Kate Bliss v Jonty Hearnden: Auction Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

We've all seen them on TV, but how will the country's

favourite antiques 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 our very own debonair dealer Jonty "The Hit Man" Hearnden,

and the First Lady of Antiques, Kate "Absolute" Bliss.

The daughter of an auctioneer, Kate's been surrounded by antiques all her life,

and is now a respected independent valuer, agent and broker

with over a decade of experience under her belt.

My fascination with antiques, really, is the thrill of the chase.

It's being on the lookout for something that really blows me away.

Kate's title of the First Lady of Antiques

comes from dispensing expert advice on Bargain Hunt and Flog It!

Can I be really cheeky and say, what about 12?

Kate's opponent might not have grown up in the antiques world, but with over 30 years' worth of experience

behind him, there isn't much that Jonty Hearnden doesn't know about antiques and collectables.

One of the most exciting parts about being an antique dealer is making the connection between an item

that you have purchased, and to find somebody else likes that item too,

has fallen in love with it.

It's a fantastic link.

A firm favourite with the housewives, this antiques hunter

can regularly be found searching for Cash In The Attic.

So, we have our experts - and with their reputations on the line and their chosen charities

counting on them to deliver the goods, it's time for us to find out the aim of today's game.

-Oh, Mr Hearnden!

-Kate, how are you?

-Fancy seeing you here.

-I've got a present for you.

-I've got one for you!

-Good.

-Let's have a look.

What does this say?

"Jonty and Kate, your challenge today is to spend £1,000

-"of your own money on antiques."

-OK.

"You must then resell your purchases,

-"with the aim of making as much profit as possible."

-OK.

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

-OK. Shall I read mine?

-What does yours say?

"Today you must buy all of your antiques from" - wait for this -

"an auction house. Good luck."

And it also says, "Good luck to the best boy and girl",

but they've got the "girl" bit crossed out.

-Let me see that.

-No.

Well, I'm going to get going.

Is it that way?

Today's battleground is Knutsford in Cheshire.

Steeped in history, its heritage dates back to the Domesday Book,

but in all that time, Knutsford has never seen a scrap

like the one that's about to take place today.

Miss Bliss and Mr H will be going up against each other and a room full of bidders.

It is a tough assignment, but our determined duo are no ordinary antiques experts.

Part of a top secret experiment, Jonty and Kate have been...rebuilt.

Kate Bliss, antiques valuer and broker, has a bionic eye,

which can spot a bargain

at a thousand yards.

Jonty "the million-dollar Hit Man" Hearnden, ladies' man and furniture

expert, has a bionic ear so keen,

he can hear his rivals think.

Together, they could be the perfect partnership -

but determined to win today's contest, they are using

their bionic powers for personal glory.

With the doors to the auction room open, our experts have cast

their eyes over the lots and drawn up their strategies.

They are both looking for quality, undamaged pieces, but with time ticking away until

the auction gets going, the Hit Man and Absolute Bliss are using their antiques powers to track down

the pieces that they think could help them win this competition.

I have found, straight off, this amazing tiny-weeny

little camera on a stand. But it is not a camera.

It is, in fact, a cigarette lighter.

There are dealers who pay big money for lighters.

In the catalogue, it reads £30 to £50.

If I can get it for that sort of money, then I am sure I will find

someone somewhere who will pay me a lot more than that.

So I'm going to just mark this off in my catalogue -

and this little tiny item, I'm just going to see what happens.

We will see how things develop for Jonty and his cigarette lighter

in the auction very shortly.

Now, Miss Bliss is keeping HER cards close to her chest

about her auction room targets today.

But we can reveal she's got her eyes on an Edwardian banjo barometer,

and an eye-catching late 18th-century knife box.

Having selected their targets, it is time for our experts to embark on their auction odyssey.

As all of Kate and Jonty's profits are going to charity,

the auction house has kindly waived its commission.

But with their own money and reputations on the line,

the pressure is still on Miss Bliss and Mr H

to get their items for the best possible price.

The auction has just kicked off, and it is absolutely packed here.

It's Absolute Bliss versus the Hit Man.

There is genuine tension here, because none of us really know what these items are going to sell for.

Let battle commence!

Here we go.

First up is Kate's Edwardian banjo barometer.

Lot three, now, the banjo barometer.

Commissioned bids come in with me here, starting at £100.

110, anywhere? Thank you. 120...

Miss Bliss is prepared to spend up to £200 on the barometer.

