Curtis Dowling v James Lewis: Car Boot Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

We've all seen them on TV, but how would the country's favourite antique experts fare

when they're challenged to make a profit with their own cash?

If that's £50, you've got a buyer.

There's stuff just leaving.

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.

100% profit.

£300 - that is amazing.

The challenge to our experts is clear.

Dealers, put your money where your mouth is.

Battling it out for today's crown are James "The Lionheart" Lewis

and Curtis "The Detective" Dowling.

Curtis specialises in spotting fakes and forgeries, making sure his clients get the genuine article.

25 years in the business, it's still very, very difficult to spot the real thing from a fake.

So if you've got your own money to spend "caveat emptor" - buyer beware.

The Detective has a real passion for antiques and has made his mark on Cash In The Attic.

Squaring up against Curtis is experienced auctioneer James Lewis.

He has seen 20 years of action behind the podium, and there's not much

in the way of antiques that hasn't passed through his auction house.

The worst part of the job is letting people down.

It's very easy to tell somebody it's worth £1,000, but it's very

difficult to tell somebody it's not worth anything at all.

James's boundless knowledge of antiques has made and a firm favourite on Flog It!

We have the experts, they have the knowledge, the contacts and a fierce desire to win.

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

-Ah, James The Lionheart!

-Detective Dowling, how are you?

Very well. A very curious person asked me to pass this on to you.

-And this to you.

-How bizarre. What have you got in there?

"Curtis and James, your challenge today is to spend up to £250

"of your own money on antiques.

"You must then re-sell them with the aim of making as much profit as possible.

"The winner is the presenter who makes the most cash."

"Today you must buy all your antiques from...

"a car-boot sale." It says "Good luck!" here.

I think we'll need it.

I think we will. Good luck.

So with £250 of their own money back burning a hole

in each of their pockets, it's time for them to head into the giant Taplow car-boot sale in Berkshire.

I love car-boot sales. I've been coming to them since I was 16.

Pretty much everyone that James and Curtis try to do deals with will be aware they are on a mission

to raise as much money as possible for their chosen charities.

The bargains are still here to find, and I think you can have an awful lot of fun at a place like this.

And our experts will be doing everything in their power to persuade people to give them

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

It's time for our raiders of the car-boot to get to work.

But will this boot sale prove to be their Temple of Doom?

Indy, I can't believe you found it.

I've been waiting to see this all my life.

-The lost car-boot sale of Taplow.

-Oh, yeah.

Near Slough.

-Let's go.

-Harrison Ford, Sean Connery - eat your hearts out!

OK, maybe not. Anyway, back in the real world, both our car-boot raiders

are aiming to hunt out potentially profitable goods, and the search is on for game-winning items.

Every antique dealer has got customers that collect certain things.

And I've got a customer that collects first of all seagulls and secondly Art Deco items.

So, in this, we can put the two together.

In slightly chipped and it's going to take me a wee while over a cup of tea to bring this back to life.

The important thing is I like it, and that's got to be essential when

you are buying anything, whether you are trying to make money out of it or are buying it for yourself.

The Deco period really meant movement,

and whether that's linear lines of aeroplanes, cars, trains or animals.

Lots of fights, lots of dogs running, all that sort of thing. These are a pleasant example.

The good news for me is my customer has got quite a big place, and this is quite a chunky piece.

If it's the right price, I think there's quite a lot

of profit in it for me, but that's the important question.

It's slightly damaged - what am I going to pay for it?

Excuse me... How much?

I can do it for 25 for you.

I was hoping, with the damage, it was going to be a bit less than that. 10?

No, I can't do it for 10.

Um...

in the middle - £17.50?

-15?

-OK.

-Deal.

Well, the dealer was no pushover, but Curtis has got himself a good deal.

And it looks as though he's spotted something that could set this contest alight.

Art Deco lamp. I can't help myself.

Coming to sort of places like this you know you're not going to find antiques unless you're very lucky.

So what you can find is just quite eye-pleasing items.

It was up for £75, but it was 30 quid.

Is there any profit in it? I hope so.

That's an excellent piece of haggling from the Detective.

He got the lamp for less than half the asking price.

Elsewhere in the boot sale, Mr Lewis has been caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

I love car-boot sales.

They are as much a part of our way of life today as fish and chips or a day's trip to the seaside.

