double your pleasure, double your fun. Double your money, James.

Well, he's a happy man.

But Curtis knows if he wants to win today's contest, he has to make good profits on all of his items.

And he's decided to sell his smaller flagon, or decanter, to a familiar face.

Brought that decanter in to show you.

I'm pretty busy at the moment. Shall we go outside and have a look?

Curtis bought the decanter for just under £17.

Look, John, I know you're busy in the kitchen but I didn't think you could resist this, for two reasons.

One, it's French. And two, it's got something to do with one of your passions, wine.

Yeah. No. Fine. So where did you pick it up?

I picked it up in a French market.

-It's made of pewter.

-Yeah.

-And glass, of course.

-It's about 100 years old so it's art nouveau.

-And how do I know that?

Well, you can probably tell in two ways. First of all, the style.

The second thing is the pewter is ageing relatively well.

Pewter changes its consistency and its colour and its texture

over the years and if I stood a new piece next to you, you'd certainly know the difference.

How much do you want for it?

Well, I'm looking for about 100 quid, to be fair, John.

You've got no chance with me. I'm not going to pay 100 quid for this.

40 quid and I'm doing you a favour.

Look. I know you've got to get back to work.

I don't want to put it back in the car.

Come and give us the 40 quid in the place then.

-Let's do it.

-Thanks.

John Burton Race isn't a man to mess around

and Curtis has secured another sale and banked just over £20 of profit.

-You drive a hard bargain, John.

-I'm doing you a favour and I'm used to it, anyway.

Curtis' rival has made his way down to the capital to try and sell his elegant aide-memoire.

I'm in central London and underneath my feet are the world-famous London

silver vaults, a collection of over 50 dealers specialising in silver.

The shops here are known as vaults and they specialise in all things silver.

But the dealers here know their stuff.

So will James be able to make a profit on the aide-memoire?

In France, he paid just over £113 for it.

It's a bit smaller than the sort of thing I normally stock.

Great quality though.

Yes. It's good quality. It's in good condition. Beautifully engraved.

So I suppose, if the price is right, at £20, it'd be very nice.

Wouldn't it just. I mean, I was thinking in terms of 250.

My initial reaction was considerably less.

Right.

How about 220?

It's really got to be under 200.

So are you thinking 190?

-I'm thinking 170.

-I'm still thinking nearer 200.

Let's toss a coin for the difference.

OK. Here we go.

Right. Which one do you want?

Heads.

-Heads...

-Heads.

-it's 190.

-Tails it's 200.

-I never win.

£200.

-OK.

-Well done. Thank you so much.

-I keep the coin.

-You do.

Well, it looks as though luck is on the Lionheart's side.

He won the coin toss and banks almost £87 worth of profit.

He also pockets almost £40 from his French chamberstick.

Both our experts are working their socks off trying to secure the deals that will win them today's contest.

And Curtis has taken to the high seas, well, sort of...

..to try and make a profitable sale.

My next location has played host to kings and queens, Noel Coward, Agatha Christie.

Now, I might not be the most the glamorous person arriving here

but I'm trying to win the prize for the most dramatic entrance.

Now, how do you land this thing?

Yes. I'm not sure rowing a dinghy is particularly dramatic, but you can't fault him for effort.

Mr Dowling has come to Burgh Island because he's hoping the hotel's art

deco heritage will help him sell the spelter and marble sculpture that he bought for just over £66.

She's lovely.

And what's lovely about her is I think she would really look good here.

The thing I always find really interesting actually about

the female figures in the period, and it is generally female...

-You're absolutely right.

-..how surprisingly modern they are, in

terms of figure and athleticism and their appearance.

Maybe that's why we don't see chaps, they don't look quite as good.

Oh, I don't know.

No. She's a very, very, very fun piece. I'm very tempted, Curtis.

It all comes down to price in the end, doesn't it?

Well, I'd have to look at something like £250 for an item like this.

I just can't do it that high.

It's lovely and I don't want you to have to trek

back across the beach on this hot, hot, hot day with this heavy statue but I just can't go to 250.

-OK. Give me a figure.

-I was thinking more of 175, Curtis.

Now, that is very low. I think that's very low, actually.

Would you be happy with 200?

I don't want to push it that far.

I'm going to meet you sort of in the middle and say why don't we settle on 190?

-Not quite the middle but I'll do it.

-Fantastic.

Now, do you want us to put her somewhere and find a home?

-I think we'll check her out in reception.

-See how we get on.

Well, Curtis' hotelier contact clearly knows her stuff

but the Detective has still bagged over £120 worth of profit.

Well, how about that.

More profit for my charity.

Fantastic. Do you know, I never leave Burgh Island disappointed.

It's time to go now, on a sea tractor.

Bet James Lewis has never been on a sea tractor.

