Katherine Higgins v John Cameron: Foreign 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 have to make a profit with their own cash?

Watch out.

Who's going to make the biggest profit of all? Me.

From car boot sales to auction houses,

our experts will be recreating some of their real life deals

as they go head to head

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

-Come on, Knowles!

-The competition is really hot.

The challenge to our experts is clear -

dealers, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

Today's duelling dealers are auctioneer John "The Hammer" Cameron

and princess of profit, Katherine "The Great" Higgins.

I get seriously excited about retro design, really.

Things that people can use in their homes,

but have a real history behind them.

A living history. I love knowing the history behind objects.

You can find out who owned the items and do lots of research attached to them.

That's what makes me buzz and that's kind of me, really.

Katherine's vast knowledge of antiques and collectibles has served her well,

in writing books and articles

and revealing the true value of people's heirlooms on The Antiques Roadshow.

Her opponent is John Cameron, a well-respected chartered surveyor

and auctioneer, with an underlying competitive streak.

Well, sometimes in life, I'm accused of being a bit laid-back

and perhaps I am, but, you know, I haven't done too bad this far

and, you know, at the end of the day, I don't like to lose.

When he isn't valuing antiques and collectibles,

John can be found selling them, from the auctioneer's podium.

At 420, then.

For today's contest, we're upping the stakes for our experts by throwing them into the unknown,

because today's contest takes place in Paris.

It's time for us to find out the aim of today's game, but as Katherine and John meet up

in the French capital, it seems as though the city's romance might have gone to their heads a little.

-Katherine.

-John.

-You weren't followed, were you?

-No.

-I have an envelope for you.

"John and Katherine, your challenge today is to spend

"up to £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.

"Today, you must buy all of your antiques...

"..from a French antiques market. Bon chance."

-Shall we?

-We shall.

Aw! They might be walking off arm-in-arm now,

but once the contest has started, there certainly won't be any love lost between our battling experts.

Pretty much everybody that they 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 buy and sell the items

that they hope will drive them to victory.

Oh, 250 euros, so that's a bit too much.

I don't think I would make money and I'd have to barter very hard.

As he browses round the market, John will be snapping up

anything that he thinks he can make a profit on.

Now, this is a pretty good French market.

Katherine, on the other hand,

has decided to focus her energies on hunting out vintage clothing,

glassware and pieces of modern design.

And she has spotted a potential purchase.

It's a fantastic 1960s chair.

Lovable from every perspective,

because it's supremely comfortable,

it shows what the '60s was all about.

The shape of it is purely space-age and space-inspired.

It's multifunctional, multipurpose, so I can do this, I can...

I can sit and eat at a table, I can relax and lounge on it

in my...in my living room.

I can be in the office on it.

It was one of those chairs that performed all those functions.

And if we take a closer look at it, it's got this fantastic moulded body

which is covered with the fabric on top, which is really easy to mass-produce.

And instead of four legs, you've got this central pedestal

supporting the weight. It's clever use of modern materials.

That's why I love it so much.

Katherine clearly loves the chair, but can she get it for the right price?

-C'est bon.

-C'est bon?

-Oui. Merci.

We started on 170, that's what he wanted.

And I said, "No, is 100 all right?

And he said, "No, it wasn't all right."

So, we actually settled in the middle on 150,

which I'm...I'm really happy with.

Then we talked about how comfortable it was! So I'm really happy.

Erm, 150 euros isn't quite in the middle,

but Katherine seems happy enough.

This contest is a two-horse race, though, and The Hammer is determined to give his rival

a good run for her money.

Now, I'm under starter's orders and I'm away!

And I've made a rather interesting purchase.

It's an early 20th century or late 19th century

mechanical horse-racing game.

It's French and I think this is a great deal of fun.

Now, when buying things like this

the first thing you want to look at has to be condition.

If it doesn't work, it may be quite tricky trying to get replacement parts or get items repaired,

so the first thing we do is check that it's working.

Basically, it's an adult's game.

You put your money in the dish in the centre and you're all hoping to back

the horse that finishes closest to the post.

They drove a bit of a hard bargain, they wanted 300 euros for this.

I tried to offer 150, but in the end we settled for 200 euros,

which is just under £200, about £190.

