Mark Franks vs Paul Hayes: Foreign Market Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

We've seen them on TV, but how will the country's favourite antiques experts fare

when challenged to make a profit with their own cash?

I'll be switching on my bargain-ometer.

Knocker Knowles, I'm right on your heels.

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 to make the most money for their chosen charities.

You watch out here, Miss Bliss.

So the pressure is really on.

The challenge to our experts is clear.

Dealers, put your money where your mouth is.

Today's profit-hunting pair are collectables connoisseur Paul "Mr Morecambe" Hayes

and the irrepressible Mark "Franksy" Franks.

The best thing about being an antique dealer is,

if you do your homework and you've got knowledge,

occasionally, you can come across stuff you can make loads of money out of.

That's the best bit.

Mark's know-how and determination to win have served him well,

whether it be trading Trash To Cash or finding hidden treasures on Car Booty.

His opponent today is a second-generation antique dealer

who first started buying and selling whilst he was still at school.

Since then, he's grown up to become a respected expert with a real passion for antiquities.

Some items are interesting even though they're only worth a few pounds. I'll give an example.

I had some Roman glass bottles recently which were £30 each and they were tear bottles.

When somebody died, the mourners would catch their tears in these bottles

and would mourn for nine months and nine days.

Fantastic. That's on everybody's budget.

Paul can regularly be found hunting for Cash In The Attic or transforming Trash Into Cash.

Shame one is not big enough for Mark Franks.

That would be good. Throw away the key!

Today, we're taking our experts out of their comfort zones -

so far, in fact, that we're taking them out of the country altogether,

because the battleground for today's showdown is Brussels.

We have the experts, they have the knowledge, the contacts and an unyielding desire to win.

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

-Hey.

-Hello, mate.

-How are you, mate? All right?

-I've got something for you.

-I've got something for you. Shall we swap?

-Shocker.

-Shall I go first?

-Go on.

It says here, "Mark and Paul..."

-Us.

-Yeah. "Your challenge today is to spend £750..."

-Easy!

-"..of your own money..."

-Not so easy.

"..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."

-Really?

-Mmm.

-Shock.

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

"Bonne chance."

-What does that mean?

-Don't know. Don't stand here waffling. Get it?

I think we need some mussels, being in Brussels.

-What about sprouts?

-Sprouts? It's not Christmas.

-No, it's not.

Well, once they've stopped with the bad jokes - and, let's be honest, that could be a while -

Mark and Paul can spend up to £750 of their own money on antiques

at a Belgian market before trying to sell them on for a profit back in the UK.

Pretty much everybody that Paul and Mark try to do deals with

will be aware they're on a mission to make as much money as possible for charity,

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

they hope will drive them to victory.

In order to find the most potentially profitable items,

Paul is hoping to find some Art Nouveau pieces,

whilst Mark is aiming to hunt high and low to dig out some unusual hidden gems.

There's one thing that's been doing particularly well, and that is modern design.

I've been looking round this flea market trying to find some, and guess what I've found.

This. Now, what is it? This chair was made by a company...

and the name is on the back...

..Step 2.

It's one piece of plastic.

It's got a stopper in there where you can fill it up with water or sand and it lives in the garden.

It's a great bit of fun. I've just paid 40 quid for it.

Will I come unstuck or will I make money?

Well, I believe that modern design is one of the few things

that's really holding its own in today's market.

Well, at the prevailing exchange rate,

Mark has spent a little under £40 on the garden chair.

Elsewhere in the market,

his rival is making some tentative attempts at speaking French.

Bonne chance, Monsieur Morecambe.

Merci, merci.

This one?

C'est combien, monsieur?

Je ne parle francais.

-C'est combien?

-How much?

-Yeah.

Amazingly, his attempts at French with a Morecambe accent,

or, "Frencambe", as it's known, are starting to pay off.

C'est... It's old, this one?

MAN SPEAKS IN FRENCH

He will give it to you for 20 euros.

-20 euros.

-Yes.

OK, I'll take that. Merci beaucoup.

-It's a nice piece.

-OK, merci beaucoup. I'll take it.

This is a beautiful Victorian glass vase, possibly Baccarat, it's French,

but it's been decorated with Art Nouveau silver.

Art Nouveau was a style that came around round about the year 1900,

and the inspiration really was from organic and plant forms. The whole thing moves around.

It looks like the whole thing's alive or on fire. It's wonderful.

This is solid silver overlay.

It's made by Maxim's of Paris, which I'm going to research. Who they are I shall find out.