150, the gent, in the room. 160, the lady.

170, your bid, sir. 180...

The temperature's rising.

Gent's bid at 210, I've taken. 220 behind you...

220, she's still going. Any advance on 220?

220, I'm selling...

-GAVEL BANGING

-£220 it is.

£220, and that one is mine. It's a little bit more than I had thought

I would go - but it's mine now, so it's too late!

It might not have been as cheap as she'd have liked,

but Kate has bagged her first item of the day.

She's on a mission to buy antiques packed with potential profit,

and having bought the banjo barometer,

she also snaps up an Edwardian mahogany balloon clock.

45, lady's bid. I'm out. With you, madam, at 45.

Now, this seems very, very cheap.

The First Lady of Antiques is on an early roll, and she is

also planning to make a move for the late 18th-century knife box.

Now, here we go - this is a really collectable item,

and I might end up spending quite a bit of money.

I don't think Jonty's even started yet!

200, anywhere? 200 I am bid. And 10, anyone?

200 I have. Any advance on £200?

-210 with the lady.

-Kate's in.

250. 270. 290. 300.

But there is no shortage of competition.

340, 350...

Lady's bid at 350. Any advance now? At £350,

your bid, madam - all done at 350...?

That's mine.

£350 - which is quite a lot of money, but I think it's lovely.

Nice quality thing, but she is spending all of her money.

Will she make a profit?

Yes, well, that's the million-dollar question. And having seen his rival bag three items in quick succession,

the Hit Man has got HIS first potential purchase in his sights.

Remember, he is hoping to get the novelty lighter for around £50.

Table-top lighter in the form of a camera. £30 for this lot.

£30 anywhere for it? 25... 20 if you will.

£20...

Back to earth with a bump this time. 20 bid, thank you...

Jonty's opened the bidding.

25. 30...

£30 is still pretty cheap. But it's going up fast.

£50, on my right. All done at £50, selling...

-GAVEL BANGING

-Thank you, sir.

He has bought it - £50!

So, after a slow start, the Hit Man has bagged his first purchase for today's competition.

But there's no doubting that his rival has had the better of the early skirmishes.

Now, earlier today, as our experts browsed through the pieces on offer,

Miss Bliss picked out some very collectable silver hatpins.

Whilst his rival weighed up their potential profit,

Jonty pinned down another possible target.

I've got a pair of books now.

They are the Ancient History of Liverpool,

Volume One and Volume Two.

Have a look at the detail inside here.

They have got some wonderfully old engraved plates.

I think these are fabulous.

Now, in the catalogue they're estimated between £80 and £120.

And in that sort of ballpark,

I think they are probably worth a sneaky punt.

And I see Kate, the opposition, is over there.

I wonder how she is getting on. I'd better hide these.

Make she hasn't spotted these either.

I'm not sure the books are Kate's cup of tea,

but we'll find out if she makes a move for them shortly.

Before that, Jonty is hoping to bag himself

an Arts and Crafts beechwood page-turner,

with an estimate of £30 to £50.

So, this next lot is being catalogued as a shoehorn.

It is not a shoehorn. It is not even a letter opener.

I think that it's a page-turner.

It's a very tactile Art Nouveau object.

£30 to £50 in the catalogue. Let's see where we go.

Lot 51. £30 anywhere for it?

£20?

20 bid, and five, against you.

30. Five. 40. Five. 50. Five.

60... £60, gent, standing.

That's a bit of a sneaky move - Jonty has just started bidding!

Oh, he didn't buy it. Did he buy it?

Indeed he did, Kate.

She may have got off to a strong start, but she will need to keep her eye on her rival.

The Hit Man snapped up the page-turner for £60.

But Miss Bliss is not could be put off her stride easily, and is

preparing to make her move for the silver hatpins.

105, the bid's on the book against you all. At £105.

Charles Horner. 110, lady's bid.

Commissions are out. With you, madam, at 110.

Any advance on £110? All done and sure at 110...

With you, I'm selling...

Now, those are mine. That's a really nice little lot.

£110, for four good ones, is still a good price, I think.

I have had a good look at these, and some are really good quality.

I will be very interested to see what she does with these.

So, Kate's latest purchase has got the thumbs-up from her rival -

but what is it exactly about the hatpins that has so impressed both our experts?

40 I have, any advance on £40...?

Now, in the mid-1850s, there was a man who had a very good eye for business.

His name was Charles Horner.