I'm hoping to get about £300 for this back in England.

It's a splendid start for The Hammer,

but he's feeling the heat of the competition.

Now, having made my first purchase, I'm keen to see what Katherine's up to.

The last time I caught sight of her she was looking good, dressed to kill and she speaks good French.

She's going to be schmoozing with the stallholders here.

She's going to have a tough ride on her hands

because I'm coming up the outside rail and I'm not going to fall at the last fence.

Tough talking from Mr Cameron! But Katherine isn't called

The Great for nothing and has spotted a potential bargain.

Look at this, 20 euros for everything on this table.

Do you know, I'm such a bargain lady,

I'd quite like to go for something on here.

And, instantly, it has to be these plates.

Being a bit of a sort of retro '70s girl, I am kind of drawn to them.

They are very, very eye-catching, actually.

Let's have a look on the other side. They're Limoges, I mean, we're talking kind of '70s Limoges,

so it's not hugely old,

but they're rather nice pieces. It looks like they were probably made for export

and, gosh, 20...20 euros for six, that's very good going.

-Voila!

-Merci!

Well, Katherine seems pleased with her latest purchase and snaps up

a beaded purse for £19 from the same table.

John is hot on her heels, though. He's noticed

some shot glasses, but despite there being over 400 stalls to choose from, it seems as though

this market just ain't big enough for the both of them.

-Excusez-moi, mademoiselle.

-Sorry.

-Shoo, shoo, shoo!

Having seen off his rival, it's back to business for John.

Excusez-moi, monsieur... Le dernier prix?

-Cent vingt.

-Cent vingt? Um, no, no. Cent. Cent.

-Where are you from?

-From England.

You're a gentleman.

Maybe 110 euros.

-110? My friend, we have a deal.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much. Fantastic.

He's on great form. Strike two for auctioneer John.

Wow! I'm terribly excited at that.

I've just bought a set of 12 cased

19th century spirit tumblers which are fantastic.

The condition, absolutely superb.

Decoration of a nice tied reed border around there,

very popular French feature in the decorative arts.

They've also got their maker's mark, their silver mark, their French silver mark.

And what's more, the condition, look at that inside!

The gilt interiors have never been used, they're all in there.

It's fantastic! I managed to get them for about £100.

I think I can turn a profit on these.

So, for just over £100 John has bagged himself

some quality antique pieces.

Katherine the Great, though, is also hard at work.

Vintage sunglasses are great collectibles.

I love them because they're hugely nostalgic, they remind us of kind of eras past

and these are the classic Bausch & Lomb Wayfarer sunglasses. I mean, we know them as Ray-Ban,

which was originally devised to ban the sun's rays.

And what's really nice is that the hinges are still, you know, fine. There's no damage to those at all.

And there's no repairs, the original screws are there. The frame itself is really nice and clean.

You've also got the important mark. You've got Bausch & Lomb Ray-Ban.

These are later ones, probably date from the 1980s, something like that,

and they were probably my first pair that I ever bought.

Unusual to see them in red, actually, a bit more cutting edge.

I'm kind of tempted to go for maybe a few of these because I know the most brilliant dealer

who specialises in these and I might just make a few pounds on them.

I like these two, actually.

-These two.

-Yeah, but... But, maybe...

-40.

-40?

-For both, yeah.

-For both.

-Yeah.

-OK, 40 for both.

-Yes.

-Perfect! Merci.

So that's a quick deal for Katherine and she's swift to buy another two pairs for just under £85,

taking her total sunglasses spend to a little over £120.

But she'd better keep her bargains under wraps

because Commander Cameron will stop at nothing to spot her bounty.

Now where is that femme fatale, the scarlet woman?

Scarlet woman?! Steady on, John!

Being a Portsmouth lad, John has grown up surrounded by naval tradition, and he's got his sights

set on victory.

I see no ships, but I do potentially see a profit in this 19th century, French, single draw telescope.

Now, coming from Portsmouth, the home of HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar,

I've seen my fair share of maritime collectors in the auction houses.

And this is something on which I can turn a profit.

Invented, many say, by Galileo but you're unlikely to see any surviving examples from that period.

Most you'll see today will be from the 19th century and early 20th century.

The stallholder here is asking 170 euros.

