Kate Bliss v Jonty Hearnden: UK Antiques Market 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?

Excellent!

He who laughs last, laughs loudest.

From car boot sales to auction houses, our experts will recreate

some of their real-life deals as they go head-to-head

and try and make the most money for their chosen charities.

Purchase of the week!

Fantastic. I'm thrilled with that.

The challenge to our experts is clear.

Dealers, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Today's experts are the suave and sophisticated

Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden and "Queen of Antiques", Kate "Absolute" Bliss.

The daughter of an auctioneer, Kate has been surrounded by antiques all her life.

So it's hardly surprising that she's gone on to become a respected independent valuer,

agent and broker, with over a decade of experience under her belt.

I think Jonty and I are quite well matched, actually.

He's quite the gent, but he's also quite a dark horse. And I think he's got a very competitive streak.

So I've had to pull my finger out a bit.

Kate's title of Queen of Antiques comes from dispensing expert advice on Bargain Hunt and Flog It.

55?

50 is better for me.

Kate's opponent might not have grown up in the antiques world,

but he's got over 30 years of experience in the trade.

Kate Bliss is a wily, canny thing.

So I think the competition is going to be rather stiff this time around.

A firm favourite with the housewives, this antiques hunter

can regularly be found searching for Cash In The Attic.

So, we have our experts.

They have the contacts and a determination to win.

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

-Good morning.

-Nice jacket.

You're a lady of taste, you've got one yourself.

I thought brown was more my colour, what do you think?

It's good. I've got a golden envelope for you.

-That's for you.

-Shall I open this?

-Yeah, you go first.

-Here we go, wait for this.

"Jonty and Kate, your challenge today is to spend £750 of your own money on antiques.

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

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

-Sounds tricky.

This one says, "Today you must buy all your antiques from an antiques fair."

-You know your way around fairs, don't you?

-Yes, I've had a few fairs in my time(!)

Have you now?! Well, I've heard there's quite a big one round here.

-Really?

-Antiques fair, that is.

-Let's go for it.

-That way?

That way.

Pretty much everybody that Kate and Jonty try to do deals with

will be aware that they're on a mission to raise as much money as possible for charity.

Our experts will be doing everything to persuade people to give them

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

The Hitman and his rival will be doing battle

at the Newark Antiques Fair, on the banks of the River Trent.

Jonty has decided to focus his energies on finding potentially profitable pieces of furniture.

Miss Bliss will be hunting for pieces with a value of less than £250.

I've had a bit of a look round,

but already I've spotted these, which I'm really excited about.

What we've got here is a set of six silver napkin rings.

The Victorians were the first to fold napkins for the table.

And, of course, you needed a ring to hold it in place.

And here, we have one of six.

Originally, they were made in sets

of typically six, just like we have here.

But they were usually engraved with numbers, individually,

to show they were part of a set. Or with monograms or initials.

Or even a family crest. Now the nice thing about this set

is that they are all quite nice and plain.

They're not too light.

A key thing to look for with silver is the weight of silver.

And the other thing is the hallmark, of course.

Dated for 1935 and tested in London,

which is the little leopard's head mark.

But we have another symbol,

which only appears between the years of 1934 and '35.

And that's a double crowned head, the symbol for

the Silver Jubilee of George V, who was on the throne at the time.

So, we know exactly when these were made.

And I think I'm going to snap them up.

So, Miss Bliss getting down to the serious business of haggling.

The Hitman has headed to a stall of garden furniture.

And one piece in particular has caught his eye.

I've really been taken by this

quite simple, stylish bird bath.

Round the top of the bowl here are these moulded oak leaves.

I say moulded, these are not carved, because a piece of furniture

like this is actually made of reconstituted stone.

So, that's ground up pieces of stone pressed into a mould,

and that's the reason why you get this effect round the top here.

Down below, we've got this balustrade of a base.

So it's almost like an urn down at the bottom.

And the plinth has got real age to it.

Look at the wear, look at the ageing.

For goodness sake, there's a bit of moss growing, down at the bottom there.

I would suspect that this item is post Second World War, 1950s, maybe even 1960s.

But it's the simplicity that I like.

So it's all down to a question of price.

Because a little garden ornament like this could be sold

to an awful lot of people. I'll go and check it out.