Not only that, in times of recession you can go out, have a damn good day and come out on top making a profit.

This is a wonderful example of how to do it.

It's Victorian, made around 1850-1870 and it was used to contain biscuits.

The technique is electroplating -

something invented by Elkington & Co and launched at the 1851 Exhibition.

This is cast with strap work.

When it's polished, it will shine, shine, shine!

Not only that, it's been used for biscuits for about 150 years.

And there are still traces of them inside.

This, an investment at £25, should show at least a 100% profit.

So the Lionheart thinks there might be a roaring good profit to be made on the Victorian biscuit barrel.

And he's working hard to find the pieces he thinks will lead him to victory.

He's prowling around the boot sale inspecting as many stalls as possible

and has just tabled another offer.

That's a deal. Well done.

Pleasure, thank you.

This was the last thing I expected to find in the middle of a field at a car-boot sale.

This table was made in England around 1740.

It's not in the best of conditions.

We've got pieces inlayed where the hinges have broken, we've got woodworm in the stretchers.

But those things can be put right. The best part about it is the leg.

Solid mahogany, wonderful shape, classic mid-18th century.

This is the perfect lot to sell to a furniture restorer or dealer ready for restoration.

At £15, it's not expensive.

Nicely done, James. The Lionheart has got his paws

on the restorer's lot and has also snapped up a mirror for another £15.

With nothing to choose between our battling boot-salers, there is still all to play for.

Curtis has found something that's a little battered around the edges. And it's not Mr Lewis!

Sorry, James!

What sort of a buffoon spends £8 on a rickety old chair covered in paint?

The sort of buffoon that thinks he's going to make quite a profit. Come down here with me a second.

What we've got here is a Regency-style chair.

Lyre back, sabre back legs, cabriole front.

Reeding on the arms, inlay at the back.

It's mass-produced, it's probably 100 years old and it's in a terrible condition.

Just look under here.

It's just in a bit of a mess, isn't it?

It's probably from a set.

This is a carver, cos it's got arms.

We paid £8 for this chair and we're going to spend about £30 doing

a bargain basement restoration job, so we will have spent just under £40.

I think we're going to double our money at least and make maybe £100.

Just as importantly, it's not going to end up on the skip.

So with a little TLC, the Detective thinks the Regency-style chair could be guilty of holding a profit.

And he adds to his haul with these two mirrors.

That is a deal.

That's another £48 leaving Curtis's kitty, and he's also bought a large

gold-edged mirror from another stall for £20.

Our two determined experts are marching round this boot sale,

keeping their eyes open for anything they think they can sell on for a profit.

Both have built up a head of steam,

and James has sealed a deal for a genuine antique.

150 years ago, when this copper kettle was made,

it's likely that its owner, the lady of the house,

wouldn't have gone out to work.

She'd have stayed at home, polishing the copperware,

the silverware. Today times are different.

People do not want to be spending their evenings and weekends

polishing copper. Therefore, this,

that was very popular 20 years ago, is totally out of fashion.

Warming pans, copper kettles, fish kettles, they used to be very sought after.

Now you find them all over these car boot sales.

But this one is a nice example.

If we have a look at the back here,

we see the way there's a brass solder line

that goes all the way down as a key shape.

Turn it upside down and we can follow it

all the way round the foot rim.

This tells it's 1850-1880.

By the 20th century, these were made in totally different methods.

This is a great example of a Victorian copper kettle.

-How much is it?

-£10.

£10 is not expensive.

But I'd like it a bit less. How about eight?

-Go on then.

-Yeah? Deal.

At £8 we've got a piece of metalwork that's 150 years old, and I'm sure

that one of the remote Derbyshire cottages will really go for this.

Having conducted a great negotiation for one copper item, James has bagged himself a few more.

HJe's spent £15 on 13 copper lustre jugs, ranging in age from 1850 to 1950.

Time now to find out which of our experts has been splashing the cash

and who's been watching their pennies.

Both James and Curtis started the day with £250 in their pockets.

The Detective has handed over £121,

which means he's still got

up to £129 still to spend.

The Lionheart, on the other hand, has spent just £78,

giving him the princely sum

of £172 still to play with.

Curtis might have shelled out slightly more than his rival,

but both of our experts have still got plenty of money left to spend,

and there's no shortage of stalls and car boots to comb through.

With so much on offer, there's still plenty to play for.