Based in Halifax, he had a business making jewellery, thimbles and watches,

but with the rise of the hatpin, he started mass producing good-quality pins

made of silver, sometimes studded with gems.

One of them is broken - the top has come off -

but the other four in the lot are all in nice condition.

This one dates from 1907,

so it is just in the middle of the Art Nouveau period

when really curvy, linear shapes were really highly popular.

There is a little hallmark here, which shows that the silver

was tested in Chester.

But most importantly, we have two magic initials - CH -

which stand for the man himself.

Ah, so it's the collectable NAME that's drawn Kate to the hatpins.

And as the bidding continues,

Jonty is aiming to creep back into contention in today's contest

by bagging another buy.

This is the Pictorial Relics of Ancient Liverpool.

Everything is selling for more money in the room.

This is stiff competition, so it is not just me against Kate,

it is Kate and me against the rest of the world.

Estimate in the catalogue, 80 to 120.

I'm paying more.

Don't know how much more.

Lot 215, Pictorial Relics...

Where are we going to go? Commission bid starting with me at 120, 130...

Jonty is straight in.

140, back in the room - all done at 140?

All sure?

150 online. 160...

The bidding has gone way past the estimate, but Jonty is still in there fighting.

You'll need to re-bid if you're online...

200. Back in the room at 200.

All done at £200? If you're all done and sure, last chance at 200...

200 it is.

At last. £200. I wouldn't have paid much more.

Yes, that's a big buy for the Hit Man.

After a quiet start at today's auction, he is finally splashing the cash, and bought the books.

-SHIRLEY BASSEY:

-# Hey, big spender... #

Jonty has just started bidding.

# Hey, big spender... #

Yes!

# Big spender... #

Still going up.

-# Spend... #

-He has just bought that.

# ..a little time with me. #

He is starting to bid again.

Jonty's spending spree has netted him a large Pilkington bowl for £85,

and a piece of late 19th-century German majolica ware for £160.

Mr Hearnden has been on a bit of a buying streak,

so it is time we found out which of our superheroes is flying high,

and who is down in the dumps.

At the start of today's contest, both Kate and Jonty

had a budget of up to £1,000 of their own money.

The Hit Man has spent £555 on five items,

leaving up to £445 in his kitty.

Absolute Bliss, on the other hand, has picked up four items

and parted with £725,

leaving her with up to £275

still to spend.

With their own money and reputations on the line,

it is crucial our experts use their remaining cash wisely.

Earlier today, whilst browsing through

the lots on offer, Jonty picked out an unusual piece of furniture.

Now, I'm genuinely pleased I have spotted this.

Now, what we are looking at here

is essentially a 20th-century hanging corner cupboard.

We've got a single door here, made out of English oak.

But it is no ordinary corner cupboard - for one simple reason.

Carved down at the bottom here is a gnome.

That means that this hanging corner cupboard was made by Tom Whittaker.

Now, he died relatively recently, so this cabinet here is post-war.

So we are talking maybe 1960s, maybe 1950s... Not quite sure.

But what I CAN tell you is that there will be dealers and collectors

that will be very keen to get their hands on this.

It is estimated in the catalogue at between £100 and £200.

If I could find the right buyer, we could be talking -

where is Kate? - we could be talking £400 to £600.

I'm going to keep my powder dry for this.

This is right at the end of the auction sale, so it is tortoise and hare time.

Jonty might be keeping his powder dry, but he is taking a massive gamble.

In order to buy the cupboard he is going to have to

hold on to his remaining kitty until the very end of the auction.

If he does not win it,

he will be left with a lot of cash, and not very many antiques.

Elsewhere in the saleroom, Miss Bliss is hard at work picking out potentially profitable lots.

She has got her eye on a 1907 silver pincushion

and a Victorian snuffbox.

So, it is time to see if she can snap up the first of her targets.

Now, if I have spotted it, I think quite a few other people will have,

but I'm going to have a real go at this because I think it's a really unusual thing.

I'm a big fan of these pincushions, but not when you have them

with a massive great big dent in the side.

I just hope Kate understands what she's doing.

I see she's about ready to bid.

Having grown up around auction houses, Miss Bliss knows exactly what she's doing.

But will she be able to bag the silver pincushion for a good price?

I've got 55, who's got 60 on this?

60. 65. 70. 80. 90.

100...

£100, standing bid. Who'll take 10?

110, lady's bid at 110. Any more now?

Your bid at £110, at the front on the left at 110...

Selling at 110.