That's about £165. A little bit much for me.

I'd hope to get about 200 for this back in England so I'm going to have to do some negotiating.

-Excusez-moi, madame.

-Bonjour.

-Bonjour.

-Combien?

-What would you like to pay?

Oh...100?

My best is 120.

Merci, merci, merci, monsieur.

Monsieur! I'm not entirely sure calling this lady a man

is going to help John persuade her to lower her price any further.

-100?

-No, I can't, really I can't. 120 my very best price.

-That is your best price?

-Yes.

-120.

-Yes.

Well, that's about £110. That should still leave me a profit, so I think we have a deal here.

Madame, when we shake...

-Thank you.

-Merci beaucoup.

Well, he got there in the end!

And having bought the telescope for just over £110

John's back into the hustle-bustle to try and seal some more deals.

Mr Cameron's flair for French might not be his strongest suit...

-Cinq...?

-Cinquante.

-And I will buy you cafe.

-OK, no problem.

-..but The Hammer knows a good deal when he hears one.

Wow! I just bought that for 50.

That's...50 euros, so just under, that's about £45.

I think we should be able to turn a profit. That's good. And a piece of modern glass.

I would bet that if Katherine came round here, she would have spotted that straight away.

Ah! John is playing a tactical game

and has grabbed this funky piece of modern-art glass

before Katherine can get her hands on it.

With the day's contest starting to heat up, let's find out which expert is making a French connection

and who's yearning for dear old Blighty.

John and Katherine can spend up to £750

of their own money at today's market.

At the prevailing exchange rate, Mr Cameron has parted with

just over £450, leaving him with almost £300 in the kitty.

His opponent has just spent over £300

giving her almost £450 still to spend.

Well, John may have splashed the most cash, but only time will tell who's bagged the best bargains.

And as our profit-hunting pair continue to search for the items that they think

will win them today's game, Katherine is trying to haggle down the price on some vintage clothing.

This is one of those moments where there's a mismatch, OK?

The lady rightly points out that we've got fantastic labels here.

We've got Yves Saint Laurent and we've got Courreges.

I'm not sure. I think this is definitely saleable.

That's Courreges, it's a little bit less glamorous, so I'm not sure that would sell so well.

We're talking about 240 euros,

which is, ooh, gosh, about roughly about £210, something like that,

which means that I've got to get at least £100 for each of these items just to break even, really.

We're going to try again because you can always keep the conversation going. Cent?

-Cent cinquante.

-Oui. OK.

So we're talking about 150 euros. Shall I be brave?

Si vous vendez ceci a Londres, cinq cents faciles. Tres facile.

-She says in London that I'm going to be able to sell this for 500 euros.

-Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

I'm in doubt, but I'm prepared to give it a go.

Sometimes you just have to gamble in life and see what happens.

-OK. Cent cinquante pour la.

-Oui.

-Oui. Merci.

I hope she's right.

So Katherine's rolled the dice and gambled.

She's bought the Yves Saint Laurent for just over £140.

Elsewhere in the market, The Hammer has set his sights on another potential purchase.

Now, this is an interesting item.

It's an early 19th century French rosewood stand for sheet music.

In England a piece of furniture like this is referred to as a Canterbury.

In France they called them La Canterbury.

Who says I can't speak French?!

They usually take this form.

You can see these vertical compartments for your sheet music.

There's a little shelf underneath.

They're often preferred and make more money if they have a little drawer here.

The other variations you'll see on them are a rack of shelves above,

which then it's referred to as a whatnot Canterbury.

Now, how can we date this? Well, three things in my opinion.

One, it's made of rosewood, a favoured timber

in the late Georgian period and the early 19th century.

Two, some of the features.

This lovely bobbin and reel turning here, but more importantly this thick reeding to the components.

That's a thing that we always see on Georgian furniture

right up until about William IV, or around the 1830s, 1840s.

But the final thing for me are the castors.

If we have a look...

we have brass castors. Later in the 19th century they used ceramics,

which were much cheaper, for the wheels, so for me this is an early 19th century piece.

Well, nobody can accuse John of not knowing his onions, but can he seal a deal?

Je parle un peu Francais. Combien?

-Cent quarante. 140.

-140?

-Yes.

...Oh, can you do better than that?

-150?