Yes. I'm not sure what he's most happy about,

bagging a fabulous profit or taking a ride in the sea tractor.

and there's more joy for Curtis as he banks over £30 from his pewter tavern measures.

Cheers, James Lewis.

With both our experts sealing deal after profitable deal,

it's time to find out who's on the crest of a wave and who's in danger of sinking without a trace.

Curtis has made £350 worth of sales and banked healthy profits

of just under £220.

James' tea caddy going up in flames means

that despite sealing a deal for it, he's made very small profits indeed.

If Mr Lewis is going to win today's contest from this position, he's really got his work cut out.

But both he and Curtis are working hard to set up potential deals by phone and email.

They're talking up their items but even though they might discuss

figures with their prospective buyers, until money is handed over, no sale is secured.

Now, I think it's fair to say that when he was buying in Dunkirk, Curtis didn't fall head over heels

in love with many of the items he bought.

But one thing he was keen on was the relaxer chair that had seen better days.

He thought that it was packed with potential and in order to restore it

to its former glory, he's arranged for it to have a full makeover.

But this isn't just a light rubdown with some sandpaper and a damp cloth.

When the Detective has his furniture refurbished, he spares no expense.

To do the job properly, it has to be stripped,

reassembled

and finally, carefully waxed.

In Derbyshire, the Lionheart is on his way to try and get his paws on some more profit.

# You ain't nothing but a hound dog

# Crying all the time. #

James paid just over £47 for the pair of Staffordshire dogs and it's time to start selling.

Yeah. They're nice, presentable.

Yeah? Good. I love them.

I thought they were quite delicate.

I thought the necks were nice and slender and I loved the way you can actually see through the arch there.

-Yeah.

-They're not the standard moulded model.

-No.

-One grade up, I think. 1850, do you think?

1850, 1870, somewhere around there.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Do you agree on that?

-Yeah.

Absolutely. And they're not the fakes which is the best bit.

You get a lot of them about but these are genuine.

-I was thinking around 220?

-No.

-No?

-Little bit strong for me, that. Bit strong.

-What were you thinking?

I'd like to pay £100 for them.

Oh, no. 150.

No. 120.

-130.

-125 and done. Deal?

Deal. Deal. That is fantastic. I'm happy with that.

Nicely done, James.

The dogs have added almost £80 profit to his kitty.

125 shows a great profit for me but also a bargain for Kevin so he's happy.

So it's smiles all round and there's more good news for Mr Lewis

as he secures good profits from the sale of his two pairs of andirons.

In London, Curtis is trying to sell his plant stand to another famous face.

Known to most of us as Keith from EastEnders,

not so many people know that actor Dave Spinks is also a keen gardener.

But will he be keen enough to give Curtis a profit on the plant stand

which set the Detective back just over £33 in France?

Well, I think it's perfect.

I've a feeling I'm going to put my glass terrarium on top, have some pots, bit of dangling ivy.

I think I'll have a quick look down here.

-Right. The wheels are looking dodgy but I can fix that.

-A handyman as well.

-Not a problem.

Well, the big question is, Dave, what are you prepared to pay?

Right. Haggle time, folks.

I tell you what, I was thinking maybe, what, 40 quid,

as a starting point. Come on.

OK. Well, I was thinking pretty close to 70 quid.

Ouch. You're robbing me. No.

-I tell you what, it looks like we're going to meet halfway somewhere here.

-Go on.

So let's call it a round figure.

-50?

-I knew that's where you were going.

Well, there seems nowhere else to go, was there?

Listen. Put it here, mate. 50 quid. 50 quid. Yeah?

-Are you happy with that?

-Very happy.

Well done, Curtis.

Another satisfied customer and another profit.

James still has items left to sell though and has taken his 19th

century corkscrew to an auction house on the south west coast.

Having bought it for just under £10, he's confident this vintage will serve him well.

Ten is bid straightaway. Can I see 15? 15 is bid. 20.

25. 30. 35. 40.

45. 50.

55. 60. 65. 70.

65 with you, sir.

That's more than six times what I paid for it.

-Number, sir?

-Fantastic. I'm thrilled with that.

That's a great result for the Lionheart. And as he's on a mission to raise as much money as possible

for charity, the auctioneer has kindly waived his fees.

So, the 19th century corkscrew has produced a very tasty profit of just over £55.

The Detective is aiming to seal a big deal by entering a dragon's den.

He's trying to sell his restored relaxer chair and bronze lady to

Joanne Bannatyne, wife of the famous businessman, Duncan Bannatyne.

Including £130 worth of restoration,

the pair cost Curtis just over £365.

-Here they are.

-Oh, wow.

Well, I know you like eclectic things, you see.

I do. OK. Tell me about it then.

Well, I bought them both from a French market and this chair was in ruins when I bought it.