It looks like Jonty splash some of his cash on the bird bath.

Kate has completed her first deal and has spent £80 on the set of silver napkin rings.

Lovely. Thank you very much.

Well, that's my first buy of the day.

And I'm pleased with those.

So, Kate's up and running, but what about Jonty and his bird bath?

That was the smallest haggle in history.

I eventually got it for £110.

She started off at £120, she wasn't going to take any less than that.

So, I finally bought it at that price,

but I'm hoping that, to the right person,

I'm going to double my money. So, hopefully, £200 in the pot.

I have no idea who that buyer is going to be, but I still love it.

So, on a wing and a prayer, The Hitman snapped up the bird bath.

With pride at stake, he's taking this contest very seriously indeed.

Croquet was very popular in this country, it became popular in the 17th century.

And the interesting part about the game is,

it became popular not so much because you could play outdoors, but it was an equality game.

Men and women could play with equal talent,

because it is a game that you don't need strength to play.

It's still incredibly popular today.

Of course, it's a summer pastime.

But there's always a market for sets like this.

Now, I paid £160 for this set.

So I'm hoping that I can sell this set for in excess of £200.

Kate, do you fancy a game?

Because I'm very good at croquet.

So, Jonty thinks he's on to a winner with the croquet set.

Elsewhere, his rival has given in to temptation.

MUSIC: "Material Girl" by Madonna

With so many sparkly things on offer, a girl has got to go home with a piece of jewellery, hasn't she?

And look what I've just found. I think it's beautiful.

It's Edwardian. It's made of gold,

with a lovely teardrop-shaped amethyst in the centre and then

a little surround of seed pearls. Now, amethyst was a type of quartz

and its value lies in the way the stone is cut, the size of it,

but also the way that the colour is saturated throughout the stone.

And a good little key is to look for the way

the deep purple saturates right through to the edge of the stone.

And this one is a really deep, rich colour, all the way through.

Now, the word amethyst actually comes from

the Greek, "amethystos", which means sober.

And the Greeks believed that, if you wore an amethyst,

it would stop you becoming intoxicated if you were drinking strong liquor.

It's also believed to instil you with a sense of peace and calm and people

used to place them under their pillows to give them sweet dreams.

Now, I'm hoping that this might prove a bit of a nightmare for Jonty.

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING

I paid £150 for this piece and I still think I could get

over 200 by selling it to a top dealer, not far from where I live.

At least mine will fit in my pocket.

I bet that Jonty is buying big lumps of furniture.

How right you are, Miss Bliss.

It may have taken him a while, but it was only a matter of time before The Hitman found himself a sofa.

When it comes to buying antiques, these two can read each other like a pair of vintage books.

I can only assume that Kate is somewhere out there in the market frantically trying to find bargains,

but I'm nice and relaxed, because I've bought myself this very comfortable two-seater sofa

and this very pretty little chair here.

Now the reasons why I bought them, it's not because they look fantastic at the moment.

This sofa, particularly, needs a re-covery, the fabric is in very poor condition.

And this chair here not only needs a re-covery, but needs re-upholstering, as well.

So there's quite a bit of work to be done on both of these upholstered pieces.

And the reason why I bought this is because of the shape.

It's got these lovely scroll arms

and, particularly, these outswept legs.

The most important thing when you're buying upholstery

is to check whether the chair itself is comfortable.

And, yes it is. With this lovely scroll back and these scroll arms, not only do you have the comfort

factor there, but you also have a stylish look.

Whereas this little fella here, I think this is great.

We've got a serpentine front to the seat here.

We've got these scroll arms and these turned legs.

Now just have a look at how chairs like this were upholstered.

Inside here, you've got dried grass. It's straw in here.

This straw is 100 years old.

And above that is a layer of horse hair. It's amazing.

So all of this stuffing in here is original.

The turning on the leg here makes this chair about 100 years old, as well.

So it's more 19th century, than early 20th century.

So chairs like this we call Napoleon Trois - Napoleon III chairs.

He was on the throne at the time in France.

So, these two chairs are French.

Fabulous, but I've got a bit of work to do.

But once they're transformed, they're going to look absolutely stunning.

So, I'm really very, very pleased.