-Nah! No, no!

100? 100?

STALLHOLDER MUTTERS TO HIMSELF

-Why not?

-Ah!

-Monsieur, can we shake? Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Well, that's about £90, £95, and that's no Canterbury Tale.

Oh, dear, his puns aren't much better than his French,

but that is another good buy for John.

Elsewhere in the market, Katherine - with a little help from her new best friend -

-has snapped up another collectible piece of fashion.

-Madame?

-Oui?

-Avez-vous quelque chose...?

-Christian Dior.

-Ah!

This is a romantic moment. I have just paid 90 euros,

which is roughly about £80 for something that I think I can sell, I love, and I've made a new friend!

-Yes!

-Mon ami!

So, that's Katherine's second piece of vintage clothing.

But there's more to Katherine The Great than expensive dresses and designer shades.

Sometimes you just find the most amazing things lurking on pretty average stalls.

The stall I'm just about to go up to is fairly general,

lots of wooden items, but in amongst it is a little hidden gem.

C'est tres jolie!

-Pour les fleurs?

-Pour les fleurs.

So we're talking about a flower vase here, it's very nice. It's very heavy, very solid.

-Lovely. Combien ce coute?

-Cinquante euros, madame.

Le dernier prix?

...quarante, si vous voulez.

Well, we're now settling on 40 euros, so that's roughly about 37... £36, £37. Alors. C'est bon.

-Oui, OK.

-Merci.

So, having parted with her cash, exactly what has Katherine bought?

I've just spent just a little bit more than £35

on the most amazing piece of glass.

I knew as soon as I saw it that it was something a bit special,

just the weight of it, the style of it

and most excitingly what was underneath it. Very faintly

on the base there's a mark, and the mark

says Lalique.

I'm hoping that on that basis certainly I'd be able to double,

maybe triple my money. So, John, can you better that?

Well, I think it's fair to say that Katherine

is quite pleased with that purchase, don't you?

She also bags two Italian glass bowls for just under £30 each

and a 1950s style lamp for a little over £20.

The pressure is now on John.

Mr Cameron has been hunting high and low

for potentially profitable pieces, and he's decided

to make a move on something that he's been keeping his beady eye on.

Now, all day long I've been walking up and down and keeping a close eye

on this set of eight lemonade glasses and the matching jug.

I think they're superbly stylish, very, very much Art Deco,

though they could have been made just after the war in the 1950s.

Look at those angular bodies and those superbly solid weighted bases.

I think they would look fantastic on a hot day like this filled with Pimms.

Anyway it's important when you're checking glass like this

make sure there are no chips or cracks,

especially when they're faceted like this, because the way the light reflects,

it can often obscure the damage. I've checked the rims and the bases of all of them.

Another nice thing, you've got a set of eight, good to have those good even numbers.

Now, the dealer is asking about £165, £170 for this set.

It has been here all day.

I'd like to buy it for closer to £100 to give me a chance of making a profit.

I'm sitting here on my pray chair. Let's see if I have a prayer negotiating with this dealer.

And with French like yours, John, I'm sure it'll be a breeze.

-Dernier, dernier prix.

-Cent soixante euro. 160 euros.

Mmm? Non, non.

-Um, cent?

-No, no, no.

-Cent?

-No, sorry.

Cent quarante est mon dernier prix. Cent quarante.

-Cent dix?

-Cent dix? Non, non, non.

Non, non, non. Cent trente-cinq euros.

The last price for me. Cent trente-cinq. 135 euros.

-135 euros.

-Yes. I'm OK.

-He wants 135 euro. You've got a deal.

-Merci beaucoup.

-Merci beaucoup. You drive a hard bargain!

Well, John didn't quite get the price he was hoping for

but at just under £130 he still feels there's a profit to be had.

And with that deal sealed, it's time to find out how much our experts have spent at today's market.

Both John and Katherine

were allowed to spend up to £750 of their own money.

Despite the language barrier, John bought six items

for just under £675, leaving slightly over £75 in his kitty.

At the prevailing exchange rate, his rival's items cost her

a little over £646, leaving just over £100 unspent.

It's been a busy day, but before they begin their journey home

back across the Channel, our rivals seize the opportunity to get a glimpse of their opponent's wares.