GAVEL BANGING Great, that's mine.

£110 - now, I thought that was going to go for quite a lot more.

Now, I've seen these selling on the internet for £400.

Well, Kate seems happy with that purchase - but will she have similar success with her next target?

I've got a sneaky feeling

Kate is going to be bidding on this next lot.

This is a snuffbox. You can't get more Victorian than this.

Look at the decoration, it has just gone up on the board.

-HE INHALES SHARPLY

-Is she going to bid on that?

Estimate £100 to £150 in the catalogue.

Where is the profit?

£100 and away for that one.

80, start me?

50, bid at 50. 55.

65...

He has started low, because it is just not very fashionable.

Seated near the back - 90.

£90. Any more?

Lady's bid at 90. Five anywhere?

At £90, it's the lady's bid. All done now...? 95.

100...

£100, lady's bid at 100.

Here to sell, then, at £100...

-B689.

-Yes! That's mine at £100.

I thought for a minute that I might have got it at 90, but somebody just sneaked in another bid at the back.

So £100. I don't think there is a huge profit in that, but any profit is good profit, isn't it?

Victoriana? Back in fashion?

Kate...!

Yes, Jonty might not be a fan of the snuffbox,

but at least Kate's spent her money.

The Hit Man on the other hand still has £445 left in his kitty.

He has taken a big gamble by holding back his cash for the corner cupboard.

If he does not get it, he will be left with hundreds of pounds.

This is a massive moment for Mr H.

The lot after next is the gnome hanging corner cupboard.

Now, the room is bidding on some items, not on others at all.

So I'm hopeful

that I might get my corner cupboard for a reasonable price.

There we are. For this nice little corner cupboard...

£150 for it?

-150.

-Jonty's first to bid.

220, 240, 260, 280...

Oh, he has got competition...

Yes, 320? 320.

340.

340? Any advance quickly on £340?

The bid's on my right, at 340...

GAVEL BANGING

And he has got it!

I did not want to pay that much for it, so I have got to do my homework,

but I am very, very pleased with that. £340.

I am convinced I can make a profit.

The Hit Man's decision to hold back his money for

the corner cupboard has paid off - but will it make the kind of profit that he thinks it will?

It has been a fiercely fought bidding battle today.

But now let's find out if it is the best boy, or the best girl,

that leaves the saleroom with top marks.

Jonty and Kate were able to spend up to £1,000 of their own money.

After a frugal start today, Jonty spent £895 on six items,

leaving him £105 still in the bank.

His opponent has also bought six items,

but she has parted with £935,

leaving her with £65 unspent.

The winner of today's contest will be he or she that makes the most profit.

But before our experts head home to plan how they're going to sell their stock,

they have got time to look at each other's purchases.

-Hey, Jonty!

-Wasn't it so expensive in there?

It really was. But do you know, after today, I think I might just give you a run for your money.

You reckon? What were your best buys?

Well, have you seen my lovely stationery box?

-I like that a lot.

-Nice colour, eh?

But you paid...quite a bit, yes?

Well, if that was too much money, you can't say that THAT was, because

that's my second favourite - £45.

That was a bargain.

-Come on, then, let's have a look.

-I love this. Have a look at this.

-Page-turner.

-Oh, right.

So, would you say that was the most commercial item in the world, Jonty?

Of course - every home needs a page-turner.

As...they need a lovely corner cupboard.

Do you know, I did like that. I looked at that.

It looks sort of Arts and Craftsy, but it is about '50s, isn't it?

-Yes, certainly...

-I mean, you could almost call it modern?

That's cheeky. That really is cheeky.

So, are you going to sell all this?

Well, with a bit of luck. I think it is swings and roundabouts.

You've got a bit of a theme going there, it is called brown mahogany.

-Too much brown mahogany... Maybe.

-Who's going to win?

The best boy. May the best boy win, I reckon.

Well, I think - may the best GIRL win.

-Good luck.

-Good luck to you.

Well, only time will tell who will be today's star pupil,

But after a busy day at auction, Kate is taking home...

an Edwardian banjo barometer, the mahogany balloon mantel clock,

a George III knife box, a collection of silver hatpins,

an elephant-shaped silver pincushion and a Victorian silver snuffbox.

Jonty, meanwhile, is pinning HIS hopes on...

a camera-shaped lighter, two Ancient History of Liverpool books,

an Art Nouveau pewter page-turner, a large Pilkington bowl,

a majolica dish and a Tom Whittaker "Gnome Man" corner cabinet.