James seems to have found a piece that has set his Lionheart a-racing!

This is a bronze,

and it's after one of the most famous

American sculptors of all time - Frederic Remington.

It certainly has a bit of weight to it.

Now if this was an original Frederic Remington,

we'd be looking at hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The original ones are very few and far between.

But these are made year after year, some as a resin bronze mix,

others as genuine bronzes.

Now if we turn this over and peel back

the little bit of velvet on the side,

we see the base has been weighted with a bit of resin.

But the main body of it is solid bronze.

That bronze then has a patination applied.

In this case it's a brown patination just like the original.

The subject matter is typical.

He specialised in scenes of the Wild West.

Now it's a good object, but it all depends on price.

-How much is it?

-About a hundred for that.

-A hundred.

You look like a man who'll do a deal.

How about 60?

Sixty's a little bit too cheap for me.

I thought you might say that! So what's your best?

Oh... Probably 90 at a push.

-Eighty any good?

-No, 90.

Oh, you're hard!

-I drive a hard bargain.

-OK.

He's not budging much, but...

I think it's worth it. £90, you've got a deal.

Yes, the stallholder stuck to his guns and held out for his price.

If James could find the right buyer,

this could turn out to be Curtis's last stand.

I really love that bronze.

OK, it's not a 19th century original,

but then again who's going to find a 19th century original Remington

at a car boot sale?

That is as near as we're going to get.

I'm quite pleased the old Detective Dowling didn't find it.

Curtis might not have spotted the statute, but he is a determined foe.

And James will be wise not to take his eyes off him for a second.

# Just like watching the detectives... #

Watch and learn.

Lost - one very large man with a beard in a pin-striped suit.

# Just like watching the detectives. #

£2. It's pretty attractive.

Now it looks like Meissen, German porcelain from about 200 years ago.

If this was Meissen, that would be £2,000.

So we paid £2 for an item that's just as attractive

and in perfect condition.

I think that's £30 or £40 of anybody's money all day long.

And she was a lovely lady.

Well, that's a bargain basement buy for Curtis.

And he also picks up two painted jugs for £4.

Our experts are snapping up plenty of items to sell on.

But they both have plenty of cash still left to spend,

and James thinks he might have spotted a nice little earner.

This is a right old banger, isn't it?

Made of tin, probably made in the 1930s, but believe it or not,

highly collectible.

Whenever we're looking at tin plate, and that's what this is,

we hope that we're going to see a German maker's name.

On this one,

there isn't one. But we do have Made in Germany.

Made in Germany indicates it's made before the Second World War.

After the Second World War, Germany was divided

and it said it either made in East Germany or made in West Germany.

So that's a very good way of dating this tin plate.

-OK, how much?

-50.

£50? It's a bit of an old banger for 50.

Yeah. But it's very collectible.

Well, that's something to think about.

OK, you've got a bit more tin plate. A bit later, aren't they, those?

-Yes.

-This is quite an interesting thing.

Probably made in Staffordshire around 1890,

this is a blancmange mould.

You see lots of them for jelly.

In the plain, normally, like that.

But to actually have a recipe on the front

for blancmange is quite unusual.

So we've got lots of different collecting fields here.

We've got the people that collect kitchenalia, we've got the people that collect moulds

and we also have the people that collect advertising.

Because here we have Brown and Polson's.

So, that is the make of the blancmange.

So, there we are. How much is that?

-That one's £30.

-OK, we've got 30 there.

What would be the best for the two?

-£60.

-60?

-Yeah.

So, that's two items that Mr Lewis is hoping to add to his stash of car boot treasures.

But will he be able to get them for a good price?

Elsewhere in the boot sale, his rival has spotted something

he thinks has the potential to deliver a tidy profit.

I love these bedroom sets

and they can sometimes make an awful lot of money.

This one is from about 1890 and it's not solid silver,

but it's certainly silver.

It needs just a really good clean up.

What's astounding is we've got one set from about 1895, something

like that, in that art nouveau style,

sitting right next to another set which is about 1935.

And this is lovely.

It's got the maker's name on it.

It was probably relatively expensive, but not complete.

So that's going to knock down the value.

What is important now is how much we're going to pay for them.

-How much are you going to sell them to me for?

-£7.

I think that's marvellous.

I'm going to say thank you very much at £7

and I'm going to shake your hand marvellously,

cos I think I've got a bit of a bargain.

