Katherine Higgins v John Cameron: UK Antiques Market Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

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

when they're 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 re-creating some of their real-life deals,

as they go head-to-head and try and make the most money for their chosen charities.

-You watch out here, Miss Bliss!

-The pressure is really on.

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.

Mr Hammer, you'd better be prepared to have a serious battle,

because you're up against Katherine the Great, and she likes to win!

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

whether it be writing books and articles,

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

I get seriously excited about retro design really, things that people

can use in their homes but have a real history behind them.

That's what makes me buzz.

And that's me really - a bit of a modernist at heart.

Her rival is a well respected auctioneer

and valuer of antiques, although the seeds of John Cameron's career were sown at a very young age.

My first job prepared me for life as an auctioneer.

Grandfather had a fruit and veg business, and he told me,

"You've got to start calling out the fruit and veg."

"Apples, two pounds for 40 pence!" Something like that.

It got me over my inhibitions, and prepared me for the life I didn't know I was going to lead.

When he isn't on the podium, John can be regularly found hunting for cash in the attic.

At 420 then...

So our experts are ready and the stakes are sky high.

With their reputations at risk, their own cash on the line

and their favourite charities wishing them well,

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

Ah, Mr Hammer, how lovely to see you!

Katherine the Great, good to see you. I have something for you.

-I've got a little pressie for you, too.

-It's like Christmas.

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

"You must then re-sell 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 your antiques from an antiques fair." Good luck!

-Well, I guess we'd better start looking for an antiques fair then.

-Let's go shopping!

So the challenge for our experts is to spend up to £750 of their own money at an antiques fair,

before trying to sell their purchases on for a profit.

And it's the Newark Antiques Fair in Nottinghamshire that has the honour of hosting today's clash.

Pretty much everybody that John and Katherine try to do deals with

will be aware that they're on a mission to raise money 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

they hope will drive them to victory.

Our duelling duo will be buying goods with buyers in mind,

and with their search for pieces under way,

John has found what he thinks could be Katherine's dream stall.

Well, I think I'm in Katherine the Great heaven here.

Her two favourite subjects - '50s design and kitchenalia.

And we've got a tent full of '50s kitchenalia.

I have to make sure she doesn't know this place is here.

There are some very interesting items here.

Look at all this - takes you right back.

Grew up with one of those pineapple ice boxes.

But now this is an interesting item.

Rock 'n' roll, Elvis - it's fantastic.

It's a montage that's been made out of old printing blocks.

And judging by the typeface of them, I would say probably early 20th century, early 1900s.

Printing goes back centuries and centuries and centuries.

Originally, to print a page, one would engrave the writing in reverse

into a block of wood, which would then be used to print a page.

And each page would have a separate piece of wood.

But it was Gutenberg in the mid-15th century who hit upon the idea that by making moveable typefaces,

you could re-use the letters, jumble them up and make anything you want.

When you think about it, Gutenberg's printing press is probably

one of the most important inventions of the last 1,000 years.

But I want to see what the dealer wants for this. Excuse me...

Interested in this montage.

How much are you asking for this piece?

-That's 125.

-£125?

-Yeah.

What is your best price?

Would you take £80 for it?

No, certainly not!

How much?

The very best would be 95.

£95? Well, I think we could have a deal there.

-Shake on that?

-Yeah. Certainly.

-£95 it is then.

So having managed to haggle £30 off the asking price,

The Hammer is off to a flying start.

All he needs now is for one of his contacts to be as taken with it as he is.

Elsewhere in the market, our retro lady has spotted some picture perfect pieces.

If you want to buy frames, the key thing if you're a collector is to look for the condition.

So you're looking for a nice solid structure, you're looking for original gilding if possible.

And very little gilding repair.

And you're also looking for no chips and no damage.

Katherine has a potential buyer in mind for the picture frames, but can she seal a deal?

I probably shouldn't say I love these, but I do.