Price? Well, I paid £220 for the sofa and, wait for this,

£130 for this frame.

It's an absolute bargain.

And it's comfy, too.

That's a huge purchase for The Hitman.

With just £750 to play with, he'll need to keep back some of his cash for the repairs that will be needed.

His rival, though, has secured another purchase.

This is a little bit of fun, have a look at this.

This is an Edwardian timepiece.

Dating from the early 20th century, it's made of turned mahogany,

with a lovely little pedestal base

and a lovely grain and patina on the top here.

The dial is enamelled and the movement

is just a basic French movement, typical of this sort of sized clock.

It doesn't have an alarm or a strike, but the workings of it,

the balance escapement and wheel, are typical,

because it doesn't need a pendulum to keep it going.

And that's for a very good reason because it's got a little secret.

If I take the top off and I take the bottom off,

you can see that it all folds down for travelling.

And so it will actually keep working while it's on the move,

just like a watch. The other thing which

the stallholder told me was that he bought it because he's a golfer.

And he thinks, when it's all back together,

it looks a little bit like a golf ball sitting on a tee.

So you never know, I might find a golfer who falls in love with it.

Well, I paid just £30 for this and I'm hoping I might double my money.

CLOCK TICKING

Time is ticking. Better get on.

Yes, time waits for no man or woman. And, with both our experts bagging

items left, right and centre, it's time to find out who's leading the way and who is lagging behind.

Now, remember that our experts began with up to £750

of their own money at their disposal.

So far Jonty has parted company with £620 for four items,

which leaves him with just £130 still to spend.

Kate has only bought three items and has spent just £260,

which means that she still has £490 in her kitty.

Miss Bliss may be lagging behind in the buying stakes

but the First Lady of Antiques is a fierce competitor,

and it looks like the fightback might be just about to start.

Now, I have just secured myself the most fantastic deal.

I've used all my powers of persuasion and knowledge

and I have bought...a little box.

Well, no. There just happens to be a lovely pair of earrings inside.

Now, I have fallen hopelessly in love with these.

Each one is set with four square-cut, or trap-cut, as they're known, sapphires.

And then, surrounded in the white gold, are brilliant cut diamonds.

Now, the word sapphire comes from the Latin "sapphirus", which does mean blue.

And most people think sapphires have to be blue.

But in fact, you can get them in fancy pink or even yellow colours.

But the blue ones come in various different shades.

The Ceylon, or Sri Lankan sapphire, is often a lovely cornflower blue,

as opposed to a deep jet or inky blue.

And the lighter blue ones that we've got here

are much more commercial these days, particularly in this sort of setting.

Because this is very much Art Deco in style.

It's very square, geometric in design.

Echoed in the very square-cut stones in the centre.

These are actually modern, but the style, Art Deco, is very commercial.

They are rather nice, aren't they?

Well, they were priced at 275.

I've managed to buy them for just over £200. £210.

But I'm still thinking, I might have to keep them for myself.

Now, focus, Miss Bliss.

Those earrings are not for you.

£210 might not seem as if it fits in with the strategy of being tight

with the purse strings, but Kate did knock £65 off the asking price.

Elsewhere, The Hitman has struck again...

Look at this. It's my lovely mirror.

It's pretty, it's mahogany inlay, and I'm a big fan of inlay.

But this is Dutch,

and this mirror would have been made about 150 years ago.

Inlay of this style was very popular in Holland in the 18th and 19th century.

If you look closely, you can see that it's all stylised flower heads.

The mirror frame needs a bit of repair.

We've got a few chips up here, a few breaks, but I'm not too worried about that,

because a mirror like this can just go straight on to somebody's wall.

So, in a smaller room, maybe a bedroom, even a downstairs space,

to hang a mirror like this, there's always room for something like this. I think it's so, so pretty.

The glass itself, the mirror glass, you can tell is 100 years old,

because it's got that almost pitted look to it.

Have a look at this corner here. It's still rather faded.

So I've got it for £130.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's going to make the biggest profit of all?

Me.

Yes, he might be predicting a fairy-tale ending for himself,

but with plenty of money left in her kitty, our very own Snow White is far from finished.

Though with Jonty all spent up, the pressure is most definitely on.