Having gone head to head at the auction,

our two experts have made their way home to ready themselves

for the next part of today's challenge.

Pretty much everyone that Kate and Jonty tried to do deals with

will be aware that they are on a mission to raise as much money as possible for their charities,

and our experts will be doing everything in THEIR power

to get the best possible prices when they buy and sell the items

that they hope will drive them to victory.

Hi... Good, thank you very much. Haven't seen you for yonks.

They will be pulling out all the stops to find the best buyers for all their items,

and working their way through their little black books, putting deals together on the phone and by e-mail.

That's great. Look forward to seeing you then.

OK. Bye-bye.

But until they have shaken on it, and money has changed hands,

no deal is truly sealed.

With the selling section of today's competition under way,

both our experts are keen to seal profitable deals.

Miss Bliss has come to see a dealer friend, but there is no sentiment

in business, and she's going to have to work hard

to get the best price for the silver pincushion.

It cost her £110 at auction.

-He's a sweet little chap.

-Yes.

-What do you think of him?

-He is nice, isn't he?

-Yeah, he is.

-Pincushion.

I will tell you a bit about him.

He is silver, he is Edward VII, I think, he dates from 1905...

And I thought he would appeal to not only silver collectors

who like little cabinet pieces,

-but also you must get a lot of people looking for sewing-related objects...

-Yes.

-Because that's quite a collector's market in itself, isn't it?

-Yes.

So, Kate has given it the hard sell. Now it is time to talk money.

I'm really looking for about £200.

-HE INHALES SHARPLY

-200?

-That's cheap!

-£200?

-Look at him. Look at his little face.

-I would love to give you £200...

-I sense there is a "but" coming.

-But...

Despite a confident pitch,

Kate's buyer doesn't seem keen on the price tag -

but by starting high, Miss Bliss has given herself some room for manoeuvre.

Her opponent has headed to the capital, to try and find buyers for some of his items.

MUSIC: "London Calling" by The Clash

The Hit Man's years of experience in the antiques business have taught him to think laterally.

He has come up with a cunning plan to try and bank some cash.

I have decided to see if I can sell this to a camera specialist.

So I have come to this little street here, to find, hopefully, just the right buyer.

But I'm not quite sure whether I am literally here...

I've gone down a blind alley, or not. I'm not quite sure about that.

So I'm just going to see how I get on.

Selling the lighter to a camera specialist IS a bit of a gamble.

But will Jonty's blue-sky thinking help snap up

more than the £50 he paid for the lighter at auction?

Hello. I might be being a bit cheeky here,

but I've got a camera to sell - but it doesn't take pictures.

Can you have a look at this for me?

It is actually, believe it or not,

a lighter.

-What do you think?

-Superb, very fascinating.

It is a copy of a Leica camera.

I've most probably got

big daddy...

-You've got something similar there?

-There.

-Oh, wow, look at that!

That's amazing.

Do you think my little lighter is collectable?

Oh, definitely. It is a very nice little thing,

it will go nicely with my little collections of Leicas here.

I'm willing to offer you £200.

Can you write me out a cheque very quickly before you change your mind?

Yes, certainly. The ink might disappear!

That's fantastic, thank you so much. Excellent.

What a result. Jonty did not even have to haggle,

and has walked away with £150 profit.

Wow! That's incredible.

Kate - watch out.

Mr Hearnden is a happy man.

He's banked a huge profit for his novelty lighter.

So now it is crucial that Kate gets a big price for her little elephant.

But how much is the dealer prepared to pay?

I would see that

at 180, maximum.

I think that's fine, Mike. £180.

-Thank you very much.

-It's been a pleasure.

Kate has sealed the deal,

and banked a £70 profit for the diminutive pachyderm.

In London, the Hit Man is hard at work, and has lined up what he hopes will be another profitable meeting.

He's seeing dealer friend Chris with his £160 majolica bowl

and £60 page-turner.

Do you like that?

-Arts and Crafts page-turner.

-Yes, about turn of the century.

We have got the lovely cabochon stones, they are glass.

-Mm-hm.

-Here we have got the pewter, and the lovely...

-That's beech.

-Beech?

-Yes.

I always thought beech was a light wood.

It is, but this has been stained to look more like a tropical hardwood.

-That's why it doesn't weigh a lot.

-Right, beech is a light timber.

-And this?

-Well, isn't that lovely?

Really good quality. It's definitely German, and it's late 19th century.