But that was about £20 in the actual translation,

so what a bargain.

So today's contest is now well underway

and Mark's tracked down another potentially profitable piece.

Lucite was first developed in 1931 by the DuPont company,

and it was very, very popular during the Second World War.

They used it for windshields, nose cones and all sorts of things.

The reason being it's very strong, it's very clear

and it's very durable. It's a beautiful thing.

Now, what is it? Well, is it a piece of sculpture? Is it a piece of art?

Or would you put a pot on top of it? I don't really care what it is.

It's got a good base. I like it. It could do with a bit of a clean.

It's coming home with me.

At the prevailing exchange rate,

the Lucite statue has cost Mark a shade under £35.

Mr Franks seems to be sticking to his strategy of unearthing unusual hidden items.

Paul, though, has veered miles away from his plan of buying Art Nouveau items

and has picked out an African tribal mask.

There are lots of artefacts here that you'll find similar to this, but these have a specific use.

These were used by tribes in the Congo.

They believed they took possession of the animals these represented.

On the top here is a monkey.

What they would do is they would rub magic potions and oils on this every time they would use one.

They would put medicine in these little pouches.

I was chatting to the stallholder and he believes this one is about 150 years old, which is fantastic.

I've really taken a chance on it, but you never know,

some of these artefacts are very rare - they belong in museums.

It's a bit of fun but hopefully it can bring me some luck.

Do you fancy a holiday? Morecambe is lovely this time of year. Come on.

So having been snapped up by Morecambe's finest

for just under £95, it's off to the seaside for the tribal mask.

On the other side of the market, Mark's been haggling hard on a job lot of items.

But has he been able to do a deal?

Now, I know this is a flea market and this little baby has probably got fleas.

But what's really interesting is, in amongst all this madness

and old shoes, clothes, radiators, is this beautiful,

yes, beautiful, boar's head,

this wonderful table with five leaves in it, and it all folds up.

Take a look at the legs. Come down here.

We've got a central leg there which goes between these two bits so it folds up.

Come over here and look at this.

This is beautiful. This is just gorgeous.

It's very, very sort of Arts and Crafts.

It's very, very strong and beautiful and this will be immaculate.

Let's take a look at the top. The top needs a little bit of love.

It can be re-finished.

But a table of this size has a lot of interest, and it gets even better.

We've got here...

a stunning chair.

Believe it or not, it's in great condition.

The bottom needs a bit of attention, but ignore that part of it.

Strong legs. You've got a lovely swirly shape there.

Imagine this sitting at a posh desk.

Now, I've bought these three items, and guess what?

I've spent the majority of my money on them.

That trio of items has set Mark back just over £470.

It's a colossal deal, and as it's such a big part of his budget,

he's banking an awful lot on making a very good profit from just three items.

Mr Franks is definitely putting his money where his mouth is,

but Paul is also on a bit of a buying spree.

As for his plan to try and buy Art Nouveau items,

well, that's not going quite so well.

This is an African carving, about 100 years old, but it's a personal item.

This would be carried around by somebody in particular. It's not a large centrepiece.

It would be worshipped, it's a good luck charm.

Hopefully it'll bring me some luck. Who knows?

Mr Morecambe paid just under £10 for the African figurine,

and he needs all the luck he can get,

as opponent Mark has spotted another gem.

Pine tables always sell. Look at the legs.

Very straight, very non-Victorian.

What period is this from?

Well, Art Deco, 1930s,

possibly still going in the 1940s. Square, angular.

It's got a little drawer. It's lovely.

The top's already stripped, so just give it a coat of wax, away you go.

Fashion has definitely changed in the last few years and people are painting things.

If you paint the legs and the stretchers a nice creamy or white colour,

give it a coat of wax, it is raring to go.

There's no stopping Mark today.

He's paid just under £40 for the table,

and it's another opportunity to turn a profit

and make a spectacle of himself when he returns to England's green and pleasant land.

Elsewhere, his rival is captivated by something that he thinks is full of Eastern promise.

There's something about that that I like.

He might like it, but will the man from Morecambe

be prepared to put his hand in his pocket and actually buy it?

I like it.

I like it very much, it's unusual.

After much deliberation, he makes his move.

Could this be 100?

-No?

-No, it costs 300.

Can I say 120? 120? 120... Good offer.

-150.

-150 it is, then?

150 euro - that's half price. Will Paul take a leap of faith?

What do we do? Do we pay 150?

Know what? The man who never lost any money never made any.