I think I've spotted an antiques expert in distress.

And it's Kate!

As Captain Hearnden has pointed out, Kate is indeed in trouble and is frantically searching

for hidden treasures on which to spend her cash.

After putting in some serious legwork though,

she finally finds what she's looking for

and picks up two decanter sets for £125.

You know, when your luck's out and you're trawling round a fair

trying to find something at the right price and your feet are hurting, don't be put off.

That's how exactly I was just about five minutes ago.

And then, suddenly, out of the blue, I find these two crackers on the same stall.

And what we've got here are two sets of decanters.

And the decanter is still quite a commercial object today.

Its history goes way, way back to Roman times, when wine was stored in great big amphora vases.

But it was then decanted into this sort of vessel, to serve it easily at the table.

But they're also used for another purpose.

And that's because a lot of wine vases got a lot of sediment in them.

And the liquid had to be decanted to get rid of the sediment in the bottle.

And so only the clear, best liquid was put into the decanter to be used at the table.

Although they look similar, they are very different.

We've got here a period piece.

19th century.

A lovely mahogany box, with brass banding.

And the decanters inside are the original pair.

The thing I like about these is, you've got a lovely serrated edge to the decanter.

You've got the original stopper, now that's always worth looking for.

Check that it fits properly and that it isn't chipped underneath.

But also you've got a lovely little pourer moulded into the rim here.

A little bit of damage on this one, but you can't have everything, can you? So there we go.

A lovely set, in its box.

This one is a lovely period box.

In fact, we've got a brass cartouche on the top inscribed "1921, 1931".

So we can date that exactly.

Inside this one, you have a pair of decanters.

But then, just when you think you've got a really nice piece, it gets even better.

You've got a lovely sliding tray, which fits beautifully inside there,

with a set of four tumblers to go with it. £125 for the two.

Well, I reckon I could get £100 for each of those. Fingers crossed.

Well, Jonty, it just seems you're not going to the right places.

More fighting talk from the First Lady.

That brings us to the end of today's bout between our two antique heavyweights.

And it's now time to find out who was floating like a butterfly and who has been stung by a bee.

Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden came out fighting from the off

and has spent every penny of his £750 kitty on five items.

After a tough first round Kate "Absolute" Bliss

got into the fight, spending £595 on six items,

leaving her with £155 in her kitty.

Remember that buying is only half the battle.

Before our experts head home to try and make a profit from their purchases,

they just can't resist taking a peek at each other's wares.

-So how was your day?

-Good. What have you got there?

Look at this, look at this. I love these. What do you think?

Wouldn't suit me.

Not your colour? Hey, go with the jacket!

-No, no, no, no, no. Oh, Kate?

-Yes?

-More mahogany?

-Well, I've got a bit of a decanter thing going on here.

But this is good, have a look.

-Two decanters, but also, you get glasses.

-They're fun.

-What do you think?

-If you get stopped for drinking and driving, don't blame me.

I'm not going to touch it! What about this?

-I do like the croquet set.

-Yes, that's very nice.

-What's with the chair, then?

There's a family of mice live in here.

You do like a project don't you, Jonty?

-Yes, this is a big project.

-You've got your work cut out.

-Have you got a saw?

-What, for the sofa?

-I've got to get that in my car. Do you fancy giving me a hand in with it?

I think I'm going to be here some time.

There's a really nice man over there who I'm sure will give you a hand.

-I've got to go. Sorry, bye!

-Bye.

So, assuming that Jonty manages to get them home, he'll be selling...

A bird bath.

A croquet set.

A 19th-century, two-seater sofa.

A Napoleon Trois armchair.

And a mahogany inlaid mirror.

Kate will be selling...

A set of six silver napkin rings.

An Edwardian amethyst pendant.

A mahogany Edwardian timepiece.

Art Deco-styled sapphire and diamond earrings.

A 19th-century decanter set

and an early 20th-century decanter set.

Having gone head-to-head at the Newark Antiques Fair, Kate and Jonty make their way home

to ready themselves for the second part of today's challenge.

They now have to sell all their items and make as much profit as they can.

Our experts can sell their wares to whoever and wherever they choose.

The winner will be the one who makes the biggest profit.