It's not Minton majolica...

No, it's Gerbing and Stephan of Germany.

So we're not talking 700 quid here, Chris.

I am pleased to hear it.

Very pleased to hear it.

-We are talking...

-It's nicely done.

Wait for this. ..300 quid.

BEEPING Listen - the pacemaker.

I've warned you before about this.

You know. It's only a temporary one.

He's such an actor.

Well, Chris might think £300 is a heart-stopping amount,

but Jonty is an experienced haggler, and won't be easily deterred

from getting the best possible price for the bowl.

In Herefordshire, Kate is on her way

to try and seal a profitable deal of her own.

Now, she paid £110 for the hatpins -

but one of them is broken, and she is selling to an expert

so she could have her work cut out making a profit.

Well, here are the hatpins. Let me get them out for you.

-Now, I know you're a member of The Hat Pin Society, aren't you?

-Yes.

So I think, not only will you be able to tell me lots more about these

that I don't already know,

but I'm hoping I've come to the right person,

and you're going to be interested in buying them.

But have a little look and see what you think.

They are in good condition, which is always a benefit.

And they are marked CH for Charles Horner,

and the date is...

1910, for that pair.

He is the man, isn't he, to look for, if you're buying hatpins.

-Yes.

-He was the sort of prime maker, wasn't he?

I do find people come and say, "Have you got any Charles Horner?"

-Right.

-This is something.

But there are other designers

who are equally as good as Charles Horner.

What sort of price are you prepared to offer on these five?

-Including the damaged one.

-On the five altogether...

I was probably thinking about £160.

OK. Well, I was really hoping to get towards 200.

It is a nice round figure, June!

What do you think about that? I do know that those are damaged...

I would be happy to give you £200.

Well, thank you very much, June, that's really helpful,

and hopefully it will spur me on against Jonty,

who really is quite a mean dealer.

Well, you're not exactly a pushover yourself, Miss Bliss.

£200 for the hatpins adds another £90 profit to the pot

and takes the First Lady of Antiques into the lead.

In London, Jonty is working hard to seal a deal for his majolica bowl.

I think the best offer I can make on that to you is 240.

What?!

OK, I'll come down.

-260.

-260? Done.

-Very good.

-I HAVE been.

JONTY LAUGHS

Well, that's a great result for Mr Hearnden, and when he seals a deal for the page-turner...

Quickly, 100 quid, then.

..the two items have added a combined £140 to his total.

Take note, Miss Bliss - because I have taken several.

Now, as any dealer will tell you, selling is all about the art of the haggle.

There are many ways to do it, and Kate and Jonty are experts.

There's the cheeky approach...

I was really hoping to get towards 200.

It is a nice round figure, June!

There's the "too good to be true" approach.

Real bargain. Do a big deal, great offer...

150 quid.

There's the "tug on the heartstrings" tactic.

-200 - that's cheap!

-£200?

Look at him. Look at his little face.

And those rare golden moments where the buyer makes an offer

that you just can't refuse.

Let me shake your hand. That's so generous, thank you so much.

With our experts making sale after sale, it looks as though

today's competition is going down to the wire -

but who's leading the way, and who needs to pull their socks up?

So far, Jonty has racked up £560 worth of sales,

which have netted him £290 of profit.

It's an excellent start, and has put him in the lead.

Kate has made £380 worth of sales,

but she's only banked £160 worth of profit.

She may be trailing in the race to win today's contest, but the First Lady of Antiques is no pushover.

Determined to bring her rival down, she's set up a meeting with a local

barometer dealer in Leominster, in her home county of Herefordshire.

She's hoping to sell him the barometer that she bought for £220.

Don't forget that even though our experts might have spoken to their potential purchasers

to set up the deals, and may even think they've got it in the bag -

until money changes hands, no sale is secure.

-Hi, Colin.

-Hi, Kate.

I think you've got even more barometers in here

-than last time I came! Nice to see you.

-And you.

This is the one I told you about on the phone. What do you think?

I know it's an Edwardian one, but I thought it was quite nicely done.

Nice little bit of zebra stringing all the way down and round -

takes a lot of work to do that.

And a nice silver dial there

with the nice engraving in the middle.

It's a good-quality aneroid barometer.

Well, I'm looking for about 300. How does that sound?

Erm, I'd be looking... really top end about 250, really.

Mm-hm. OK... Erm...

What about... Can you meet me halfway?

-Say, 280?

-Yes, I'll go to 280.