Well, time will tell if Curtis is right.

But he seems pleased with that purchase and he's added a porcelain tankard with a pewter lid for £5

and a framed print that he paid £2.50 for

to the stash of items he'll be trying to sell on.

His rival, though, has also sealed a deal and splashed out £52

for the blancmange mould and tinplate car.

That's a deal. Thank you very much.

Both our experts have worked their socks off.

They've hunted for potentially profitable pieces

and haggled hard on the items they've bought.

But exactly how much of their own cash have our brave boot-salers parted with?

Both James and Curtis were allowed to spend up to £250 at today's sale.

The Detective has bought

11 items and spent just over £140.

The Lionheart, meanwhile,

is walking away with eight items and spent £220.

So, with their treasures bought, our experts thoughts begin to turn

towards how they're going to sell them on.

But before they head home to try to make some profit,

they're keen to cast an inquisitive eye over their opponent's purchases.

-Ah, Lionheart.

-Detective Dowling, how are you?

I've had a really good day today.

-How about you?

-Me too. What a day. Fantastic weather.

And such nice people.

Do you know, I was expecting to come here

and find a load of reproduction rubbish.

But I've found genuine antiques. I see you've beaten me to the repro?

I've got some classic items, to be fair.

My best bid of the day has to be my seagulls.

I do like restoration.

-Good job!

-They're Art Deco, as we know.

I've obviously got a bit of a seagull fetish.

I'm going to enjoy selling them.

-Do you know, I actually quite like them.

-Oh, my God, I can't believe that.

And my chair, a lot of restoration. Bit of fun, bringing it back to life.

Modern, but it's got a style about it, hasn't it?

Thank you very much.

But look at this. What are these about?

Just watch! They'll go like a dream.

Plastic bristles.

You say plastic. What have you got that's really good, though?

Well, I think that is fabulous. OK, it's not old.

But it's a Remington bronze, they cost a fortune new and it was £90.

That's not a bad buy. I see you've got that lovely table.

-What do you think?

-I hope you've got an open fire.

Because I normally buy my firewood from a garden centre.

True, but how much does your firewood cost?

-Probably £10 or £20 a bundle.

-Well, there you are. 15 quid.

Well, actually, that isn't a bad deal, is it?

Cleaned up, that's going to be a nice piece of furniture by anyone's account.

All we've got to do now is pack it up and sell it somewhere.

-Best of luck.

-Good luck.

So, as they go their separate ways, Curtis will be taking home

a Regency-style mahogany carver chair,

a porcelain tankard with pewter lid,

an Art Deco-style seagull statue,

a framed cycling print,

two collectible Paignton jugs,

a porcelain statue of a dancing man and lady,

a collection of mirrors,

one inter-war bedroom set

and another from the late 19th century,

and an Art Deco-style lamp.

James will be heading back to Derbyshire with

a collection of antique copper lustre jugs,

a bronze sculpture,

a pre-Second World War German tinplate car,

a 19th century copper kettle,

a Victorian biscuit barrel,

a blancmange mould from around 1890,

an 18th century table and a mirror.

After a titanic tussle at the Taplow car-boot sale, our duelling duo must

now sell their purchases for the biggest possible profit.

They'll both be pulling out all the stops

to find the right buyers for their items

and they're working their way through

their little black books, putting deals together by phone and e-mail.

But before they've shaken on it and money has changed hands, no deal is truly done.

Well, I've got something I think you might like.

In order to try and sell his Paignton jugs,

The Detective has come up with a cunning plan.

He's decided to sell them in...

yes, that's right, you've guessed it, Paignton.

He's a sharp cookie, our Curtis.

I bought these about four weeks ago in a little fair in Maidenhead.

-Right.

-And I was hoping you might be interested in buying them off me.

Right, yeah. Is there any markings underneath?

No. They really are just little touristy, Paigntony jugs.

Modern, aren't they? How much did you have in mind for these?

-Something like 50 quid...

-£50?

Yeah, I mean, you could pay more if you like, but I was thinking around that sort of figure.

-I take it you've got a case-full, for £50?

-No, there is only the two.

There is only the two, right.

They're probably worth a tenner each, to be honest.

They're unusual, I'd put them in the window.

It says Paignton on them, they've spelt it right.

-A lot of people don't.

-Really?

Yeah, well, with the G in there.