They'll both be pulling out all the stops to try and find

the right buyers, and they are working their way

through their little black books, putting deals together.

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

With the pressure on to sell their wares, both Kate and Jonty

are desperate to secure profitable sales.

In the Big Smoke, The Hitman is calling in a favour.

His 19th-century two-seat sofa is in dire need of an overhaul.

But, having spent all his cash, this favour could cost him a lot more than he was bargaining for.

There she is, Simon. What do you reckon? My little beauty.

How much do you want to spend on it?

I've got no money at all to spend on this.

Not a penny. I'm calling in a huge favour.

Why are you doing this to me now?

-I see.

-I know that you're a very generous man.

-Oh, fine(!)

OK, if I'm going to do this, then you're going to have to do something for me.

That's fine. Sounds ominous.

I'll pick you out some dirty, horrible chair and I'll make you work for a living.

Thank you very much. Is it in there?

Come on, I'll show you.

The good news is that Jonty's getting his sofa restored.

The bad news, for Jonty, is that in return he's got to get his hands dirty.

So, you've got to take all the old studs out.

The stained, horrible fabric.

All the inside. Don't know what you'll find.

-I'm going to be here for a week?

-You'll be here for a little while.

-I'll give you a call when I've finished.

-See you later.

Are you off to go and look after my sofa?

-I am indeed.

-OK, good.

Now, which one is it? This one here.

This one here. Let's have a look at this.

-# Well, I got work to do

-I got work to do

-# Everybody's got work to do

-I got work to do... #

Look at that. One nail, three million to go.

Well, Simon might be breathing new life into Jonty's sofa,

but Miss Bliss is determined to seal a deal and bank some profit.

The owner of a local antiques centre is interested in her silver napkin rings,

but will he be prepared to pay more than the £80 Kate paid for them?

I'm looking for 150.

Erm...it's about its money, really. If we could do 130, then we're away.

There's got to be a little bit in it for me.

-Go on, then. 130?

-Yes. I'll have them for that.

-I'm happy with that.

-Fancy a cup of tea and a catch up?

Yeah, that would be good.

-I'll put the kettle on.

-Great, let's have a brew.

A cup of tea and a £50 profit, that's a good deal for Kate.

In London, her rival is making a bit of a meal of his restoration job.

Aargh! Look at that!

I think I'll stick to being an antique dealer. Eugh.

This is just filthy work, mate.

Now you know how we make a living. That's not too bad.

-Would you give me a job?

-No.

Now, look, I've stuck to my word, OK?

-How is my sofa getting on?

-The sofa, I'd better get on with it now.

You can come back and get it later on.

I need to pick it up later, because I'm in a competition.

I've got serious work to do, profits to make.

-We'll make you some money.

-See you later.

So, having paid his dues, Jonty's sofa is well on the way to being totally refurbished.

The Hitman is right about getting on, though,

because Kate has has also banked profits

from the sale of her Edwardian mahogany clock

and one of her decanter sets.

Mr Hearnden, though, is just getting started.

He's returned to Hearnden HQ and has invited a client round to take a look at his armchair.

MUSIC: Theme from "The Persuaders!"

Lady Rosemary Pickering has bought antiques from Jonty in the past,

but will the armchair be to her liking?

He's going to need to use his relentless charm and repartee to get back in the game.

Ladies and gentlemen, Jonty Hearnden is The Persuader.

I know that you were looking for a little bedroom chair.

-Yes.

-But here we've got movement.

We've got movement in the arms, we've got movement in the back, we've got the serpentine front here.

So it's got a lovely little shape to it. Well, I think so.

-It's a really nice chair.

-Now, you must have a seat.

Well, let's try it.

Is it comfy?

Yes, that's comfortable.

-You look very comfy there.

-That is comfortable, I really like that.

-Special price, £350.

-350?

Yes. Do you like it?

I love it, I love it.

Give that a thought, because I've got something else to show you.

The Persuader - he's as cunning as a fox and as smooth as silk.

Lady Pickering has fallen for the Napoleon Trois armchair,

but will she be as impressed with Jonty's second item?

They may have spoken on the phone to arrange their meeting, but will the bird bath fit the bill?

So, it comes in three sections, this bird bath.

The top is loose, the pedestal and the base.

So it's all in three sections.