What can we do on them?

Well, they're priced at £20 each, £40 for the pair.

That's too much for my budget.

The best I can do is £30 for the two.

£30, OK. That's £15 each. Yes, I'll go with that.

And I know exactly that they're going to be used again, much loved.

Yes, and history's going to be re-made. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

So today's antiques battle is now underway.

Katherine has sealed another deal.

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

This bagatelle set is made by Chad Valley.

Great British toy manufacturer, started in the 19th century.

But they're known for their 20th century toys really.

And they made toys for the Queen Mother, and for the Queen and Princess Margaret.

So, a fantastic collectible.

Great firm, really nice condition.

And I know exactly who will want this.

It's a man who likes to play games.

So Katherine's bought two items, and she thinks she might have buyers for both.

She can't afford to get complacent, because John is also working hard,

and has bought something that he thinks could be a cut above the rest of the items on offer.

Now, I've just made a purchase that I think is going to give Katherine the Great a right "royal strop".

It's a collection of antique razors and shears from the hairdressing industry.

I've bought this with a specific punter in mind.

I'm hoping that their artistic side is going to come out

and they're going to want to make a nice display of this fantastic collection.

We've got some Victorian razors here.

I think that's probably late 19th, early 20th century.

And the packaging here from the '30s and the '40s and the 1950s. Fantastic. Lots of variety.

Now my favourite has to be this little miniature pair for cutting children's hair.

Look at that - they've been gold plated. Aren't they wonderful?

The dealer wanted £200 for these, but after some stiff negotiations,

I think I bought them at a bit of a snip. £100.

I'm hoping to double my money there. But before then, I've got a few pounds to make while I'm here.

Haircuts, £5 a time! Moustaches, 10 bob!

Yes, I'm not quite sure Put Your Money's answer to Vidal Sassoon

-is going to win today's contest by cutting hair.

-Form an orderly queue! Don't be shy!

But The Hammer gets back to the business at hand

when he snaps up these two Victorian ruby glass lustre vases.

-£50?

-£50, is that your best?

Afraid so.

-OK. We have a deal. Shake on that?

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

And John adds to his stash of items by snapping up this charming silver salt holder for £70.

He and Katherine are slugging it out to buy the items with most potential profit.

At the moment, Katherine the Great can't lay a glove on The Hammer.

Hammer time.

# Break it down... #

Yes, well, I'm not too sure about the shades, but The Hammer is definitely on a real roll.

His rival, though, is no pushover, and is working hard to find more game-winning goods.

This is where I like to be. In the midst of all this Georgian brown furniture, you find little gems.

And this is my little gem.

Instantly I just thought it was a great piece of modern design.

And it feels a bit kind of French, 1930s.

But the body of it is actually reminiscent of Lloyd Loom furniture.

Lloyd Loom connoisseurs are quite fussy about what they go for.

And generally you will see a little tag attached to the back of quite a lot of their furniture.

This one, I'm going to have a quick look, turning it over, hasn't got any tags attached to it.

But I could probably do some research and maybe associate it with the firm.

So I'm hoping it's got potential.

I'm going to find out how much he wants.

Hello. Hi.

This is your chair, clearly, isn't it? Could it be my chair?

-Yeah, it can be.

-How much do you want for it?

It's £65.

Oh, can you do anything on that?

Well, I could come down to £40 to you.

I'll accept. £40 is perfect.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

And having picked up a perfectly priced chair, Katherine goes on a spending spree.

# Money, money, money, must be funny

# In a rich man's world... #

She snaps up a collectible baby walker for £8 and two more chairs for £105.

She's bagging items left, right and centre. And a blast from her past has caught her eye.

This is where I came from.

This is my childhood totally.

It's instantly recognisable to anyone who grew up with it.

It's made by the Broadhurst Pottery.

Good solid Staffordshire pottery, who were sort of quite staid

until the 1950s when they decided to go kind of wild.