Fantastic. Thank you very much, Colin.

-Thanks, Kate.

-Lovely. Well, there you go.

Kate has managed to bank £60 profit from the sale of the barometer -

but she's not finished yet.

The dealer also sells clocks.

So Kate is going to try and sell him the mantel clock she paid £45 for at auction.

In the capital, the Hit Man has also got a potential sale in his sights.

I've come to Paddington in London, to meet a friend of mine inside this pub.

Now, it's his lunch break. So he's got an hour to kill,

and the Hit Man Hearnden will make a sale to anybody, at any time - including somebody's lunch break.

Now, his name is Paul, and he was born in Liverpool.

And what have I got tucked under my arm?

My Liverpool books.

Watch the Hit Man Hearnden make a sale.

Well, the Hit Man SOUNDS supremely confident, but he could be playing a dangerous game.

Jonty paid £200 for the books, because he was sure that his friend

would want to buy a book that records his home city's heritage.

So, he really has put all his eggs in one Liverpudlian basket.

So these are these fabulous books, Paul.

And as we can see, inside here it says

"The Pictorial Relics Of Ancient Liverpool, by WG Herdman."

-OK?

-Yeah. I don't know him, but...

All these fabulous illustrations -

-both books are illustrated to the hilt.

-Good grief, Lime Street.

That's where the railway station is...?

It is the main railway station. The main hotels...

But to see it like that is quite incredible -

it's a rural setting.

These are fantastic books.

I fully confess, when I saw them in the auction room, I thought,

-"I know somebody who might well be interested in these."

-Yes, and I am.

I mean, these are absolutely superb.

Paul seems interested, but is he prepared to pay the asking price?

In Leominster, Kate has made a £60 profit from her barometer.

But she's now pushing her luck by trying to sell the mantel clock to the same dealer.

She paid £45 for it.

-This is enamelled, isn't it?

-It is, yeah. Yeah.

Nice inlay. Needs a little bit of polish on the case.

It does, yeah.

Ah. It's by the Hamburg American Clock Company.

Now I expected that to be French, but it's actually a German clock.

Oh - so is that written on the inside?

This symbol here, that's their trademark.

And they made every type of clock.

And er...I've always had a soft spot for their stuff, for some reason.

-It's just one of those things.

-Have you?

I shouldn't have said that, should I? It's going to cost me more now.

Ah - my radar's going now! THEY LAUGH

Well, it can be yours for...150?

Miss Bliss is going in for the kill.

£150 would give her a huge return -

but she's not the only one trying to make a handsome profit.

How much is Jonty's buyer prepared to pay for the Liverpool books?

I would offer you £500.

That's great for me.

-You're a star.

-Thank you.

That deal gives Jonty a £300 profit.

Mr H is delighted!

Wow. THAT was one of the best lunchtime sales I've ever made!

I think it's fair to say that everybody's favourite Hit Man

is a happy man - and the pressure is now on Kate.

She's fallen behind,

and has to get every penny she can for the mantel clock.

I'd go to 120...?

130?

Go on, then. Yeah.

-I'll have a deal at 130.

-Wonderful.

Thank you, Colin. That's great.

Well, that's an excellent sale for Kate.

And it's banked her £85 of profit.

Well, I've sold the clock AND I've sold the barometer, and I am well chuffed.

So now it's time to hit the road, and have a cup of tea.

Our battling dealers are now entering the final stretch,

and they're both determined to seal the decisive deals.

It's Miss Bliss out in the beautiful Herefordshire countryside...

..versus city slicker Mr H -

whose shares have fallen, because he sold his Pilkington bowl for a loss.

And Kate's taken full advantage

by selling her silver snuffbox for £160, giving her a £60 profit.

With one item each left to sell, Jonty is out in front.

He's left the bright lights of London to try and do his final deal.

Well, I've come to the heart of the Cotswolds, to find my gnome man.

Now, I haven't met Stephen before, but I do know that he's a specialist in this kind of genre of furniture.

And what I'm talking about of course is my hanging corner cupboard, which I bought in the auction rooms,

and I paid £340 for it.

I'm going to see if I can make a big fat profit.

So Stephen, this is the offending article.

This is right up my street, Jonty,

this is exactly the sort of furniture we deal in.

This is, as you already know, the Gnome Man,

and he was a Yorkshire craftsman...

-And his name was Thomas Whittaker.

-It was indeed.

Thomas "Gnome Man" Whittaker.

-Didn't he die in '91, is that right?