Three sections? I expected something a little bigger.

You want something bigger?

Oh. It sounds as though Lady Pickering isn't quite so enthusiastic about the bird bath.

The Persuader is going to need to use all his charm

and rapier-like wit to convince her to splash out and make a double purchase.

-You might be more interested when I tell you the price.

-Well, yes, just tell me.

£220 for the bird bath.

-A bargain.

-So, that's 220. And then the chair...

The chair is 350.

I was just wondering,

is there any way in which that could be a different kind of sum?

I can make it higher if you like(!)

You know precisely what I mean.

I was just wondering if you could do a little reduction.

-How about £500 for the two?

-For the two?

-Yeah.

-Does that sound better?

-I think that sounds very nice indeed.

-Yes?

Yes, I think I'm going to have them.

-You're a star.

-I think so.

Yes? I'm not going to shake hands, can we kiss on this, please?

-Oh, Jonty.

-Done.

-Lovely.

-Wonderful.

It's £500 for the chair and the bird bath, netting Jonty a fantastic

£170 profit for the Napoleon Trois armchair and £90 for the bird bath.

Things are really hotting up in today's competition.

With both dealers sealing profitable deals, it's time to find out

who's heading for a famous triumph and who's heading for a fall.

Jonty has sold his Napoleon Trois armchair and the bird bath,

which has banked him a very impressive £260 worth of profit.

His rival has sold one of her decanters, a clock and a set

of silver napkin rings for £340, giving her £105 worth of profit.

So, both our experts have got profits in the bank.

And with Jonty edging out in front, it's just as well that Kate isn't one for resting on her laurels.

Keen to seal more deals, "Absolute" Bliss hits the road in the hope of selling her remaining decanter set.

Don't forget, both our experts have been setting up potential deals on the phone and by e-mail.

But until money's changed hands, no sale is secured.

-Ah, Louis!

-Nice to see you.

-And you, how are you?

-Long time no see.

Yes, shop looks good.

-Thank you.

-Looks great. Very nice.

-This is the box.

-That's the box, fantastic. Shall we go upstairs?

-Lovely, OK, I'll follow you. So, how are things?

-Not so bad.

Remember that Kate bought two decanter sets for £125.

Having sold the first set for £150, she's already recouped her costs.

That means every penny she gets from this sale

will be pure profit.

Well, let me pop this down, because it is fairly heavy.

I wonder why.

Well, lovely rosewood box,

with a nice bit of brass banding here. And a carrying handle.

I saw it at an antiques fair and I just thought it was super quality.

Also, which I think is really fun, we have glasses to match.

There we go. And I thought, as you're an interior designer - I know that you like antiques as well -

but you might just find a corner, or one of your clients might have a corner for this, perhaps.

I need to find someone who drinks whisky, don't I?

-That's right. Scotch on the rocks.

-Scotch on the rocks.

It would look lovely on a sideboard in somebody's dining room, or even in somebody's, you know, sitting room.

But also it's got that carrying handle, so you could take it with you

on a picnic, even. If you fancied it.

-For the man that has everything.

-It is, isn't it?

-It seems to be OK.

The decanters are all in good condition, no damage.

That one needs a bit of a clean-out. I should have done that for you.

No, it's all right.

Sign of age. I think that's a good sign.

But they're all in nice condition.

-It's not often that you see the glasses as well, is it?

-No. Very different.

Now the glass is much later, it's fairly modern cut glass.

But the box, I would think, dates from around 1900, something like that.

-Your sort of thing?

-I might be interested.

-Mm-hm.

-What sort of money are we talking about?

Well, how does 250 sound?

-Expensive!

-(Oh, Louis!)

Oh, dear.

The proceeds of this sale might be all profit, but things haven't got off to the best of starts.

At Hearnden HQ, it's a case of mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the canniest dealer of them all?

It could prove to be Jonty, if he can offload his Dutch mirror, that he paid £130 for.

Guy, there's a mirror here that I think you might be interested in.

-Very nice.

-Just here.

-Now, what do you think about that?

-Very attractive.

It's Dutch, mid-19th century.

Mahogany frame, with inlay all the way around.

There's a bit of damage on the side here.

-Right, I see.

-So there's a bit of a chip off the side there.