-What's your favourite thing?

-My favourite has to be my set of 12

19th century spirit tumblers in their fitted box, which I think are absolutely fabulous.

I mean, who wouldn't want those for their party guests, I ask you?

-Me. Sorry.

-So, come on, what about you, what's your favourite item?

OK, they're all my favourites, but if I had to pick

one, or two, it's going to be my vintage fashion.

I'd wear them, I'd buy them, but I'm going to try and sell them to somebody else.

-A challenge.

-OK, OK. Well, I have to say that the chair they're draped over

was something I looked at and nearly bought, but that was a tactical move on my part.

-I wanted to eliminate it from the potential things you were going to buy.

-You horror!

The reason you didn't is because they wouldn't sell it to you because you weren't a girl in a red dress.

Obviously! Well, all I'll say is let the best man or woman win.

Well, I will.

Oh! Doesn't she sound confident?

As our experts head back across the Channel, she'll be aiming to sell...

a retro 1960s swivel chair

and two pieces of designer vintage clothing,

a set of 1970s Limoges plates, a hand-beaded purse,

four pairs of vintage designer sunglasses,

an assortment of glass items and a 1950s style lamp.

John's chance of victory rests on... a set of silver shot glasses,

a French mechanical horse-racing game,

a 19th century telescope, a handmade vase,

a French rosewood sheet-music stand and an Art Deco lemonade set.

After a closely contested Continental clash, our experts

have returned home to Blighty to ready themselves for the second part of today's challenge.

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

and by email, but until they've shaken on it and money's changed hands, no deal is truly sealed.

John is a Portsmouth man born and bred and is planning to sell mostly to his contacts in his home city.

The Hammer is proud of his city...

but will his city do HIM proud and deliver the profits he needs to win today's competition?

He's hoping to sell the Art Deco lemonade set he bought in France to a dealer he knows

on Portsmouth's antiques HQ - the Albert Road.

Now, there's the jug of this Art Deco lemonade set.

Look at the shape, classic Art Deco. Lovely solid heavy base.

It's a nice looking set, but is there any damage?

No, you've got eight glasses and a jug.

There's not a chip or a crack anywhere and they're in really nice condition.

-I see them with a nice summer cocktail in there.

-OK.

So it's really a question of price, isn't it?

I'm asking £180 for the set.

-£180?

-£180 is what I'd like for it.

Well, I like it, but I would like it at considerably less.

Ooh, sounds as though The Hammer is going to have his work cut out to make a profit here.

In Surrey, Katherine has decided to put six of her items into auction.

Now, there are no guarantees of success in the saleroom,

but as Katherine is raising money for charity,

the auctioneer has kindly offered to waive his commission

so she's getting every penny that her items sell for.

200.

In Paris, the six 1970s Limoges plates cost Katherine just under £19. Can she make a profit?

50? 50? 30?

£30? £30? 20 to start.

He's trying to start it at £20.

20 bid. £20 note? £20 note? £20 note? 20 only. 20 only. 20 only. Left handed at 20.

I need to see twos.

-At £25. Over the shoulder. Two and five.

-Two and five. So they've sold, which is great.

The plates have sold for a slim profit

and one of her Italian glass bowls also finds a new home...

Last look. All gone.

..giving her just under £17 worth of profit.

On the south coast, John is haggling hard to get as much as possible for his lemonade set.

I'll tell you what, my bottom price I cannot go below is £160.

£160. Not 150?

I can't go below that figure otherwise I've made a loss.

-I don't want to.

-You don't...?

I think this will make you a small profit as well as me.

I do think it's a nice looking set.

It's going to look good in the shop, so we'll agree on 160.

-We can do a deal?

-We can do a deal at 160.

Having managed to squeeze £160 out of Ian

for the lemonade set, John's bagged a reasonable profit of over £30.

In Surrey, Katherine's Lalique dish is about to go before the bidders.

She needs to get more than £38 to make a profit.

Lot number 88, Lalique.

OK, he's just uttered the magic words Lalique. It's my lot.

It's beautifully illustrated.

-Two bids of interest here, I open at 30.

-Two bids already!

-£35. £35. £35. 40.

-And, look! People waving in the room!

Five for six. And five for six. And five. Last look around here.

Six the five.