I'll have a go at that. Right, sir, OK, a deal.

It's nice, I like it very much.

-There we are. 150, sir.

-Thank you.

Again, Mr Morecambe has veered away from his strategy of buying Art Nouveau items.

Thank you very much.

For just under £142,

he's hoping the late-19th/early-20th century Buddha's head is a bargain.

Paul's building up quite a collection of exotic pieces,

but his opponent has spotted a little bit of home here in Brussels.

I've brought you all this way and I'm going to show you an English chest of drawers.

Well, I never. What is it? It's Victorian.

How do I know that? Rounded corners.

Rounded, rounded, rounded.

Very, very typical Victorian.

Let's have a look at the drawers.

The lining's good. It's in fairly good condition.

The knobs have been changed. They're slightly smaller, but I don't really care.

They're all in keeping. And what's it made out of?

As you can see there, that little bit's flicking off, so it's veneer,

and it's satin walnut, and it's got a very distinctive pattern on it.

It's like the stripes of a tiger.

So the base is pine, the rest of it is veneered.

Now, what is important about a chest of drawers? Come and learn.

Do the drawers go in and out properly? Are the drawer bottoms solid?

If you put your pants in and they fall to the bottom, you're not going to want to buy, are you?

When the drawers are worn away, what happens is this bit wears away.

If you put heavy stuff in, it gets smaller and smaller and smaller,

and eventually the drawer will sit like that, so it will fall backwards.

But this is absolutely lovely. Nice and flush all the way along there.

All drawers are solid.

And it's quite a find.

It could do with a little rub-down and a lick-over to make it shiny and lovely.

In a shop in London, I'd expect this to sell for 300 quid.

So let's see how much it is.

-Monsieur, bonjour.

-Bonjour.

-Combien...

-Cent vingt.

-Cent vingt?

-Oui.

-120 euros.

It's about £120. Le dernier prix, s'il vous plait.

-Cent.

-Cent?

-Oui.

-Cent. Vendu. Merci beaucoup.

-Merci.

Now, Mark did say he was looking for special or unusual pieces today,

and, if we're being honest, the chest of drawers is neither.

However, this game is all about thinking on your feet,

and Franksy's number one priority is finding items that have the potential to make him a profit.

Both Mark and Paul can spend up to £750 of their own money.

At the prevailing exchange rate,

Paul has parted with just under £265,

and he has a little over £485 left in his kitty.

Franksy, meanwhile, has continued his spending spree

and has spent almost £675,

leaving just over £75 in his wallet.

Both our experts are working their socks off.

Mark is still way up front in the spending stakes,

but don't underestimate the competitive nature of Mr Morecambe.

He's a man on a mission, determined to win today's contest.

He's hit the road, Jack, and he's on his way to another slightly more upmarket market here in Brussels.

# Hit the road, Jack

# And don't you come back no more

# No more, no more, no more

# Hit the road, Jack

# And don't you come back no more

# What you say?

# Hit the road, Jack... #

His rival may be hoping the grass is greener elsewhere, but Mark has decided to stay put.

He knows where Paul has gone, but he thinks there are bargains to be had where he is,

and he might be right, because he's sealed another deal.

Space is definitely at a premium these days.

People are always looking for storage, so what better than this lovely set of coat hooks?

These are the original hooks here and I'm going to keep these.

These ones here are horrible and they can go.

Mr Hayes, it's time to hang your hat up because this little baby is the best part of 100 years old.

I reckon I'm going to sell this nice and easy and at least double my money.

Having bought it for just under £20,

Franksy will need to sell the coat hooks for almost £40

to double his money.

But I wouldn't put it past him, and he's not done yet.

I'm going to make a profit on this, mark my words.

Come in, Paul, your time is up.

I think Mark might fancy his chances of winning today.

The water jug cost him just under £10,

but all is not lost for Mr Hayes.

This is it. Look at this.

I think I've found an old master here. Look at that.

He's spent just under £25 on this oil painting,

and now has his eyes on another potentially profitable piece.

Do you know, I've found some beautiful items here. These are salt pots.

We think of salt nowadays as being an everyday item,

but actually it was used in the 18th century to disguise the taste of your food.

So this would be placed on your dining table, and it has a glass liner.

The reason for that was that salt corrodes the surface.

So this glass liner acts as a protective, if you like.

Then in here is a gilded spoon.

The gold would do exactly the same thing.

These are solid silver. This is French.

It's Rococo in design. That translates as rock and shell design.

That was particularly done in the 18th century.

I've had a chat to the stallholder here and he's worked out the hallmark is for about 1880,

so these are 100 years later. But the rare thing about these is the fact that there are four of them.

That means these were actually used for a very large dining table.

You would have one salt pot between four people.

So having four of them here means that you could entertain 16 people using these.

How rare is that?

So all we need to find out now is the price,

and you can't take that with a pinch of salt, can you? So let's have a look.

As a seasoned haggler, I'm sure Paul will drive a hard bargain,

and he'll need to, because Mark's stalking more potential profit.

Now, why did I buy it? I know what you're thinking - "What on earth is going on?"

Well, natural fibres like antler are very fashionable at the moment.

In the interior design world, people are always looking to go back to basics.

This is elegant, it's smart.

If you've got a big pad, this would look great.

It's just super-duper. I love it.

And it's real, natural, simple, clean, honest,

and a profit.

For just under £25,

Mark has bagged himself another unusual item.

Across town, Paul is haggling hard.

So what would your best price be?

-I can make 200 euro.

-200 euro.

See, I'm thinking actually about £40 each,

this is how I see them, 40, 80, 160 euros...and a smile?

-And a smile...

-And a cup of tea. I'll bring a real cup of English tea.

OK, if you have the cup of tea, no problem.

-Deal?

-OK, we do have a deal.

-Merci beaucoup.

-Thank you.

Paul's obsession with tea has finally come in handy,

and the promise of a cuppa has cemented his final purchase -

four silver salt cellars for a tad over £150.

-There we are, as promised.

-Oh!

-That's for you.

-Thank you.

-All the way from England.

-Oh!

-English tea?

-English tea.

-OK.

-There we are.

-English tea.

-And do you know what we say?

Bottoms up.

So Paul has splashed the cash and bought a very elegant set of salt cellars.

It's time now to find out just how much he and his rival have spent in today's market.

Both Paul and Mark were allowed to spend

up to £750 worth of euros on antiques.

At the prevailing exchange rate,

Paul has parted with just under £440.

His southern rival, on the other hand,

has bought items left, right and centre,

and spent almost his entire kitty.

It's almost time to head for home.

But before they pack up their Belgian bargains,

they are keen to take a look at their opponents' goods.

-It's good we brought the van!

-I try not to buy things that fit in my pocket.

-What do you reckon to this lot?

-Er...what's that? I don't know what that is.

-It's a chair.

-A chair?

-Yeah. Garden chair, rocking, modern design, love it.

I know nothing about that. Are you happy with that?

-Reasonably, yes.

-What's your favourite thing?

-Table.

-Table?

-Five leaves. Extends right out.

-Give it a lick-over, bit of a polish.

-Come and have a look at what I've bought.

-What?

If it doesn't go in your pocket, don't buy it. That's my secret.

I've bought some beautiful items.

Art Nouveau, turn of the century, solid silver overlay. Isn't that lovely?

-Like that?

-Yeah. It's all right.

-Pretty.

It's quite small compared to my bits.

-And some nice silver salts.

-Now, they are nice.

-Yeah.

-Elegant.

-Elegant, yeah.

-What's with the painting?

-Well, that's a very well-known artist.

-It's upside down.

-It's a British artist.

-That's better.

-Well, it's like Scandinavian, 1950s, 1960s.

-Which way up does it go?

-It goes that way.

-Oh, that's lovely.

-But look at the artist.

-Paul Hayes? Oh, no. Allen Hayes?

How cool is that? That's my brother. It's his name. It's not really him that painted it.

-Do you like that?

-Um, it's good from afar.

Far from good. How about...?

You know, we've been competing all day.

-Why don't we get together now, and I'll load all your stuff on and you load my stuff on.

-No, Mark.

-No? Give us a hand, then.

-No, you're all right. I'll catch you later.

-Cheers, Paul(!)

So as they head back across the Channel,

Paul will be aiming to sell an Art Nouveau glass and silver vase,

an African mask, an African doll,

a late-19th/early-20th century Buddha's head,

a painting by Allen Hayes, and four silver salt cellars from the 1880s.

Mark's hopes of victory rest on a '60s-designed rocking chair,

a Lucite statue,

a mid-19th century dining table,

a Victorian desk chair,

a mounted boar's head,

a 1930s pine table,

a Victorian chest of drawers,

a set of coat hooks, an enamel picture,

and an antler lamp.

So after a hectic day's buying in Brussels, our two boys make their way back to Blighty.

Our dynamic duo must now take stock and evaluate the best way to tackle the selling part of their challenge.

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

and they're working their way through their little black books,

putting together deals on the phone and by e-mail.

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

no deal is truly sealed.

Paul has bought a collection of curiosities from across the globe

and needs to carry out some research before he can start selling.

Franksy, though, is getting straight down to work

and is hoping to sell the Lucite piece that cost him just under £35.

-Very nice.

-Now, you've been dealing in this sort of stuff for years, haven't you?

-Yeah, I have. I love it. This is Lucite.

-Exactly.

Well, Americans call it Lucite. It's like a trade name.

I mean, it's Perspex, really.

-I'm not sure this is American, Mark.

-Where do you think it comes from?

-Probably Italy.

-Yeah, yeah.

Definitely Continental. And you see this grazing around here?

-Grazing, yeah?

-Grazing, scratches.

-That's not where it's been scratched. That's in the manufacture.

-Wow.

-It's very nice, isn't it?

-Could you live with it?

-I could. Could you?

-I think it's all right.

Well, I'd like to buy it, Mark.

OK, let's keep it simple. 250 quid.

-You are kidding me!

-MARK LAUGHS

-No, I was thinking, seriously, about 100.

-Yeah? £100, you've got a deal. You're on! You gentleman.

-I'll take it now.

-Brilliant.

Yes, that's a good sale for Battersea's finest.

He paid just under £35 for his Lucite piece

and a solid sale of £100 gives him a very nice profit of over £65.

Nicely done, Mark. But watch out,

because Mr Hayes is on your heels, quite literally.

He's jumped in his battle bus

and he's headed south to the bright lights of London, in search of an expert in African artefacts.

He's come to an auction house to try and find out more about his mask and doll,

and, of course, to make a profit.

-The item that's really taken my fancy is this very small fetish. Is that a correct description?

-Yes.

Individual fertility piece?

Yeah. Well, it's not necessarily fertility. A fetish is a fetish.

This is a pottery one, as you know.

-Yes, a clay one.

-They're usually wood.

This is probably from Sierra Leone. The one I had had documentation.

It said Sierra Leone.

It had a very low estimate, I think, of 300 to 500.

-I think it went out about the middle of the estimate.

-Right, OK.

It was older and had some documentation,

-so I'd probably put that in at maybe 100 to 150.

-That would be fantastic. So that gives it a bit of a chance.

-You'd like to put it in?

-I'd like to.

-OK. That's good.

-I really fancied it.

There's something about that I really like. This one was a complete gamble for me.

-That is the Belgian Congo.

-That's definitely Belgian Congo?

Without a doubt. That's not a tourist piece.

That's a proper tribal piece.

This is a mask belonging to somebody who performs a ritual -

a witch doctor or a healer.

-And don't be put off by the gruesome look.

-Yeah.

This could be one of the goodies rather than one of the baddies.

-Right.

-Ugly doesn't mean bad.

-Is this something that you're willing to try?

I'd like to sell that. Yeah, I'd like to see it make about 200 or 300.

-It's got all the signal marks there that say it's right.

-Right.

Well, I'm dying to see how these get on. It's in the lap of the gods,

-or the lap of the witch doctor.

-The lap of this witch doctor, yeah.

-I really appreciate your time.

-Good luck with them.

-I'll put these in for you.

-Cheers, thank you.

-OK.

So Paul is putting his faith in the bidders to deliver him a profit on his African artefacts.

It looks like we have a capital confrontation on our hands today,

because in South London, Mark's invited a number of dealers he knows

to a Franksy-style auction for the satin walnut veneered chest of drawers

that set him back just under £100.

-155?

-Yeah.

-160? 165?

-Yeah.

170. No? 170, anyone?

165. Going once, going twice...

Trying hard. Sold!

Thank you, sir. What a gentleman. Well done, guys.

Yes, that's a good sale for Mark,

and by whipping up a crowd of dealers,

he's netted himself a profit of just over £70.

So Paul Hayes needs to watch his back,

because there's no doubt that Mr Franks is in it to win it today,

and once he starts, there's no stopping the boy from Battersea.

He's using his contacts book to full effect, and despite a little damage on the top,

he makes a very respectable profit on the pine table he bought from the Belgian market.

He's on a roll,

and his next job is to contact

his international team of restorers to breathe new life into two of these pieces

that have seen better days.

I'm down at the cafe. Can you pop down and see me? I've got a little job for you.

Now, when Mark needs help restoring a chair to its former glory,

there's only one man for the job, and that is Del.

Here, Del, look. The bottom of it is not too bad...

-Right, yes. It needs a bit doing to it.

-A quick five-minute job!

Can I pick it up in an hour?

-Yeah, sure(!)

-Yeah, right! Listen, I'll leave you with you.

-OK.

-See you soon. Cheers, mate.

With the chair on its way to Del's workshop, Mark turns his attention to the table,

and when Franksy has a table in need of some TLC,

it's time for an Italian job, and a meet with Milanese Max.

# This is the self-preservation society

# This is the self-preservation society... #

There's a lot to do on this table.

Well, I brought it to the best man for the job.

-Well, it's a big challenge, but I think...

-Do you accept the challenge, Max?

Yes. I don't know why.

-I'll see you tomorrow, then.

-OK!

So Max has agreed to restore the table.

Mark hasn't got enough money left in his budget to pay for the work,

but they have been working together for years.

In the past, Mark's been known to help Max deliver items in his van,

so the two of them are used to helping each other.

With Mark's preservation society working round the clock to breathe life into his chair and table,

Fransky has high hopes that these two items could earn him today's title.

Mr Morecambe is winding his way through the capital

on the way to the auction of his African artefacts.

TRIBAL-STYLE MUSIC

His day gets off to a good start when one of his contacts

who's agreed to meet him at the auction house

buys his Art Nouveau vase for £30.

-OK, smashing.

-Yes, it is indeed.

It's not going to set the world alight, but every penny counts.

With the auction about to begin,

Paul has found himself a prime position to watch his African artefacts go under the hammer.

An antique West African ethnic tribal terracotta domestic fetish figure, is that right?

Out of all the things I bought in Belgium, this is the one that I really fancy.

It is a nice terracotta item. Let's hope so.

Do I hear £50 for it, £40 for it?

Give me a bid at £40 for it.

No bid at £40? £30, no cheaper, please.

£30 I'm bid. 32, 35, 38.

40, 42, 45. 45 there. 48?

50. 55. 60. 5. 70.

£65, all done at 65?

It goes, then, at £65, it's gone.

179, 65.

£65 is a good result for Mr Morecambe.

And as all the profits are going to charity,

the auctioneer has kindly reduced his fees,

leaving Paul with a healthy profit of almost £50.

Next up is his witch doctor's mask.

This item cost him just under £100.

-£80 for it? I'm bid £80.

-£80 already, fantastic.

90, 5, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150?

-140 bid. 150 back here?

-This is fabulous news for Mr Morgan.

The bidding is heading towards twice what he paid for the mask.

180, 190, 200, 210. 220, 230...

-230!

-240? 230 bid. At £230...

-PAUL MURMURS

Back in at 240. 250, 260. 270, 280.

290, 300. And 20?

The bid here is at £300. Do you want 20?

£300. Has to be 20. At £300. A tenner if it helps you if you like.

At £300, are we done?

All out at £300, I'm going for £300.

That's fantastic. That is £300. That is amazing!

What a great profit for Paul.

After the auctioneer's reduced fees are deducted,

he's banked over £180 for the African mask.

Paul's trip to the auction house has truly paid dividends.

Both the boys have secured profitable sales,

but right now, it is Mr Morecambe who's taken a commanding lead.

Thanks to a very successful trip to the auction house,

Paul has sold three items for a total of £395,

bagging him a profit of just under £250.

Mark has also sold three items, totalling £335,

and turned a profit of almost £170.

So he came, he saw, and, at the moment, he's conquering.

Mr Morecambe's three sales have been in the capital, and he is beating Franksy in his own backyard.

Down in South London, our Battersea boy is meeting one half of his restoration squad.

Oh, wow, look at that!

You've done such a good job.

Let's check out the bottom.

Oh-ho! I'm a happy bunny.

-That is a great job. How much do I owe you?

-50.

Oh, I ain't got 50 quid, Del.

Times are hard. The best at the moment I've got is 20 quid.

All right, give me 20 quid and you owe me a favour, yeah?

Consider it done. You're a gentleman.

-All right.

-You are the best.

-Yeah, well...

-I'll be back in a minute.

Look at that! That's a winner.

Yes, that is one big favour he owes Del,

and the £20 he paid him means that Mark has now no money left in his kitty.

Having had the chair restored, he still needs to find a buyer.

His rival Paul is leading the way in today's contest,

thanks to his three auction sales.

But Mark is not going to go down without a fight.

In an effort to win today's contest,

Mark and Paul are calling all their contacts to find the right buyers for all their items.

They're arranging meetings,

they may even talk money.

But until they've shaken on it and the cash has changed hands, no sale is secure.

In an effort to pour more money into his profit pot,

Mark is hoping to sell his 1960s chair that cost him almost £40.

-Hi.

-How you doing? The shop is looking great.

Yeah. Some really nice pieces in at the moment.

-I love this. And this is nice.

-That is fantastic.

-Those cabinets!

-From Paris. Really nice.

-Nice. How's business?

-Fantastic.

Good. That's what I like to hear. What do you think of this?

This is a rocking chair. It is actually designer, look.

The Step 2 Company.

What is that? Phone for help?

Oh, don't start that! I know your games.

How about £100? Just a nice, easy, two £50 notes, done.

It's not going to happen today.

-95?

-Hmm... Going in the right direction.

What about £60?

-£60. 70?

-Er...

-70...

-65!

-65, you're done.

65, you're a gentleman. Thank you very much.

Moses takes the chair off Mark's hands for £65,

giving Franksy a profit of almost £30.

It's not enough to catch Mr Morecambe, but Mark still has plenty of items left in his locker.

Speaking of Mr Morecambe, he's trying to seal another deal.

He's arrived in Mayfair in central London,

and he's hoping to sell his Buddha's head to an expert in Asian artefacts.

-Hello...

-Mr Morecambe got a great deal on the Buddha's head,

halving the original asking price and spending just over £140.

I take it this is the image of Buddha.

It is. This is a classic Chinese carved head of Buddha in wood.

I've had a look at it and I think it's probably late-19th or early-20th century.

So it's the very end of the Qing Dynasty, at about the time of Pu Yi, the last emperor.

It's a beautiful thing, it's a lovely head, expressive and serene. Peaceful.

Some of the Buddhas have very narrow faces and some have large faces. Is there a reason behind that?

Well, the Buddha was a prince of what is now part of Nepal.

Images of the Buddha often have rolls of fat around the neck

which is a reference back to his princely origins.

They have quite a fat, chubby look.

Often, but not always.

They also have these very long ear lobes here on both sides,

which is also a reference to the Buddha's princely origins.

He would have worn earrings that would have pulled down the lobes.

Is the height of the head significant as well?

It is. This is called an ushnisha,

and it's a cranial bump and it shows the Buddha's superior wisdom,

so he has a bigger brain than everybody else and so he needs an extended...

section to the head. Ushnisha - it's a Sanskrit word.

Obviously, you have some very interesting and ancient items.

Is this a particularly rare object and something you would put in your gallery?

-It's unusually large.

-OK.

-It's quite attractive.

It's not hugely old.

It's 80 or 90 years old.

-Which is quite new?

-Yes, yes.

-I would have thought it's worth a few hundred pounds.

-OK.

I may be totally wrong and it may be the Elgin Marbles personified, but I don't think so.

-I think it's a good solid genuine decorative piece.

-OK.

Well, all this sounds very encouraging,

but the path to enlightenment - all right, profit - has many twists and turns,

and Paul still has to seal the deal.

In South West London, Mark has picked up his restored table from Milanese Max.

He's on his way to an auction house to sell the table, chair and boar's head.

He's confident that this package of antiques will turn him a game-winning profit.

As all his profits are going to a good cause,

the auction house has kindly waived their commission.

But there are no guarantees of success in the saleroom,

and, to add to the pressure, his rival is closing in on yet another deal.

If I was to ask you a couple of hundred pounds, how does that sound?

-I think that's very fair.

-Thank you very much.

-Pleasure. Thank you.

-Lovely to meet you. I'm glad that's amongst friends.

-Good, he will be.

-Good luck.

A profit of almost £60

is proof, if proof were needed,

that Mr Morecambe really knows his stuff.

Paul is now way out in front but it's not all good news as he failed to find a buyer for his painting.

However, he's hoping to make a profit from the elegant silver salt cellars

and has managed to line up a potential buyer.

-They're very Rococo.

-They are very Rococo.

They're a little bit light, and they're pressed out, but they're in nice condition.

Looking at it so far, they're in marvellous condition. I'll look at the hallmark.

-The hallmark is a Mercury, is it?

-It is, and there's a number two,

a very small number two, which shows it's their lower grade silver.

-The French have two grades, a 950 standard and an 800 standard.

-OK.

They've got the original glass liners.

Liners can be made, but it's easier to have the original liners.

-Yes.

-And a little set of French spoons

-which have a gorgeous shell bowl which is delightful.