-Do you want to have a look at it?

-Yes, please.

-Yeah?

Now...not only have we got a great front to it,

look at the quality of the inlay there.

Probably worth about £100 to me.

£100? I was thinking of doubling that, Guy.

The thing is that I don't actually have anywhere...

I haven't got a plan for it, so it would be an indulgence.

-I'd go 150, Jonty.

-I'm feeling generous.

-Jolly good.

Even more generous.

-We'll have a sale and I'll give you a cup of tea, as well.

-That will be very nice.

-Go on.

-OK, thanks.

-There's always a first!

So, having sold the mirror for £150, it's another £20 profit.

It might not be an earth-shattering amount, but it's a good result and, in this contest, every penny counts.

Louis still has designs on Kate's decanters, but he's proving to be a tough negotiator.

Can the golden girl of antiques strike a deal?

It's nice, though, isn't it? Do you like it?

You've won me there.

-The price.

-The price, OK.

How about 200?

Can I squeeze another 10?

-Why not? OK. That's fine.

-Great.

-Thanks.

-Thank you very much.

So, thanks to the decanter set, the profit is pouring in.

Kate bought two sets for £125 and has sold them for £360,

giving her a huge £235 profit.

It's a fantastic result,

but her rival isn't going to give in without a fight.

So I'm here with my croquet set and I've come to visit an old pal of mine, who's a croquet nut.

And I'm going to see whether he's going to be interested in buying it.

And I quite fancy challenging him to a game.

Jonty paid £160 for the set at the Newark Antiques Market.

As he's on a mission to raise money for charity, he's hoping to persuade Charlie to dig deep.

But before he tries to seal a deal,

he's decided to challenge his friend to a game.

Are you up for a challenge?

-Yeah. I'll take you on, but my rules.

-You're on.

-YESTERYEAR BBC VOICE:

-Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is croquet challenge.

Jonty's competitive streak means he can't resist

giving his contact a darned good thrashing at croquet.

But was the game enough to persuade Charlie to dig deep and gave Jonty a big profit?

£600, Jonty.

That's very kind.

Well, there you have it.

Jonty Hearnden - antique dealer, raconteur, bon viveur and top-drawer sportsman, to boot!

And, thanks to Charlie, he's just made a whopping £440 profit

and piled the pressure on his rival.

Now, "Absolute" Bliss knows a thing or two about jewellery, being a qualified gemologist.

However, in order to land an all-important sucker-punch, she needs to turn a sizeable profit

from her Art Deco earrings, and the Edwardian pendant.

-Hello, Andrew.

-Hello, Kate, how are you?

-I'm back from Newark.

-Good to see you again.

-The antiques fair.

-You rang me from there.

-That's right.

-Did it rain?

-It always rains when I go.

-No, it didn't, actually. It was really cold, though.

These are what I told you about on the phone.

I told you about some earrings.

-Let's have a look.

-Here are the earrings.

There's something else in there, which I'll show you in a minute.

-But what do you think about those?

-Very Deco-looking, square.

-They are, yes. Modern, I know, but they've got that Art Deco look about them, haven't they?

-They have.

-Repro, but gold.

-Yes, yes.

-Are they hallmarked?

They are, yes. Have a little look on the back.

Lovely colour from the Ceylon sapphire.

That's a lighter-coloured sapphire, isn't it?

-Much more commercial these days.

-Well, it's a better quality stone.

Hopefully you didn't pay too much, because they're nine carat.

-You know that, don't you?

-Yes. I know you like 18 carat, don't you?

I prefer 18 carat.

It's just, diamond jewellery, we prefer to sell in 18-carat gold.

However, because these are a Deco repro, they're a shape that people like.

And they're sought-after. But it does depend on the price.

-What's in that box?

-Well, this is the other thing.

This was a spontaneous buy. Tell me what you think about that.

The reason I bought it was because I thought that amethyst

was such a lovely colour and such a nice stone.

-It's Edwardian, I think, too, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

The amethyst-pearl combination was used a lot in the Edwardian period.

-They liked that combination.

-Yes, this purple colour.

-It's a pretty piece, especially the pear shape.

-It is lovely, isn't it?

On a chain, if I can find an old chain for it to go with it...