I'll tell you what, I'm happy to shake on £10 each.

-That would be great.

-We'll give these a go then.

-Thank you very much.

Curtis has banked £16 from the sale of the Paignton jugs.

He's also hoping to sell his seagull statue on the Devonshire coast.

There's no doubt it's a picturesque location,

but The Detective will be hoping

it continues to be a profitable one too.

Now, I took a bit of a flyer on these seagulls.

But if there's anywhere they're going to take off,

it's here at Burgh Island.

# Walking on the beaches, looking at the peaches... #

Will Curtis' £15 Art Deco style statue be anough to tempt a serious

and knowledgeable collector of high end Art Deco antiques?

It's not exactly bronze, is it?

No, you've got a lot of bronzes here, haven't you?

-Yeah.

-And you haven't got any real mass-produced items here.

They're all quite specialised items from the period, aren't they?

This, on the other hand - very, very few have survived.

There's a good reason for that.

Because back in the 1930s you might pay something like

£20 or £30 for one of those bronze items or spelter figures.

You'd have paid something like £5 for this.

When this fell out of fashion,

people just threw them in a skip.

The bronze items, they kept.

These are far more difficult to find.

Which makes it quite an interesting piece.

Right, Curtis, how much are you knocking it out for?

I am looking for about £80 for it,

because it's a rare thing and because you've got nothing else like it.

You are being very persuasive and I'm buying the mass-production thing and its rarity value.

But it's just not going to be worth that kind of money to me.

Seriously, what is the best price you can do me?

I'm thinking in the region of £40.

-45 and it's a deal.

-Curtis, you drive a hard bargain, don't you?

-I try to, ma'am.

-OK, I'll find somewhere to put them.

Then I guess we could retire to the bar for a quick drink?

-We should celebrate.

-I'm following you.

So, it's congratulations and celebrations to Curtis as he

bags a £30 profit from the sale of his seagull statue.

-Here's to your seagulls.

-Thank you, Curtis.

-I'm sure they'll be very happy here.

-I hope so.

And here's to James Lewis.

I hope you're having an equally successful day, like I am.

Yes, hands up anyone who believes he meant that. No, me neither.

Anyway, in Derbyshire the Lionheart has set up a breakfast meeting

with one of his contacts who's agreed to take a look at the table

and the mirror he paid £30 for at the car boot sale.

-Can he seal a deal?

-Re-polishing?

Nice piece, except it's pretty rough.

But it's George II, it's 200 years old. It's a wonderful colour.

What do you think it's worth,

done up, good-looking George II table like that?

I know it needs a lot of work. But, sorted out, what do you think?

Well, with a couple of clients I've got I could get 350, 450 for it.

But there is a fair amount of time involved in putting that right,

which I intend to throw at you over and over again

-until we negotiate a price.

-OK.

-So, come on then.

Fine line, let's talk money.

Realistically, I'd like 30 quid on the mirror.

-30 quid on the mirror?

-Yeah.

And 60 on the table.

-60?!

-Yeah. That's a starting point, I have to be fair.

60 quid on the table? I'll give you 15 for the mirror, end of story.

That's all I'll pay for that mirror.

I won't pay any more for that mirror.

OK.

The table...35.

There's a lot of restoration in that.

So does that mean...

Does that mean that you'll pay more for the table?

You've said you'll not pay more for the mirror,

but that gives me hope for the table.

Go on. Don't push it.

James's buyer clearly knows his stuff and is driving a hard bargain.

The Lionheart may have spotted a chink in his armour,

but how much more will he be able to persuade him to pay for the table?

In the capital, the Detective is putting together what he hopes will be a case for a profit.

He's entered one of his bedroom sets

and porcelain figurines into a busy auction.

First up, it's the Meissen-esque statue.

£10 for it?

Two places but at 10 now, I'll take first. Ladies first.

Already five times what we paid for it.

14, 16, 18, 20? At £18.

£18, I'll give it to you for £18. £18, all done?

18, gone. £18.

£16 profit on something that cost us £2.

That's not bad. So, fingers crossed our luck continues.

I think you're being a little modest there, Mr Dowling,

that's a big return from a small outlay.

As every penny of Curtis's profits are going to charity,

the auctioneer has kindly reduced his fees, giving The Detective

a profit of just under £15.

Next up is one of the bedroom sets.

This set, not great condition, a little bit shabby.