-'91, he died.

And he was working more or less right up to retirement and beyond.

So let's get down to the serious business -

I'm looking for £550.

Now, considering the cupboard cost Jonty just £340 at auction,

£550 is a high price, but he needs to get as much as possible, because

after struggling to get a taker for her knife box,

Miss Bliss has finally lined up a potential buyer.

It's a family friend, but Kate is over £100 behind her rival, so she

needs to be at her ruthless best to get as much as possible for an item she paid £350 for at auction.

It's got this lovely flame mahogany on the sloping lid here.

Probably dates from the early part of the 19th century,

although it could be earlier, sort of late 18th century.

And what we've got here is a lovely shell inlay in the lid, which makes

it a little bit different,

reminiscent of Thomas Sheraton, the designer.

And some lovely chequered stringing here.

This has faded, of course, a little bit, being on the top.

But if you open it up, you can see it's repeated on the inside as well,

-which is rather nice.

-Beautiful.

So, it HAS been converted to stationery,

and you've got the compartments here and your little pen tray here.

I think it's a very lovely thing,

and I'm very interested, and I think I'll say yes.

Yes? Excellent!

So, Kate's friend wants to buy the box.

But Kate is lagging behind,

and needs a big profit to put the pressure back on her rival.

Well, I'm looking for about 500, is that all right?

That's fine. It's a very great thing of beauty, and I love it.

Well, thank you very much.

£500 gives Kate a fantastic £150 profit.

We'll find out if Jonty was able to sell the corner cupboard

and snatch a last-gasp victory shortly.

But now, it's time to tot up the profits.

Remember, both our experts could spend up to £1,000 each on today's challenge.

Jonty spent a total of £895,

whilst Kate pushed the boat out and spent £935.

All that remains is to reveal who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

-Hello, Jonty!

-Kate, how are you?

I'm very well. I haven't seen you for ages.

It seems an awfully long time since the auction.

-Doesn't it? Have you been a busy bee?

-I have. I've been selling away.

But I have to say, there was one or two items which I found really difficult to sell.

-Do you know, I certainly had one of those.

-Really? What was that?

Oh, well... Tell me -

Before we get any further, how did you get on with that knife box?

-It was a nice thing, wasn't it?

-Good quality.

Do you know, I did struggle, but at the 11th hour, I found

a very distinguished lady who had excellent taste.

-HE LAUGHS

-Well, you would say that, wouldn't you?

How about you? How did those books go?

-What, the Liverpool books?

-Yes.

Well, I managed to have a bit of success with that, because I found

a mate who was from Liverpool, and he fell in love with them

so he did write out a big fat cheque.

-We'd better found out then, hadn't we?

-Shall we?

Can't wait. Ready? After three.

1, 2, 3... There you go.

Oh! Well done, you!

-That's great. Look at that!

-200 quid?

-We've both done very well.

Do you know, I'm gutted. I thought I knew my way round an auction!

Well, it's the luck of the draw. You never know what you can find.

-True.

-Right. I think I owe you a drink.

Well - do you know, that would be the gentlemanly thing to do.

-Come on.

-Thank you.

So, it's a victory for Jonty - and it was the corner cupboard

that he bought for £340 that gave him the glory.

So what I'm going to say to you Jonty is, I'm a fair man...

I will offer you £500 for it.

A fabulous profit of £160

helped the Hit Man secure victory and take today's title.

It's great to beat Kate. She has come from a background

of working within the auction room business,

so to actually beat her at her own game, I feel pretty chuffed.

Well, the fact that Jonty's beaten me is actually quite disappointing.

It just goes to show that my experience as an auctioneer

doesn't really prepare you for being a dealer.

And he sure must have got some lucky breaks!

Well, Jonty may have taken victory today, but both our experts have made splendid amounts of money,

and every penny will be going to their chosen charities.

I'm so pleased that I can donate in excess of £700 to Helen & Douglas House.

It's a very expensive hospice to run,

so that amount of money hopefully will make that much of a difference.

My good cause is the Alzheimer's Society in Herefordshire, who look

after people suffering with dementia and the people who look after them.

So, Jonty won today's challenge, but this competition is far from over.

Because tomorrow, our intrepid antiques hunters will be heading

across the Channel, to do battle at an antiques market in Belgium.

If this is the right price, I've saved the best till last.

And this little gem just might give Jonty Hearnden a run for his money.

I'll do anything to beat that girl Kate Bliss.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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