It's not massively old.

But what it is is it's attractive, it's well made.

-Yeah. I really like that.

-Well, the other thing's this statue.

Now, it's a copy of a maker and a sculptor called Dimitri Chiparus, who was a Romanian.

-She's lovely.

-Now, Dimitri Chiparus came into France to start sculpting in about 1915.

He wanted an original Dimitri Chiparus, like that.

Today you're probably going to pay anywhere between £15,000-£30,000.

Well, I love her because like the chair, I'd say she makes you smile.

-I love her shape and well, her position.

-Do you like them both?

-I like them both.

-If you like both of them, that brings us onto the terrible subject of money.

I was thinking for the pair, of about £1,000.

-As a pair, knock it in half. 500.

-Wow.

Well, Curtis has started high but Joanne is going to be no pushover.

If he wants to win today's contest though, he needs to persuade her to

pay nearer the £1,000 he's asked for than the £500 she's offered.

His rival is also determined to win today's competition and he's hoping to seal a big deal of his own.

How are you?

He's brought his ormolu clock to a hotelier contact

who has a real passion for, and knowledge of, antiques.

If he wants to make a profit, he needs to sell it for more than £114.

My goodness, you're right.

Business must be good. This looks fantastic.

Superb. What have you got for me?

It's a French clock, made around 1870.

I love the quality of the ormolu.

That's actually what made me think of you, to be honest.

You're missing a hand.

When I was at the French market, I thought, I'll get that done but when I thought about you,

-I thought well, maybe you've got somebody here that can do it.

-Yeah.

-Have you?

-Well, quite possibly. Yes.

It's a good size. Good shape.

Good design. Do you like it?

-Oh, very good.

-Yeah? Keen?

Well, tell me what the damage is.

What were you thinking?

I'll give you £100 for it.

Looking for bids, not insults.

That is far too low. That is less than I paid for it.

-You tell me. Come on.

-OK. I was thinking in terms of 400.

It'd have to be less than that.

I'm a poor hotelier.

Well, we'll find out very shortly how much James managed to sell the clock for

and if Curtis was able to persuade Joanne Bannatyne to

pay anywhere near the £1,000 for the relaxer chair and statuette.

As it's time to tot up the totals and reveal who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

Curtis spent just under £400 at the French antiques market

and a further £130 renovating his chair.

James, on the other hand, parted with just over £515.

All of the profit that James and Curtis have made from today's challenge will be going to charity.

So, without further ado, it's time to find out which of them has made

-the most cash and who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

-Curtis, good to see you.

-James, how are you?

-Very well. How are you?

I'm good. Ready for the magic moment.

-Feeling quite nervous.

-Are you?

-You shouldn't. That beautiful aide-memoire you bought.

-Well, yeah, I did OK with that.

I mean, I sold it to a really good dealer but you bought some great things.

-That spelter figure, I loved it.

-Yeah. Did OK with that.

And do you remember that chair?

Talking about great things, that chair. Yes.

I did it up and it was OK in the end.

-OK?

-Yeah. It worked out nicely.

-Stood on the floor, did it?

-It's comfy.

Oh, yeah. I bet you were sitting in it at home.

You didn't actually find anyone to buy that, did you?

I did, actually. Yes.

God. Now I am nervous.

-Here we go.

-Yes.

-After three.

-Yes.

-One. Two. Three.

-Congratulations.

-I owe you a beer.

I think you did very well do. Come on.

So, it's a victory for James and he banked an excellent profit on the sale of his clock.

260, my final offer.

Well, you look after me. I'll look after you. Well done. Fantastic.

A sale of £260 gave James a profit of almost £150.

Curtis did manage to seal a deal on his chair and bronze lady.

-570?

-Deal.

But it wasn't enough to win today's contest.

Bit disappointed I didn't win this one.

I think James was slightly a fish out of water with this because I've

done a lot of these French markets, but it was a fairly tight thing.

Where did I fall down? I bought a chair and spent an awful lot of money doing it up.

Maybe if I hadn't done that, I'd be winning this one today.

Beating Curtis, it's luck, not judgement. It's pure luck.

But you know, at the end of the day, I'm so pleased.

Well, I think the Lionheart is being a little modest.

But both our experts worked incredibly hard to raise hundreds of

pounds and every penny will be going to their chosen charities.

The charity I've chosen is Disability Challenges down in Surrey.

They're a fairly small charity and money like this will go an awfully long way.

It's going to mean so much to ACE Africa.

It is just such a wonderful charity.

And that will save children's lives and what can be better than that?

It's been a triumphant day for James but he and Curtis aren't finished,

because tomorrow, they'll be locking horns at an auction.

Lost again.

This is not going the way I planned it, you know.

That is incredible.

Well, we've got a bit of time left. Good luck.

I wish I could say the same.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd