Philip Serrell v David Harper: Auction Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

We have 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 recreate some of their real-life deals

-as they go head-to-head and try to 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 antiques explorers are the cunning Philip "the Fox" Serrell, and devilish David Harper.

Philip is truly the seasoned professional,

with his own auction house in the heart of Worcestershire.

At £220, is there any more?

And years of sharing his knowledge on Flog It.

This business isn't just about selling it,

it's about buying something and placing it with the right person.

David is the expert dealer of our pair, with 20 years in the antiques trade under his belt.

It's a buzz. You are, effectively, a treasure hunter.

On screen, he's often seen unearthing treasures on Bargain Hunt.

60? Yes?

So, we have the experts, they have the contacts, the knowledge, and a fierce determination to win.

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

You're sauntering in there, Philip the Fox.

-Good to see you.

-Devilish David Harper. How are you, all right?

I'm very well. We've got two envelopes.

-Exchange time.

-I give you that one, and you open yours first.

This is like the Oscars, isn't it? And the winner is...

"David and Philip, your challenge today is to spend

up "to £1,000..." - I don't like this bit - "..of your own money on antiques.

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

-No?

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

-I like a challenge.

Let's have a look.

"Today, you must buy all your antiques from an auction." Your territory.

-But YOU'RE the dealer.

-But YOU'RE the auctioneer.

You're the dealer!

-Best of luck.

-You too, matey.

Have a good one.

Yes, Philip and David each have to spend up to £1,000

of their own money buying antiques to sell on later for a profit.

Today's shopping site is Bigwood fine art auctioneers in Stratford-upon-Avon.

And our two antiques gladiators have drawn up their plans of attack.

My strategy for buying here today in auction is the same as my strategy I use on any other auction buying day.

You've got to buy for the right price.

If it's going over bottom estimate, leave it and wait for the next item,

especially the ones that don't get a bid.

My strategy today is to try and beat the devilish David Harper.

I'm going to try to buy quirky bits, small bits, but interesting bits.

Good quality items, and I know he's into his furniture.

So, dealer David is hoping to clean-up by snapping up bargains that other people don't spot.

Auctioneer Philip, on the other hand, is aiming to buy small, quirky lots.

This is a 1970s, I would think, silver goblet gilt by Stuart Devlin.

He was an Australian designer.

Actually, I think that's hideous, but it's hugely collectible.

His work is typified by this sort of bark effect here.

This is known as the Bristol goblet.

It's really clever knowing that,

but if you just turn the bottom up, it says on the bottom, Bristol goblet.

It's a limited edition

of 600.

Would I want this in my home?

Truthfully, I think the answer's no.

But I've got to change my views with this programme, because this isn't about buying a lovely goblet

to sit on my shelf at home, this is about me buying a profit, and I think this man is collectible.

The auction estimate is 40 to £60.

I think if it comes anywhere in that range, it's cheap.

So, he doesn't like it, and he wouldn't have it in his home,

but the Fox does think he could make a profit from the goblet, and that is what this game is all about.

Philip's clearly got his business head on for today's contest, but his rival is also calculating

how to win today's competition, and he's got his eyes on a classic designer watch.

With the sale about to start, the auctioneer is in place, and our contenders have taken up

prime positions on opposite sides of the room.

David and Philip can spend up to £1,000 of their own cash, and they'll have to factor

in the auctioneer's commission to everything they buy.

It's time for today's auction battle to begin.

It's the silver goblet with the coin motifs, or medallions, all round it.

I've got a bidder here, and I'm going to start at £100.

Oh, no, that's not good news for the Fox.

£100 is way over the estimate of 40 to £60, which he was hoping to pay for the goblet.

Anybody give me 110? 120, 130, 140, 130 seated. Anybody give me 140?

All done at 130. Yours, madam.

Determined bidder, that lady was just sat there like that.

When they sit there like that, they mean to have it, and she has.

Faced with a determined bidder, Philip decided not to get into a bidding war.

Will he have more luck with his next target?

He's decided to make a move for another silver lot,

a collection of napkin rings with an estimate of £40 to £60.

Seven silver napkin rings, a couple of pairs amongst them.

I've got some bids and I can start here at £50. Anybody give me another five?

I'm getting 60 and five, and 70 and five, and 80 and five, and 90 and five.

110, I'm out, anybody give me 120?

The bidding has reached double the top estimate and Mr Serrell still hasn't made a move.

Has he decided that the napkin rings are just too expensive?

120 here, anybody give me...

130, 140.

-Oh, Foxy magpie's having another go.

-180.

Top estimate £60.

190 I've got, anyone else?

All done at 190?

-190.

-He's got it.

The old Fox magpie has spent £130 over the top estimate.

Good one.

So I've just bought seven napkin rings for £190 plus commission, which is the thick end of £220.

If my maths is right, they've cost me about £32 each.

Where am I going to go with those?

Well, we were rather hoping you were going to tell us that, Philip.

Including the auctioneer's fees,

the napkin rings have cost him just over £222.

That's more than 3.5 times the top estimate.

No wonder his rival is so pleased.

Speaking of devilish David, he may have been biding his time,

but it's now his turn to try and secure a buy of his own.

Lot number 163 is the Rolex.

-Here we go.

-This is it.

I've got a bid here on the book, I can start at £400.

-It needs to be £400.

-Anybody give me 420?

420, I'm out. Anybody give me 440?

Go on, David, get your hand up. Go on, be brave.

Are we all done at £420?

440. 460? 480?

No.

It's got to be, if I had any more money to spend, I'd have it.

It's a bargain for somebody, but not for me today.

That's the problem with having such little amounts of money.

The story of my life.

Well, a £1,000 budget isn't too small an amount of money, David.

But having a limit is all part of the game.

Having splashed out on some silver napkin rings and bagged his first buy of the day, the Fox has also got

his eye on some pieces of pottery from his home town.

He's hoping to snap up a Royal Worcester George V blush ivory carafe jug,

and a Victorian ivory carafe jug by the same factory.

First up is the George V version.

Philip doesn't want to pay more than £150.

I've got a bid on this and I can start here at £70.

I'll take 80 from anyone else.

Will you give me an 80, Philip? 80, I'm out.

The bloke behind him is bidding, he won't like that.

90, and five?

100, and 10?

120, 130. 120 I've got, anyone else?

120.

-Oh, he's got it.

-5200, was it?

Oh, I'm sorry.

-Thank you very much.

-Try and remember what you've got to do in auction, Philip.

With commission, the first carafe jug has cost Mr Serrell

just over £140.

110 I've got. Anyone else?

And he quickly snaps up the second for just under £130.

I'm pleased with that, because I think that's quite cheap. I'm pleased with that.

After a less than successful start, Philip has now

bought three items, and David is beginning to feel the pressure.

You see, I've been having some fun here, but now I'm worried because

I haven't spent a pound and he's on a bit of a roll.

Indeed he is, Mr Harper. But all is far from lost.

There are hundreds of lots in today's auction, and earlier today

David and Philip cast their expert eyes over the pieces on offer.

Mr Harper spotted something that he thinks has real profit-making potential.

I've got to tell you, I've always had a great love for anything oriental.

It's so exotic and interesting, and they always are very, very different.

Oriental pieces always have fantastic stories.

This is Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, Buddhistic goddess of mercy.

A great talking piece, number one, which helps when you come to sell it

because anything with a good story really goes a very long way.

The downside to this, for some of you, is that it's ivory.

Ivory, of course, is a very emotive subject so my tip to you, you've got to make sure that it's pre-1947.

If you buy something that was made after '47, it's illegal, and you must make sure

that when you're buying ivory it's a genuine antique, so buy it

from an auction like this that will categorically tell you it's 19th century, or from a proper dealer.

She's gorgeous, estimated 300 to 350, and if I can get her

for anywhere around three, I think I can get five for her in the trade.

You can't keep a good man down for long.

If David can get the ivory figure for the right price, he thinks he could be on to a winner.

He's also decided to try and buy this antique African antelope's head.

Elsewhere in the sale room, his rival has been browsing through

the lots trying to find small, quirky, but more importantly, potentially profitable pieces.

I think these are absolutely lovely. This is 19th century earthenware.

Look at this motto here.

This is Dr Franklin's maxims.

"Diligence is the mother of good luck, and God gives all things to industrious."

It's got a moulded border.

It's a little bit crazed, but they've all got these

wonderful lines on them.

Look at this one. "He that hath a trade hath an estate."

I can just imagine some really prim

Victorian vicar's wife teaching the children with these mugs.

I think they're absolutely lovely, but the one that really appeals to me is this one here.

Have a look at those boys there.

That suspiciously looks to me like a cricket match, and I've got a friend who's

a collector of cricket memorabilia, and this is just going to look absolutely wizard in his collection.

What am I going to give for them?

I think I'm going to give £50 for this lot.

I hope they come a bit less, though.

It sounds as though Philip has got plans for

some of the earthenware pieces, if he can get them for the right price.

I've got some bids and I can start here on the book...

Bids on the book.

At £20. Anybody give me 22? On the book at 20, 22.

He's on a roll.

He's confident now, isn't he?

32, 35...

He's so cool!

He's so laid back.

The price is climbing, but once again the Fox is refusing to back down.

I'm in trouble.

-And 80? 75 I've got there. Anybody else?

-I'm quite pleased with those.

£15 apiece, that doesn't seem dear to me, really.

I hope I can sell that cricket one, that's where the profit is. Fingers crossed again.

With commission, the collection of earthenware has cost Philip

just under £90, but he's bagged himself another lot.

With the items sliding by and the pressure building to purchase the right lots at the right price,

both our experts are raising their hands in an effort to secure more potentially profitable pieces.

# Hands up... #

30 quid? Thank you. 40? And five?

-Yeah.

-50? 5, and 60? And five, sir?

Despite a flurry of bids from both experts, neither one succeeds in buying anything.

But David has still got hundreds of pounds left in his kitty,

and his eyes have been drawn to a rather exotic item.

It's an antique stuffed African antelope's head with an estimate of £150 to £250.

Living in the Durham Yorkshire Dales, I do have clients for this sort of thing.

-So let's see. It has to be cheap.

-It's the Rowland Ward gemsbok.

mounted on the shield there. I've got 80 bid on the book.

90, 100, 110, 120, is it? 110 it is, at 110, are we all done at 110?

-I'll have one go.

-120, 130 now? 130 is it? 120 I'm going to sell it.

All done at 120.

Yes! And £10 below bottom estimate. Right, Philip?

He's got a fixation with deer.

He keeps talking about dear, it's too dear, it's not dear, and he's bought a deer.

True to his strategy of trying to snap up bargains, David's paid

just over £140 with commission for the antelope's head.

It's below the £150 bottom estimate, and he's aiming to repeat his success with his next target.

Estimated at three to five, but again it's got to be cheap to make a profit.

I can't be paying stupid money for it, so here we go. Bottom estimate or nothing.

Another Japanese ivory, possibly an immortal. 300 for this one?

250 to start, 250 there. 250, 260 do I hear?

-Leave it, leave it...

-280, 300 now.

At 280, it is. 300, 320? 320?

-300 it is.

-I'm going to get it.

I'm going to get it. Guanyin is coming home with me.

-Thank you, very much indeed. Excellent.

That's probably a good buy for him. Oh!

£300 plus commission. Come on, baby.

Well, with commission, David has paid just over £350.

Judging from his rival's reaction,

he could have got himself a bit of a bargain.

After a slow start, Mr Harper is gradually finding his way back into the battle.

Both our experts started the day with up to £1,000

of their own money to spend.

Philip has parted with just over £580 for four items,

leaving him with almost £420 to spend.

His rival has spent a little over £490 on two items,

leaving him with almost £510 to play with.

With hundreds of pounds still in their pockets and plenty of

lots still on offer, the quest to buy potentially profitable items continues.

Earlier today, our experts cast their experienced eyes over

the items for sale and David spotted a table in need of a little TLC.

Here we have a late Georgian early Regency British mahogany tea table.

Made about 1820. A very posh one indeed.

You know it's a tea table, because when you lift the lid up,

it's all wood. Of course, if it was baize, it would be a card table.

But of course, if you want to pay cards, you want to play games, you can do anything you like with it.

It's a simple action. It just folds out on that

gate leg action to give it support, lift the lid over, and then it can seat for people for tea or games.

It can be transported and moved around the house at your leisure.

It's lovely, but the big downside here, can you see the front?

That little kink to it. That's a major issue when it comes to pieces

like this, because it aesthetically doesn't look quite right.

However, at £100 - £150 estimate, there's got to be some room in that.

Anywhere around £100 - £150, I'll be delighted.

Well, David seems very taken with the mahogany tea table.

But when it comes to the furniture lots, Mr Harper isn't going to have things all his own way.

He's keen on a Victorian occasional table.

It's also caught the eye of his opponent.

Brace yourselves for a battle when that comes up for sale!

First, it's time to see if devilish David can get another of his targets for a heavenly price.

My lovely late-Georgian early Regency mahogany fold over tea table.

£100 - £150, and I want it desperately.

But, it's got to be cheap. Here we go.

George III Regency mahogany tea table.

80 I'm bid, the bid is there at 80. 90 is it? At £80, only at 80.

The maiden bid. Do I hear 90?

90, 100?

At £90, I'm going to sell it at 90.

I want it at 90. I want it at 90. Yes!

That's brilliant.

Brilliant!

Including commission, David has paid just over £105 for that lot.

It's time now for the Victorian occasional table that both our experts are keen on.

Philip has come up with a cunning plan to try and outfox his rival.

He's popped outside to bid by phone so that David doesn't know

-he's bidding.

-50 there, 60.

70, 70, 80.

80, 90, 90, 100. 100, 120.

Here we go. Going ballistic.

140.

-130.

-130, 140? 140, 150?

Yes.

150, 160? 170.

-Yes.

-Oh!

Estimated at 40 - 60, now 180.

-190...

-200.

-190 it is.

-Too much.

-Telephone bid at 190. All done?

I bought that.

Do you know, that's really sneaky, isn't it?

The devilish David Harper is going to hate me for that.

Actually Philip, David doesn't sound too upset at all.

At just over £220,

the fox has paid a big price for a table that was estimated at

just £40 to £60.

Will he be able to make a profit on it?

With the lots sliding by, but pressure is beginning to build on David.

He's refusing to panic, and has got his eye on him rather nice Georgian mahogany side table.

-Got to be cheap.

-We've got an opening bid here of £50.

Who's got 60? I've got 50, who has got 60? 60. Thank you.

60, I'm clear. 70 anywhere?

-At £60, all done then at £60? All done.

-Yes!

£60 for a Georgian table.

-How does he do that?

-Thank goodness, I'd buy anything for 60 quid.

Actually, with commission, Mr Harper has paid just over 70 quid.

But he seems very taken with the table

and it's not the only lot he's fallen in love with at today's auction.

-Do I hear 90? 90.

-Yes!

He bagged a pair of hand-carved walnut table legs for just over £20.

A bureau for just over £160.

I've just bought a Georgian bureau.

And in a moment of inspiration, or madness, a pair of wagon wheels for a little over £105.

Got to spend the money. It's two big wheels.

Mr Harper snapped up lots left right and centre, and those three items

have set him back just under £290.

It's been a real fight to the finish in today's auction and it's time to

find out who's sitting pretty, and who has been left standing.

Both our experts started the day with up to £1,000

of their own money to spend.

Philip "the Fox" Serrell has parted with just over £800.

After a slow start, devilish David Harper

has spent almost his entire kitty.

It's been a tough day in the sale room but before our two experts head

for home, they're keen to have a look at their opponent's purchases.

Is that all you've got, Foxy?

-You know you love being called the Fox.

-Small but beautifully formed.

Do you know what upsets me about society today?

Somebody has been along, and they've dumped those wheels there.

No, no! I bought the wheels, please!

I hadn't really seen him before I bought them, but now that I own them, I love the wheels.

You could make them a feature of that wrought iron fencing along there as well.

Just drop them into the weeds?

You tell me, what's great about an amount of - what?

I'm hurt. I thought I liked you.

I'm actually very jealous of the table. I wanted that table.

But I do think you paid too much for that.

-I hope I can get £100 out of it.

-I think you probably will.

We live in hope.

-Best of luck.

-You too.

-It's been a very tiring day.

-I've enjoyed it.

-I have as well.

-Thank you for looking after me.

I haven't, I haven't at all.

I don't really know how I'm going to get that into my car.

-Good luck. See you soon.

-See you later.

So, after a fiercely fought auction battle, our two experts

head for home, where Philip's hopes for victory rest on...

two Royal Worcester claret jugs.

A mixed lot of 19th century earthenware.

A Victorian occasional table.

And of course, the rather pricey silver napkin rings.

David will be hoping to cash in on...

an early 20th century stuffed African antelope's head.

A carved late 19th century Japanese ivory figure.

A pair of hand-carved walnut legs.

A Georgian bureau.

A pair of mid-19th century wagon wheels.

A British mahogany tea table in need of a little TLC.

And a Georgian mahogany side table.

After their day in the saleroom, our two warriors are busy preparing for the next part of today's challenge.

They now have to try and sell their purchases for maximum profit.

For me, Stratford was really, really hard.

You've got the fire of the auction place, and I was in the furnace.

It was a learning curve.

Well, I'm back from Stratford with all my wares, including the wagon wheels. Why on earth did I buy them?

I've never wagon wheels in my life.

I kind of lost the plot towards the end.

I was desperate to get rid of my money and get some stock.

But I do love my ivory.

That's a great piece of kit.

Both our experts find buying at the auction a tricky challenge.

They've got plenty of items and they'll both be pulling out all the stops to find the right buyers.

They're working their way through their little black books, putting deals together on the phone

and by e-mail.

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

I'm in my saleroom in Malvern today, waiting for a client to come,

whose family I have been selling furniture to for the last 30 years.

It's not the auction room today though, for me it's a cold-blooded deal. Not under the hammer.

I'm going to try and sell him this table I bought in auction at Stratford.

-Anthony, how are you?

-Hello, Philip.

-Hew are you?

-Good to see you.

Pretty much everyone that our experts try to do deals

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

Our experts will be doing everything in their power to persuade people to

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

Philip paid just over £220 for the table.

He's given it a polish, but will he be able to turn a profit?

First impressions, looking at it, I thought

the top didn't belong to the base.

Really?

Just to see.

-Just looking at the runners there...

-These?

-Yeah, they look a bit fresh.

Saying that, it's still a nice quality, isn't it?

This timber is lovely, isn't it?

Whether it is or whether it ain't, it's still a nice furnishing piece.

Is it of interest to you?

It is of interest, yeah. It's not a bad table.

I think that's worth £375.

£320, I'll have a deal.

-£320?

-Yeah.

Anthony, you're a gentleman. Thank you very much, mate.

Do you want a hand out with it?

-Yeah.

-Will I put it straight in the car?

-Yes.

-Yes, that's how it's done.

The Fox bagged almost £100 profit for the occasional table.

And, he's hit the road to try and sell the napkin rings that cost him over £220.

I've brought these napkin rings.

I think they're really nice.

Be generous.

I'd think they're worth £100.

You're bidding me £100?

No more. Something tells me you have paid slightly more than that.

I paid £220.

£220!

Unbelievable.

I think you're going to struggle.

Oh dear. That's brought Philip back down to earth with a bump.

He's going to need to think laterally to try and find a buyer willing to splash out on the silver.

David is hoping one of his lots will send him rolling to success.

So, what do you reckon? Mid or late 19th century?

They could be, actually, it looks like a casting with the maker's mark and things on it.

When I bought these things, I kind of bought them blind.

Someone said to me afterwards, they were a great buy.

You can use them as little herb gardens.

A lot of people either put them down on the floor, plant them in sections, or a lot

of our customers ask for pieces to actually hang on the walls in courtyards and things like that.

-What about prices?

-The iron wheels cost David over £105, so he needs to work hard for a profit.

Value wise, I was kind of hoping for £100 a go?

May be with the pair I could do for 190?

190. So, 95 each?

OK. I'll not shake your hand Sarah...

-Do you want to shake my hand?

-We will do.

-Oh, go on then.

-Cheers.

-Brilliant.

-Thanks to his years of dealing experience,

David has come up trumps and I think it's fair to say, he's a happy man.

What a relief!

I didn't fancy wheeling those blighters down here again.

I tell you what, that wasn't bad going for an impulse purchase.

Although, if I'm honest, a panic purchase!

Well, that's very true.

Almost £85 profit on the wagon wheels is a great result.

He's also bagged over £132 from the sale of his Georgian tea table.

OK, speak to you soon. Thanks, bye.

With his opponent making quick-fire sales, the Fox needs to seal some deals of his own.

He's found a dealer who might be interested in

his mixed lot of earthenware, but there's been a slight hitch.

Down to business.

I bought these at auction.

That, as a cricket mug, could be worth £100 - £150.

When I got it home I looked at it and thought, actually it's not two boys playing cricket,

it's two kids just chucking a ball around with a kite in the background, isn't it?

-Yes.

-So it's not £100 - £150.

-No.

I quite like that one.

Dr Franklin's maxims, what's all that about?

They're a series of sayings, educational, and righteous sayings,

that were applied at the time. About 1860.

Philip paid almost £90 for the set but without the cricket connection,

will he be able to bank a decent profit?

I thought that the five bits would average out at £40 apiece.

What do you think they're worth?

They probably are worth the £200, but that's not what I'm going to pay.

I'll go to £125.

Is that your best shot? Give me a last, final best shot.

-Right, OK. 140. That's it.

-Finished.

-And I've got the chequebook, of course.

-Yes, well I'll take that, Julie.

He might have made a small mistake with the cup, but that's an impressive bit of digging

from Mr Serrell, and over £50 worth of profits.

Cash is changing hands at a rate of knots today

and devilish David is on the road and has an unconventional plan for his next lot.

This is quite an unusual situation I've got here.

I'm about to try and sell a George III mahogany circa 1790 side table, to a guy, Mad Mark, who absolutely

hates antique furniture, doesn't understand it, doesn't want to understand it, and can't abide it.

Doesn't sound like the best plan, David.

And having bought the table for just over £70, Mr Harper needs his potential purchaser to dig deep.

Mark runs a hotel, but the decor is more animal print than antique.

This I reckon you could do something with.

Now first of all, I'm going to try and sell it to you as what it is,

1790 mahogany strung in satinwood, a very fine and elegant Georgian antique.

-It just looks like an old table to me.

-You can't get with it, can you?

You could make that modern though, because with your flair, and I've seen what you've done with other

things before, with your skins and your paint.

Actually, what I really would like to do with it would be

to cover the top in a cow hide, so it fits in with the rest.

This handle would actually be a cow horn.

Oh, stop it! Really? Seriously?

-Yes, seriously.

-A cow horn?

-And the legs, maybe spray them silver,

to look like metal.

Spray-paint?! Animal print?!

Is this really a good home for an antique table?

What you've got there's a fantastic structure.

-Yeah.

-I mean it's 200 years old.

It was hand-built.

To make it like that today it would cost an absolute fortune, so as a blank canvas for the Mad Mark...

200 years old and I'm just going to butcher it.

The thing is, you know what?

People criticise me for not being bothered about that, but I'm not bothered at all. Why not?

It's £180, thereabouts.

-It's a bargain of a table.

-120 quid.

120? I'll go 170.

-I'll go 140, then.

-I'll go

160, then.

-All right, we'll meet in the middle.

-Where's that?

-150.

You'll have it?

150, yes.

And we'll start work on it straightaway.

Good man.

Who knows what will become of the poor table.

David kept his mind focused firmly on profit,

and walked away with almost £80.

Our two treasure-hunters are both desperate for victory today

but the winner will be the one who banks the most profit.

The Fox has sold £460 worth of goods and banked a profit of almost £150.

His opponent has sold £578 worth of goods

and made a profit of almost £300.

Our Worcester gent may be short on profits so far

but he's got two lots to sell that are rather close to his heart.

He's got high hopes they'll turn a profit, so he's headed to his personal man.

He's hoping for some advice from a famous face from Antiques Roadshow.

Henry Sandon is one of the leading a authorities on Worcester porcelain.

Who better to give the Fox some vital extra info, which could help him boost his profit margins.

-Tell me all about it, Henry.

-A very pretty pot, isn't it?

Old ivory, this lovely old ivory ground, with beautiful decorative flowers and fine gilding.

Here's the gilder, TR, one of the great gilders of the factory.

Topham Roberts, George Topham Roberts. He signed TR. Made in 1888.

It was a long time ago. In very good condition.

I like that very much.

-Henry, I paid £130 for that.

-Did you? That's very, very cheap.

I'd put several hundred or more on this.

Really?

Bit of a result there.

Well, that's great news for Philip.

That was the cheaper of his two jugs.

Will Henry have more good news on the second piece?

This is usually called a claret jug. Made in different sizes.

Not such a good piece, quite a common object.

In fact, there's one in the museum here. What did you pay for this?

I paid £140 for it.

Yes, well it's on the top side, isn't it, really?

I did detect a sharp intake of breath then.

Can you show me where the other one of these is?

I will, yes. Come on, yes!

Well, this is all well and good Mr Serrell, but surely you should be focusing on selling, not chatting.

Actually, there are finer ones than this one...

Philip's rival is working flat out to sell his remaining items.

Remember that both our experts are setting up deals on the phone and by e-mail.

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

250 shake on it.

-Cash or cheque?

-Cash!

Please!

Mr Harper means Business, and a quick deal for his mahogany bureau

pulls over £90 into his profits.

His opponent needs to find a buyer for the porcelain if he's to be in with any chance of catching up.

I bought that one for £130 or thereabouts.

That one is £140 or thereabouts. Do you want to pull up a chair?

You might need one. £400 I'd like for them, please.

It's just too much money.

I like that, I do like that. That's just boring.

-Come on, how much?

-£360.

And that's, seriously, for that, that's good money.

If I can squeeze another tenner out of you, they are sold, done and dusted.

-Oh, go on.

-I'll love you forever!

So, he's a happy man, then. A profit of over £100 is an excellent deal.

But the Fox isn't done yet.

This is just a wonderful collection

of napkin rings.

Philip, look! They've got initials on.

What I am I going to do with those?

They've got initials on.

-ABTW.

-Yeah...

I'd like £250 for them please.

-Philip, here's your bag.

-Don't you want to buy them?

-I don't.

-Well, make me an offer.

Philip, I'm not going to be able to get near that.

OK, fine.

Plenty of napkin rings, OK then.

Oh, don't be like that.

Well, the good news is I've just made £100 on my Worcester jug.

However, the napkin rings...

Yes, if the Fox doesn't come up with a plan soon to sell those napkin rings,

he's going to be looking at a loss today. So, he hits the phones.

Yeah, I'm really well, thank you. And you think they're worth how much?

Right. And you don't think that you want to buy them?

No, not at any price?

Philip won't be giving up without a fight, though.

In County Durham, his opponent has also hit stormy waters.

He's failed to find a buyer for his table legs,

denting his profits by over £23.

And it's not only his legs that were causing David to wobble.

What about his African antelope's head? He paid over £140 for it, and has been unable to find a buyer.

So he's decided to put it back into auction.

But as he has to pay auctioneer's commission he has to sell it for at least £170 to make a profit.

Coming up next is my head.

There it is on the wall. It's my last chance saloon.

Here it goes.

What are we bid for this? Start me at £100?

100, £100. At 80, bid.

Thank you, at 80, 90, 100?

At £100, at 100, Rowland Ward, 100, at 100, 110.

120, 130, 140, 150.

-It's getting better.

-£150.

-Come on.

-No? At £150, are you all done this time?

Paper profit, but minus the commission, no, ...

-Go on, go on, Rodney!

-All done.

HE BANGS GAVEL

Ouch! £150. Now then.

15% off. My maths is not good.

It's about £22.

So, I've got a loss of, I don't know, a couple of tenners.

He might have made a small loss but at least

David sold his antelope's head.

Had I not sold it, and kept it, I would have had to hang it on the wall, and I don't want it at home.

Could I have sold for 250 and made a profit?

This is the funny thing about auctions.