There's a big smile on my face, look!

So, it's success number three for Katherine with a Lalique dish

adding just over £27 to her coffers.

And there's more money for the pot

when the second Italian glass bowl sells for £80.

Left hand side and the hammer's up and done then.

And her lamp makes her over £36 of profit.

Katherine's tactic of selling her items at auction is paying off.

So far she's made a profit on everything she's sold.

In Portsmouth, her rival has gone back in time.

He's arrived at the city's docks

in the hope of selling his 19th century telescope that he paid just over £113 for in Paris.

I think we need to get down to the brass tacks of why I'm here.

-Will you take a look, sir?

-Absolutely.

Right. Is it a single draw?

-It is.

-So you've just got the one piece to pull out.

Can I check the optics?

-Yeah, of course.

-Do you mind if I peek out a window?

Straight in focus.

-Yeah?

-Yeah. Not bad, not bad.

Well, I'm looking for about...

£200 for this.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-I wouldn't sell it for that much more than that, I'm afraid.

-Come on, I'm sure you would!

-Maybe a little more. I'll go 120 on it.

Ooh! Look, come on, I want £180.

I'll do 160 and that's my best.

-£160?

-Absolutely.

-You can't do any better than that?

-No.

-Cash now?

-Cash now of course.

-Let's shake on it.

-Lovely.

-And let's see the colour of your money!

Once again he had to work for it,

but John banked a profit of just under £47.

John's strategy is more labour intensive than Katherine's, but dealing face to face with his buyers

gives him the opportunity to squeeze a few extra pounds out of the deal.

His local contacts are second to none, and he thinks he knows

just the buyer for his 19th-century rosewood Canterbury.

-It's got to be worth £200 to you.

-And it's £200?

-£200, come on.

-180, John.

-No, no, no. Come on, £200, and still a nice piece of furniture.

She is interesting, John, I do like her. She will polish up,

-clean up very well. Seeing as it's you, I'll go for it.

-Good man.

-Thank you, sir.

£200. You won't regret it.

I'm sure I won't. I hope not, John, anyway!

The Hammer's definitely playing a hard game today.

He's haggling like a trooper and made almost £106 profit

from the sale of the Canterbury.

£200. I just doubled my money.

Now, match that, Katherine The Great!

Yes, John's definitely in it to win it, and today's contest is warming up nicely.

At her auction in Surrey, Katherine is waiting nervously for her swivel chair to go before the bidders.

This is the moment when you start to,

um, feel those butterflies in your stomach and it's a lot you really, really want to do well.

The chair cost just over £140, so Katherine is going to need

some hefty bids in order to make a profit.

The Steiner. For the Crocus chair start me at two.

200 the bid. 200 the bid, 200 the bid.

220. 240. 260.

260. It's climbing up. It's climbing up.

260, it's a fantastic bid and the price is still climbing.

260. 260. 280.

Three and zeros. Three, sold.

£300. So, I've made, well, a great deal of profit.

I've doubled my money. Hurray!

# The winner takes it all... #

Yes, it's "hurray" indeed. Having banked a profit of just over £158,

Katherine The Great has more than doubled her money on the chair.

Our experts are banking profit after profit, but who's riding high and who's heading for a fall?

This is shaping up to be a real clash of the titans.

John's sold £520 worth of goods and banked over £185 worth of profit.

His rival, on the other hand,

has made sales totalling £575 and made profits of almost £300.

Katherine may be leading the way, but there's still all to play for.

Both our experts are desperate to win today's competition

and Portsmouth's finest is taking to the sea in the hope of turning the tide.

Planes, trains, automobiles and even the hovercraft!

I'm off to the Isle of Wight to see if I can sell my horse-racing game to a museum.

Anyway, here we go.

Our duelling dealers have been working their way through

their contact books, setting up deals, but until money's changed hands, no sale is in the bag.

At just under £190, the horse-racing game was John's most expensive purchase and if he's going to win

today's competition, he needs a big result.

Are you ready for this? ..There we are.

-Right, yes.

-This is the racing game.

-Yes.

Works like this.

Put your bets in here, you all pick a horse.

-Yes.

-You've got the winding handle here with the maker's name

on the side. You give it a crank...

..and the horse that finishes closest to the post...