And the wildness came from their brilliant designer, Kathie Winkle.

She joined the firm in the '50s and became their chief designer.

And it was a period where she just decided to go colourful,

and she created these almost kaleidoscopic designs.

And it's really nice to see a complete set together.

I love it. I know an interior designer who I think will go for it, so fingers crossed.

30 pieces here.

She's got 38 on it.

Katherine loves the plates, but can she buy them for a profitable price?

-Hi.

-There's a real moment of nostalgia here. I love it.

£38, 30 pieces.

-30 pieces, yeah.

-What can you do for me on that?

I'd take 30, that would be like £1 each item.

-£1 a piece?

-£1 a piece.

-OK, done. Perfect.

-OK.

-My new friend. Thank you.

So, after a frantic buying blitz, Katherine the Great has hit her stride.

But with The Hammer also on top buying form,

it's time to find out which of them has parted with the most cash.

Katherine and John can spend up to £750 of their own money.

Our Princess of Profit has spent £233,

leaving her with £517 still to spend.

John, on the other hand, has parted with £315.

He's still got £435 burning a hole in his pocket.

So both our experts have still got hundreds of pounds to spend.

And Katherine has dipped into her kitty and racked up another buy.

There's someone I know who would really like this.

As soon as I saw it - in the middle of Newark I never ever thought I would see one of these.

It's a rhubarb forcer,

something that was used very much in the Victorian era.

And you would have your rhubarb plant beneath here.

Your gardener would put this over the top of the rhubarb and the light is very much restricted,

so the rhubarb grows right up towards the light, and you get these fantastically long stems.

Gardening in the 19th century was a hugely popular pursuit.

A lot of new books came out about keeping your Victorian garden and how to do the best gardening.

You had a lot of new implements.

And this kind of thing is a hugely popular collectible today.

I was hoping this was going to be a real steal at £5 or £10.

But actually the lady wanted about £150.

So I did a bit of haggling, and I got it for £100.

£100 for something to help your rhubarb grow?

Seems like a lot of money, but Katherine thinks she's got a winner on her hands.

And she's throwing down the gauntlet to her rival.

Mr Hammer thinks he's a cut above the rest.

But I'm going to make sure it rains on his parade.

# Sisters are doing it for themselves... #

There's no stopping Katherine the Great today.

And with plenty of cash left in her pocket, she's determined to shop till she drops.

She bags a gardening book for £10.

A wooden car for £15.

A set of antlers for £50.

And an oil painting for a further £50.

With these rivals spending like there's no tomorrow,

John's been hunting high and low for another purchase

and has found something from a very different era.

Now, this is an interesting piece of advertising, and a classic look

back into how certain things could be gotten away with.

Look at what this says: "For your throat's sake, smoke Cravens."

It's almost telling you that they're good for you, which today is an absolute no-no.

We all know they're very bad for you. But this is an interesting item.

It's an early post-war advertising sign, made of metal, coated with enamel.

Now I think I may be able to get £150 for this.

But my profit's going to depend largely

on how much I can negotiate down from the dealer's £105 asking price.

-Excuse me, sir? Your advertising sign here, the cigarette sign?

-Yeah.

Now, it's got a bit of damage on it.

-Yeah.

-Smoking's bad for you - we all know that.

-Yeah.

-Can you do any better on that price for me?

-How about 90?

Mmm... I was thinking more like 60?

70.

-You're a fair man. Can we shake on it?

-Yeah.

Very good, sir. £70, you have a deal.

The slogan's obviously outdated, but the sign is still very collectible.

John adds to his purchases when he also buys a pawnbroker's sign for £20,

and a barometer for £60.

Both our experts have bagged plenty of items today, but they're not done yet.

Katherine has spotted some rare ocean liner memorabilia that's taken her fancy.

We've got Cunard, we've got White Star Lines, we've got the Queen Elizabeth.