£3.50 though, it's got to make more than that.

That's if it sells, so fingers crossed cos here it comes.

Table set, lot 238, £20 for it.

£10 for it.

Thank you, a bid at £10. Who'll give me 12? At £10.

-£10 is good enough.

-£10 I've got.

The bedroom set sells for £10, that's a good result for Curtis.

He's still got one of his bedroom sets left to sell

but he's already in profit.

In Derbyshire, James's breakfast meeting has reached a crucial point.

The Lionheart has been haggling hard to make a profit on a table

and mirror that cost him £30 at the car boot sale.

-Call it 70 quid.

-Good man.

-That's the final time.

-That's brilliant.

-Deal done?

Deal done.

A combined sale price of £70 serves up a £40 profit for James

and he's got the bit between his teeth, or was that a spot of bacon?

Joking aside, James is on a roll and his pre-Second World War tinplate toy car

keeps his drive for victory on track.

With £80 stuffed in his wallet, his profits are growing nicely.

Mr Lewis isn't the only one working hard though.

His rival has lined up a hotelier contact

to take a look at the second of his ladies bedroom sets.

I don't think this is the easiest sale

I've ever tried to make, you know. It hasn't escaped my notice that you're a chap.

It's the look I was going for.

Secondly, this is a ladies bedroom set.

I'm glad the wife's not here because she'd be biting your hand off.

Can you tell me how old they are and a little bit about them?

Yeah, of course I can.

These are probably right at the end of the art nouveau period, probably First World War-ish.

Within ten years, these were massively unfashionable because Art Deco came in.

They're make of electro-plated silver but what has started to happen

is these items are actually coming back into fashion a little bit now.

I only saw items like this the other day and they were

100 quid and they were absolutely no different to these, whatsoever.

Well, Mr Dowling has done a good job of pitching them

but can he seal a deal?

Let's look at £40 as the time we shake hands on.

I couldn't do £40, Curtis, I couldn't live with myself.

I can go as high as £20.

Look, I'm going to give you a final figure because I want to drink one of your fabulous best bitters. £25.

£25, you buy the pints.

You're not drinking today, I guess, being at work.

I'll put one in the pipe, don't worry.

It's a deal. 25 quid. We best get them inside, hadn't we?

It's another sale for Curtis and the £25 he's earned from that deal gives

him a profit of just under £27.50 on the two ladies bedroom sets.

Both our expedrts are firing on all selling cylinders

and today's contest is really starting to heat up.

Curtis has sold just under £120 worth

of goods and made almost £90 worth of profit.

James, on the other hand,

has made sales of £180 and banked profits of £120.

With no quarter being asked or given in today's car boot clash,

our experts will be doing all they can to sell their remaining items.

They're putting together deals by phone and by email

and until they've got the money in their pockets,

no sale is truly secured.

He might be leading the way but there's no let up from the Lionheart and he's keen to bag

even more profit by selling his Victorian copper kettle that set him back £8 at the boot sale.

Now then, what have you got here?

It's good to take the weight off at last.

I've got plenty of it to take off as well!

It's good to see you. What do you think, do you like it?

I do like it, yeah.

When I found it I thought it was a great lot.

I really was very pleased to find it.

If we look down the seams here it's got this wonderful Victorian seam

that is typical of 1850 to 1870.

If you compare it to one... Look at this.

The normal copper kettles that you see in the same period.

This one probably 1880, 1890 but there's no seam,

it's drawn up from one piece of copper.

It's beaten out.

Not the best of quality.

-Feel the weight of that.

-Yeah.

Now feel that.

-No comparison, is there?

-It's totally different, isn't it?

You know, I have to say there is a bit of a problem with copper today.

It's not the most fashionable of things.

You know, people don't polish it the way they used to,

but it looks so good in a pub like this -

with all the heavy beams and the wonderful panelling.

I love it. So... How much do you like it?

-I like it a lot.

-Yeah?

-Absolutely!

Now I went to an antiques centre in Bakewell

very recently and I have to say they were asking 80 or £90 for it.

You say 80 to £90?

That's what they're asking in the antiques shops locally.

If I said...

Let's have another quick look.

If I said to you...

65?

£70?

OK, how about 75?

I'll meet you halfway on the five.

£72.50.

-That is literally halfway! All right.

-It's a deal.

Fantastic!