-Yes.

-..wins the money.

-Right, I see.

-So what do you think?

-It's nice quality, it's in good condition.

-It's different.

Yes, I think it would display well, that's what we have to consider.

Now, getting down to the price.

I think this is a pretty good example, but I'm asking 350 for it today.

We wouldn't want to pay quite as much as that

because, um, times are tighter now,

you know, things are difficult, so I think we would...

we would want to pay a little less than that.

What sort of figure do you have in mind?

Um...I suggest 250.

I tell you what, I'd like to see it here in the museum.

I'd be proud to say I'd sold an exhibit at this museum.

I will take £300 from you today.

I...I think, um...

-Yeah, I... You know, split the difference.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-£300?

-OK. Yeah.

I can see being around all these toys hasn't softened you up any over the years. £300 it is.

-Yeah.

-Can we shake on that?

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

His buyer might not have been a soft touch,

but neither is The Hammer, and having haggled hard

for the best possible price, John's bagged over £111 worth of profit.

And there's more good news when his silver shot glasses

pour more than £96 into his profit pot.

Today's contest could go either way because John

is facing a very determined opponent. She's arranged to meet

a sunglasses dealer at the Museum Of The Royal College Of Optometrists.

# You're just too good to be true Can't take my eyes off you... #

Katherine's hoping to sell him the four pairs of sunglasses she bought in Paris.

Now, I've got two pairs of Wayfarers there.

Um, I... You know, they...

-For me they evoke that movie star look, really.

-Of course.

First made famous by Audrey Hepburn.

Bausch & Lomb, they make fantastic lenses. They made fantastic lenses, of course, and, yeah...

And they have the B&L sign on the lenses which tells us they're original.

And we've got these slightly jazzy, groovy coloured ones, yeah.

A great... A great pick for these days because colour is back in fashion.

These pairs could be early 70s, maybe. Maybe before.

And there are quite a few scratches, so I would say the lenses should be changed on these,

but I happen to have a few vintage lenses, a few vintage original Bausch & Lomb lenses, so...

-Oh, right.

-I think we can bring them to original form.

Another thing you can look out for is the crookedness.

-Yes. Slightly the... Certainly the arms, the hinge there is...

-Yeah.

-..a little floppier than it should be.

-But these can all be tightened up and because

it's acetate, which is a flexible material, we can just heat it and bring it back to its old form, so...

-Great.

-That's the beauty of it.

-I think they will sell pretty well. Congratulations, a great selection.

-I like the sound of that.

Well, this all sounds very promising, but before she gets down to business Katherine takes Videl

outside to try on the sunglasses.

-It's a bit cloudy.

-You don't have to, I can see.

# I'm doing all right

# Gettin' good grades

# The future's so bright

# I've got to wear shades I've got to wear shades... #

So, having tested the shades out, can Katherine seal a deal?

Remember, she bought them for just under £123.

-I was thinking in the region of about £230 for all four.

-For all four.

There's going to be quite some craftsmanship going into this.

There's some scratches here that we're going to have to polish out and the lenses will be changed

on a few, so, yeah, I would have to ask for 180, possibly.

I would love to settle on about 200.

-All right, I think that sounds like a good bargain.

-OK.

-I can do that.

-Perfect.

-That's a deal, then. Shake hands on it.

So, thanks to a good deal, Katherine's in the money,

banking just over £77 for the sale of her vintage designer sunglasses.

And there's more good news when she also sells

the beaded purse for a small profit.

In Portsmouth, John's hoping his old stomping ground will deliver him a sale.

He's hoping to sell the handmade vase that he bought for just over £47 in Paris.

-Well, it's a nice heavy piece, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

-Yeah, it's got some weight to it.

-So, what do you think?

-It's quite modern.

I know it's modern. It's marked at the bottom 2005 there.

-Yeah.

-Etched mark.

And I would suggest that that other signature, which is quite indistinct,

I think that's Biot, which has a long glassmaking tradition in that area.

Quality wise I think it's good. I mean, it's a solid piece.

You have that wonderful amber strip going through the middle which has been, you know, covered.

You've got those lovely gold inclusions and those ruby bubble inclusions in the bottom.

Good solid sculptural piece. I really like it.

I must admit, I do like it and I have got one client in mind.