It also could have sold for 50 quid. In honesty,

I'm quite relieved.

That's the spirit! You can't keep a good dealer down for long.

This contest could still go either way.

If Mr Serrell is going to win, he needs a buyer for

the napkin rings that have been causing him so much trouble.

I found out who the under bidder was.

That's the guy who was the unsuccessful bid

before me at the auction, and I'm going to try to sell him

the napkin rings.

Clever thinking, Mr Serrell , and after some tough negotiations

there is some good news as the Fox manages to sell the napkin rings.

Yeah!

It might not be much to shout about,

but Philip has banked a small profit and a profit is a profit.

The pressure is now on David. If he wants to win today's competition,

he has to sell his most expensive purchase from the auction - the ivory figurine costing over £350.

If he can turn a profit, he will romp home to victory.

But if it proves too pricey for his potential purchaser, David will be relegated to second place.

-It's make-or-break time.

-Absolutely beautiful.

Even better than the photographs.

I'm going to handle her now, George.

-OK.

-I want you to just hold her, and feel the weight.

And look at the quality. So, she's Japanese.

-Ivory, a single piece carving, so there's no two pieces joined together

-Amazing.

-It's Meiji period so that's 1868 - 1912.

-Is this signed?

Yes, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.

She's long, she's elegant, she always wears flowing robes - and look at the flowers she's holding.

The Lotus.

That's so important.

It's a really important flower.

-It's beautiful.

-What's the budget?

-750?

-I haven't got 750.

-You haven't?

-I haven't, David.

Why don't I just say to you, let's pay 470, get it done, David. No.

I can't go to 470.

It's as simple as that.

Well, George, it looks like she's going to be living with me for just a little bit longer.

Devilish David is living up to his name - playing hardball. But it's a risky strategy.

If he doesn't sell the ivory, he will lose today's competition.

We'll find out very shortly whether David managed to seal the deal.

Right now it's time to count up how much our battling experts have made

and reveal which one of them will be today's winner.

Philip spent a total of just over £800 in the saleroom.

David, on the other hand, parted with over 955.

Don't forget, all of their profits today will be going to charity.

So without further ado, it's time to reveal who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

How are you feeling about your auction? How did you get on?

The auction was good. The auction was really good, actually.

But this dealing thing is completely alien to me.

Get over, you're a natural!

No, we went to that auction, and I just panicked and

I nearly bought something that I could well have died with.

I tell you what, I did panic. I'm supposed to be the one that's happy down there on the floor.

I lost the plot and bought loads of stuff at the end of it.

I tell you what, those serviette napkin rings. Remember those?

-Oh, my life. I got ridiculed the through the streets of Worcester with those.

-Did you get out of them?

Eventually I made a tenner profit but at one point in time, I thought I was going to lose £50 - £100.

A real eye-opener for me.

I don't know, I think you slipped in quite naturally, actually.

You're very modest. Are you ready?

-Go on, then.

-This is the moment.

-3, 2, 1.

-You have absolutely banjaxed me, haven't you?

That's what we call a £200 stuffing, that.

It's not bad going.

-Sulking! I've had enough.

So, Devilish David is victorious today and his ivory figurine

that he bought for £350 helped him to seal victory.

-We will go for 445.

-No, George.

That's what I can go to. No more.

Do you want to go home with George Bond for £445?

-There you are. She's spoken to you.

-She has.

-And?

Give me your money.

There you are. Deal done.

A very tidy profit of over £90 was an excellent result for David.

He might have won the challenge, but both our experts made

some stellar sales and all their profits will be going to charity.

My charity is the Witham Hall, which is Barnard Castle's town hall.

It's a great place for young and old to meet and to have a good time.

I love Worcester and Worcestershire.

The charity I've chosen to support is our local hospice, St Richard's Hospice.

It's been a closely fought battle today, but the competition doesn't stop here.

Because tomorrow our experts will go head-to-head again at a car-boot sale.

Everything you want to see - hand-made, 40 quid a go. Happy, happy, happy.

Heads.

-That is the story of my life!

-To end up paying £15 from a car boot is a bit of a shock.

The joy of car-boots.

Subtitles by Red Bed Media Ltd

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