And the copper kettle has poured £64.50 into James's profit pot

and there's more good news for the Lionheart

as he banks another £25 from the sale of his copper lustre items.

In Devon, the Detective is hoping that a DJ will save his life.

Exeter FM, your truly local station...

Well, at least give him a profit on his lamp.

Curtis has appeared on the DJ's show in the past and he's hoping

to sell him the lamp for more than the £30 he paid for it.

-It's the end of the day, I'm going to let it go for 45.

-45 quid. OK, mate, you've got a deal.

# Last night a DJ saved my life... #

A £15 profit from the lamp is certainly fantastic news

and Mr Dowling has put the wheels in motion for his next potential sale.

I've come to my favourite little restaurant in Bath,

and when I saw this picture in Taplow, I immediately thought of them.

Let's hope they like it as much as I did and, hopefully,

turn a little profit as well.

And profit is exactly what both our battling experts are hoping to make.

Curtis's rival has bagged some impressive profits on his car-boot buys

and is hoping to add to his kitty

by selling the blancmange mould that cost him £22

to one of restaurateur contacts.

I've got to be honest, and this is a tad embarrassing,

I don't actually know what a blancmange is.

I totally understand you because I don't think many people know nowadays what it is exactly.

It is supposed to be a very French classic from the 18th century.

18th century?

Yes, it is. It's very, very old, a famous,

classic kind of a dessert from French patisserie.

Is that the sort of thing you'd use?

Yes, it would be very interesting to use something 100 years old and get something out of it.

-What do you think that is worth?

-Something about 20?

-Oh.

I was thinking in terms of 100.

You are way, way ahead.

No way you can get 100 out of it.

-No?

-No.

James's contact has offered him less than he paid for the blancmange mould. This is not good news.

-50? How does that sound?

-Ooh...

-How about 60?

-Er, no, I think 50 is the right price for this.

-Oh, go on, then.

-Yeah!

-Fantastic.

Yes, James wobbled slightly,

but he made a £28 profit from his blancmange mould.

His rival, though, has also sealed a sweet deal,

bagging £12.50 from the sale of his cycling print.

Both our experts are doing everything they can to win today's contest.

James has set up a meeting with a silver dealer he knows

to try and sell him the Victorian biscuit barrel that cost him £25.

-Stephen, great to see you.

-Hi, James. How are you?

-Very well indeed. How are you?

-I'm very good, thank you.

I can see you're still using the world's supply of silver polish.

We try and keep it nice and clean so it's nicer for the customers, unlike some things I can see!

As soon as I saw that, I thought of you. It's nice, isn't it?

Yeah, 1870s, very nice.

Is that the sort of thing that you can sell easily in here?

Is that the sort of thing the public come in to buy?

I wouldn't say EASY to sell.

Plate is not the most popular these days.

People do prefer to have sterling silver.

It has an intrinsic value and as an investment it's much better.

But, having said that, it's a very pretty piece.

People would like at the right price, a nice biscuit box,

or tea caddy or whatever you want to use it for in the house.

Tell me, what's it worth to you?

Less than it's worth to you, so what do you want for it?

I was hoping for about 180, 190.

Yes, well, I'm glad you're only hoping for that!

I had a figure in my mind and I immediately thought,

"Well, if he's bought it in a car-boot sale,

"he hasn't paid a lot for it.

"I'll give him £90, he'll walk away very happy."

Ooh...

-Hmm...

-Well, you know.

I thought you were going to start with three figures and work up.

£90.50 - that's four figures!

OK. How about 160?

160... It's nice. I've got to spend money on it, that's the problem.

Got to get it cleaned up, polished up.

I could probably go a bit higher than that. I could probably go to...

I'll give you your three figures. 110?

Come on, best price?

150.

Which means you'll take 135.

Make it 145.

Which means I've got to say 140, haven't I?

-Done.

-Fantastic.

That was a tough negotiation,

but the Lionheart has just made a fantastic £115 profit

from his Victorian biscuit barrel.

His rival, though, is still in the fight for the day's crown,

and, having spent £50 getting it restored,

he bags £32 worth of profit on his mahogany chair and

a further £7 from the sale of his porcelain tankard.

Both our experts have pulled out all the stops to try and maximise their profits on their car-boot buys.

James is hoping that his statue

will help him to shoot down his rival in flames.

Curtis, on the other hand, is crossing his fingers

and hoping that his three mirrors will give him a decisive profit.