She just bought a penthouse in old Portsmouth and I reckon that will look really good and, you know,

she's really keen at the moment to buy, so I reckon I could get...

you know, sell that to her.

Well, this sounds promising.

John's potential buyer has got a client in mind.

But how much will he be prepared to pay for the glass vase?

If Katherine wants to win today's contest, she has to sell her two pieces of vintage clothing.

She's entered the skirt and dress into a specialist auction and, as every penny she makes is going

to charity, the saleroom has kindly waived its fee.

The dress cost Katherine just over £140 in Paris.

OK, this is my lot.

Lot 23, the Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche 1970s poppy print dress.

And I have 150... I have £160 bid. 160 I have.

170. 180. 190. 200. 200 with me.

OK, I'm in profit now.

I'm in quite major profit. Remember, I bought it for about £140.

240, new place. 260.

£260.

-At 280. 300 with Steve.

-OK, I've more than doubled my money.

300 in the room. 320 new place. 340 in the room.

360 on the telephone now.

-It's at £360.

-OK, who's got clever eyes? It's Katherine The Great!

380 last chance. Selling at 380.

Paddle 299.

Pretty much tripled my money there.

Clever shopper. Only the Higgins can do that!

That is an amazing result.

Katherine's made almost £240 worth of profit from the dress.

Next up, the vintage skirt that cost her almost £85.

-Lots of interest in this.

-Lots of interest, we like that sound.

So will it be a fashion faux pas or the item that sews up victory?

70. 80. 90. 100.

We'll find out very shortly if the skirt made Katherine enough

money to win today's contest, or if the glass vase handed John victory,

because it's now time to tot up the totals and reveal how much our duelling duo have made.

Katherine spent over £646 at the antiques market in Paris.

Her rival, meanwhile, parted with almost £675.

Don't forget that all profits will be going to charity. Without further ado it's time to reveal who is

the Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

Hello, Katherine.

-Hello, John.

-Good to see you.

-Or should I say bonjour?

-Bonjour.

Recovered from France yet?

I have, I have. We were one hour ahead and I was using all those minutes to buy, buy, buy.

So how did you get on with your vintage fashion items?

I... It went OK, actually.

And how about you? I loved your racing game.

-I mean, that was a great buy.

-And it went to a very, very good home.

-Did it?

-Yes, it did indeed.

But enough idle chitchat, how much profit have we made?

Let's find out. I'm going to count down.

Three, two, one - go!

-Oh!

-Ooh!

-Katherine!

Well, you did very well because I found the profits hard to come by,

but it looks like you didn't!

Well, I...I can say tres bien.

Well, I think I could learn a lesson or two from you about 20th century

decorative arts, but now we're back on home ground I think the battle will commence again.

We continue.

So it's a victory for Katherine.

John's vase made him just over £50 worth of profit.

-£100.

-£100.

-Go on, then.

-Do you take cash?

-From you? Of course I would!

And although her vintage skirt made her just over £25 of profit...

Selling now at £110.

..it was Katherine's eye for fashion

that proved to be the deciding factor in today's contest.

I don't want to say I was... I was, like, confident,

but I thought I'd bought well in France and, yeah, I was the victor!

Yeah, I thought I might be.

I was! I'm so pleased!

I'm a little disappointed to have been beaten on the battlefield of France,

but Katherine fought a fair fight and I think her superior knowledge

in 20th century decorative arts and, in particular, vintage dresses, paid off.

Katherine may have beaten her rival, but both our experts have given their all,

and the profits they've raised will be going to their chosen charities.

All the profits that I make from this programme will go to my chosen charity,

which is the Emasi Children's Project, an orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa.

My charity is Cystic Fibrosis.

Not many people realise it is the most commonly inherited disease in the country

and over two million people carry the faulty gene and there are 8,000 sufferers.

So it's a victory for Katherine The Great, but tomorrow John will have the opportunity to get his own back

as our experts go head-to-head at an antiques market in Nottinghamshire.

I've just made a purchase that I think

is going to give Katherine The Great a right royal strop!

I've just spent £20 on a little bit of toy history.

I've got a few pounds to make while I'm here.

Haircuts? £5 a time.

Moustaches ten bob!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.

E-mail [email protected]