-There we are.

A beautiful style. They're very elegant.

-They are.

-Are they the sort of thing you'd be interested in?

They are great and there is a nice set of four.

Well, the dealer's clearly interested and Paul is piling the pressure on Mark.

Now whilst Franksy is not a man to give in easily, it's not been an easy ride so far.

He's made a small loss from his antler lamp, coat hooks, and jug.

His only chances of winning today's competition

now rest on his final three items that cost him almost £500 in Belgium.

This looks so much like Paul Hayes, doesn't it?

I'm going to wipe the smile off his face tonight.

Unfortunately, he's away working on the day of the sale,

but he's keeping up to speed with his crucial bids by phone.

Hello, all right, mate?

395 is a mid-19th century

Gothic revival walnut extending table.

It's unusual because it's got five leaves with it and it's quite a saleable item.

Shall we say £200 for it?

Only the 200?

200. 220.

240. 260.

280. 300.

(300.)

Here at £300 with me, with the commissions, at £300.

320 in the room now.

At £320, it's selling in the room.

At £320, are we all done at 320?

The table sells for £320.

Devastating for Mark.

Remember, all three items cost him almost £500 so he needs the bidders

to take a real shine to the boar's head and the restored chair just to break even.

Stop smiling, Paul.

Lot 396 is the mounted boar's head with the legs protruding out.

A good thing there and what shall we say? I have £100 commission.

110. 120.

130. 140.

145, I'll take then.

150, back with me.

There's a commission bid here. 150?

150, so the profit is all in the chair.

Lot 397 is that Victorian tub-form desk chair. Hooped back.

Good thing again and lots of commissions again. 80 for Mr Jones.

-90 for Jacobs. At £90. 95. 100.

-MARK MOUTHS

(Profit.)

It's a commission bid...

It's been a hard-fought battle today,

but this clash of the antiques titans could still go either way.

We'll find out shortly if the salt cellars or the restored chair delivered a decisive profit,

because it's now time to tot up the totals.

Both Mark and Paul were allowed to spend up to £750

of their own money on antiques.

Mr Morecambe took a frugal approach to buying, spending just under £440.

Franksy, on the other hand, parted with just over £725

and spent another £20 on restoration costs.

The burning question, though, is who has made the biggest profit?

So without further ado, it's time to bring together our very own Morecambe and Wise

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

-Ah, bonjour, Mark.

-Bonne nuit.

-I came here by ship - look at that. All the way from Belgium.

-What?

-Think you've done all right?

-I'm quietly confident.

OK. Shall we reveal?

Three seconds. Two, one, let's go.

-Way-hey!

-Oh no! BOTH LAUGH

-Look at that.

-Don't rub it in.

-A huge number.

-I'm a bit gutted.

-That's 150 quid up.

-Very surprised.

-That's fantastic, isn't it?

-I can't believe it.

-I can.

-The mussels are on me.

-That sounds great.

-Come on, then. You done well, mate.

So it's disappointment and dejection for Franksy

whose restored desk chair just didn't manage to make him enough profit.

Are we all done at 120?

Got to be honest, I'm really disappointed.

Mark's three auction items made him a combined profit of just under £80,

but it wasn't enough to win the contest,

because Paul's silver salt cellars served up a profit of almost £150

ensuring that he was victorious.

It's the sort of thing I could possibly buy for 250 but I am happy to pay £300

because I think they're nice.

Tres bien, monsieur. Merci beaucoup.

I am delighted. I really enjoyed going to Brussels.

What makes it all the better is I managed to beat Mark Franks by £150.

-HE CHUCKLES

-Result!

Different day, different auction, that table would have romped home

and I would have been the winner by a lot of money.

Despite Mark's disappointment, he and Paul have worked their socks off

and raised hundreds of pounds for their chosen charities.

I'm delighted to beat Mark, but more importantly,

I'm delighted to make a good chunk of money for my chosen charity,

the RNLI in Morecambe and that's the important bit.

The Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre will benefit greatly from the best part of £300,

so they'll be over the moon, so therefore, I am pleased.

I wish I could have raised more but sometimes auctions don't do as well as they could do.

So Mr Morecambe is jumping for joy, but hold on to your hats,

because tomorrow Mark will be looking to wrestle back the crown from Paul

when our profit hunting pair will be locking horns at a car boot sale.

Over 200 years ago this was made.

This little £60 gem...may find a profit. Here's hoping.

There's a challenge between me and Mark

so if I win, I'm like that, and hopefully Mark will be like that.

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