Well, we've got them out in the sunshine now.

-What do you think of them?

-I think they look really good, Curtis.

I'm not sure about these two.

I'm not going home with them, am I?

Well, I'm not sure where they're going to go in the house.

But this one, I think, is beautiful.

This could look really good above our inglenook fireplace... if the price was right.

Ooh! Well, that's why I like these Regency-style mirrors.

You're buying them now in new shops.

Of course, it's not an antique - it's fairly modern - but I think it's one

of those sort of styles that fits all and when I saw it, I thought,

"It sort of fits the bill."

-Absolutely.

-From a price point of view...

-OK.

-I know what I paid for them. What are they worth to you?

We'll find out shortly if Curtis's contact is prepared

to offer the kind of money he needs to win today's contest.

He's not the only one hoping to seal a big deal, though.

I'm here at the home of Lord and Lady Turner,

an unlikely Lord and an unlikely Lady,

because they live here in Newark's equivalent of the OK Corral,

so I'm hoping they might just fall in love with this.

James's buyer is a big fan of the Wild West, and Derbyshire's

favourite antiques gunslinger is hoping to bag more than the £90 he paid for the statue.

Let's hope he has more luck than this fellow.

Howdy.

Oh, hello, James. How are you?

-Very well indeed. How are you?

-Not too bad.

As soon as I saw that at the car-boot sale -

and believe it or not it was at a car-boot sale - I thought of you.

-Isn't it fantastic?

-It's beautiful.

I loved it when I saw it.

It's not an original Remington, of course, but if it was

-we'd be selling our houses to buy it, wouldn't we?

-We would indeed.

It's a lovely quality one and it is a genuine bronze.

It's not one of those bronze and resin mixes.

It's a nice thing and it's got a good patination to it.

It doesn't have a great deal of age,

admittedly, but it is a really good-looking lot, I think.

-Beautiful.

-You like it?

-Beautiful, yes.

-Fantastic. That's a good start.

But that's according to what price you've put on it.

Yes, that's the all-important question.

This could be a make-or-break deal.

We'll find out if James was able to sell his statue and how Curtis fared with his three mirrors very shortly,

because it's time to tot up the totals and reveal just who is

today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

Curtis "The Detective" Dowling

spent just over £140 at the boot sale

and paid a further £50 getting his mahogany chair restored.

James "The Lionheart" Lewis, on the other hand, parted with £220.

Both our experts have worked incredibly hard and every

penny they've made will be going to their chosen charities.

So, without further ado, it's time to reveal who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

-Curtis.

-Mr Lewis.

-Good to see you.

-How are you?

-Very well indeed. You?

I'm a bit nervous for this one.

I'm not nervous for this one.

-Oh.

-I think I've found my level at the car-boot.

I just wasn't quite sure what I should be picking up, to be honest.

I loved them as a kid. Always found me at a car-boot on a Sunday morning.

So you're confident with this one?

I don't know if I have won, but I really enjoyed it.

I think it might be time.

-OK, there we go.

-Do you want to count us in?

Three, two, one...

Oh, wow!

-Now, that's what I call a rinsing!

-I'm sorry, Curtis.

-No, that's good.

Almost the best man won.

-Come on.

-Come on, your turn for the beers.

Absolutely.

So, it's a triumph for James.

Despite Curtis making an impressive £72 profit on his mirrors...

Job done, marvellous. Sold.

..the sale of the statute gave Mr Lewis a big margin of victory.

-480.

-450, shake hands on it.

Deal. Absolutely fantastic.

Fantastic. Thank you.

You've made my day, James.

I was thrilled with the car-boot sale.

I loved some of the things I found and it does just go to show

you shouldn't be snobbish about a car-boot.

Mr Lewis thrashed me because he noticed that bronze before I did.

Yes, James may have emerged victorious

from the clash of our car-boot titans,

but both our experts raised excellent sums

for their chosen charities.

Over £700 is a great result, but the main thing, for ACE Africa,

that is going to make a huge difference to them.

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

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

The Lionheart might have taken the spoils of war in today's challenge,

but tomorrow Curtis will be doing everything in his power to strike back as our antiques gladiators go

head to head in their final, no holds barred, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is showdown.

Hopefully I've got luck on my side and a little bit of charm.

1,050. It's yours, well done.

It's time to put up or shut up.

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