-That would set it off really nicely.

-Excellent, yes.

-You just need a little black dress. Well, not you, personally.

-No.

Oh, I don't know(!) Anyway, it would appear that Kate's expertise

in the world of gems and jewellery could get her a result.

Her dealer is interested, but can she get the mark-up required to catch The Hitman?

In London, Jonty's two-seater sofa has been restored and there's interest from a potential buyer.

But can Mr H seal a deal?

Here is the sofa. There it is, in all its splendour.

Well, I've already come down a couple of times to have a look.

I love coming past this shop, there's always something different.

So what do you think about this?

I've got the perfect spot for it.

Yeah? I think it looks great in this sort of freshly covered linen here.

-And the seat, particularly. And these lovely tapering legs.

-Yes.

I think it gives a real bit of style to this sofa.

-What do you think?

-It's simple, but chic.

It's a great neutral colour too. It's just what I'm looking for.

-And I'm very fussy!

-So, where would you put a sofa like this?

In my living room, because I've never been happy with

the living room and we never use it, because I'm not happy with it.

So this would be perfect and I'll have another room in my house.

-Wonderful.

-But how much is it?

It's £650.

Ooh, that's a bit more than I was hoping to pay for it.

Is there any negotiation?

Today's challenge is going right to the wire.

Will Jonty's sale of the sofa get him over the final hurdle?

Will Kate's jewellery turn enough profit to pip The Hitman?

All will be revealed very shortly, because it's time to tot up

the profits and find out how much our determined dealers have made.

Both Kate and Jonty were challenged to spend up to £750

of their own money on antiques.

Mr Hearnden didn't hold back and blew the lot.

Kate, on the other hand, parted with just £595.

The big question, though, is who made the biggest profit?

It's time to bring together the Posh and Becks of the antiques world

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

Jonty, this must have been a walk in the park for you. You go to Newark all the time.

I love it. It's a great place.

You bought those decanters, those were sweet. How did they get on?

-That was a good buy, buying the two together. I actually sold them to different people.

-Did you?

For one of them, I looked up an old friend, Louis, who's a great pal of mine, in Ledbury.

And he loved them.

Now, shall we find out? Because I can't wait to see how we've got on.

-Let's have a look.

-Ready? After three.

One, two, three...

-Wow! Four figures!

-That's amazing.

That's a bit of a thrashing, isn't it?

I didn't realise it was over £1,000.

That's fantastic! Well done, you.

-God, the sofa did go well!

-Ha-ha-ha!

And, talking of which, therefore, I owe you lunch. A big slap-up meal.

-Lunch!

-How about that?

-I'm not going to turn you down.

-Come on. It's all on me.

-You lead the way.

Unfortunately for Kate, all that glitters didn't quite turn out to be gold.

-£600?

-Mmm, for the two.

-No! No, I can't go that high, Kate.

-OK.

-Got to be 520 - the maximum I'd go for.

-That's your top?

As all of Kate's profits are going to her good cause, her contact dug especially deep.

But a combined profit of £160 on her two pieces of jewellery

still wasn't enough to win today's contest,

because The Hitman banked an amazing £380 profit on his sofa.

What about 600, how about that?

-And free delivery?

-Of course.

-Fantastic.

-Yes?

-Yes, that's a deal.

-You'd like to buy it?

-Yes, please.

-It's yours at 600.

Oh, I'm so thrilled. That's great.

£1,100, on the nail.

I am delighted. I'm over the moon that I've made that amount of money.

I think you would call that a resounding defeat.

Fair do's, you've got to hand it to Jonty, he's a bit of a pro, isn't he?

Well, today's title may have gone to Jonty, but both our experts

have raised fabulous sums for two deserving causes.

I chose Helen Douglas House, because it's a charity based not too far away from my home

and I think it's an incredibly worthy cause.

Well, I'm really pleased to have made a profit of just under £500

to give to the Alzheimer's Society in Herefordshire.

Well, there's no time for Jonty to rest on his laurels,

as tomorrow, battle lines will be drawn at a car-boot sale.

I wonder who's going to be the king or queen of this boot fair?

-I think it will be me.

-That is quite a result.

Jonty Hearnden, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Ready to go over the top and into battle? Follow me.

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