So it's very saleable, probably in parts.

But I'm hoping that maybe someone interested in travel or travel memorabilia would love this.

And it's quite a nostalgic collection that I can add to

in terms of finding out a bit more about the man who originally put this together.

Well, Katherine is clearly taken with the cruise liner memorabilia,

but can she bag it for a bargain price?

-Hi.

-Hi, you've had a good look through, have you?

-I have.

-What do you think?

I love it. What would you take?

I have to get 75 quid for it. That's what I have to get.

Sorry to talk money on something like this.

It doesn't sound too good.

Do you know what? I have to pay less.

I thought you might say that somehow!

It's never easy buying and selling.

But can we have two in the middle somehow and meet halfway?

What was your figure then? What did you have in mind?

-I had about...

-Don't say 40!

Yeah!

£40 I had in my mind.

No. Oh, I really need to get that 75. Look, I'll do you a deal.

I'll take another 10 off, 65.

-But you're getting an awful lot for your money for 65.

-60?

No, I have got to stick at 65, sorry.

-OK.

-You're getting a lot of history for 65.

I think that is a fantastic collection.

I love it. I hope I can sell it on to somebody else.

Yeah, I'll go with you.

You're a lovely person!

Aw, nicely done, Katherine. That's a fascinating buy and a great deal.

But John is also hard at work.

He snapped up a vintage fire pump for £55, and he also thinks he's got his rival's number.

These are quite interesting.

I know there's a huge market for private plates, so I hope the chap doesn't want too much for them.

What's interesting about them is each state has a reference on it to something unique or instantly

recognisable to that state. Look at that - New Jersey, the Garden State.

Florida, the Orange State.

And Utah, famous for its skiing resorts. Excuse me?

Can I help you?

A bunch of licence plates here.

-What sort of money are we talking about?

-We sell them for £4 for one, or three for £10.

-Or if you're really interested, I've just sorted that mixed bunch out for 25.

-25.

25 plates there, they can be £50.

That's £2 each. Not bad. Can we shake on that?

-We can.

-We have a deal.

-Thank you.

Nicely done, Mr Cameron.

Another bargain buy.

And it's time to find out just how much money our duelling dealers have parted with at today's market.

John and Katherine started with £750 of their own money.

After shopping like a trooper, Katherine has spent £523.

John has bought nine items for £570.

Our experts have walked miles to track down their purchases.

But before they pack up and head for home, they're both keen to get a glimpse of their opponent's wares.

-Katherine...

-Mr Hammer...

How did we do today?

I think I've done really well. You'd be surprised at how well I've done.

I adore my picture frames.

Where are the pictures?

You don't need pictures these days,

-they're so old fashioned!

-I'm out of touch, obviously!

-How about you?

I'm really happy with my 19th century ruby glass lustres. They remind me of my childhood.

But I haven't bought them sentimentally for me.

I have a client in mind who buys ruby and cranberry, so hopefully he'll be a buyer of those.

You've gone a little bit American there. I'm really worried about the number plates.

You don't like them?

Well, I just think this side of the pond you'll struggle to sell them, but you know...

I'm optimistic. I've got somebody in mind.

-I'm hoping he'll make a nice display with them on the back of his toilet door, something like that.

-Lovely.

What about this chap here? He looks like Blakey from On the Buses. "I'll 'ave you, Butler!"

Yeah, that would be before my time, of course.

Yes. But I think he's great.

I think it's well painted. I think it's got potential.

I'm going to do a bit of research and find out more.

-We'd better get cracking. We've got to try and sell this stuff.

-May the best girl win.

-Good luck!

So as they load their purchases into the boots of their cars,

John's hopes of winning today's competition rest on...

An original collage made from printing blocks.

A collection of antique razors and accessories.

A silver salt holder cast in the shape of a donkey.

A pair of Victorian ruby glass lustre vases.

Two advertising signs.

A maritime-themed barometer.

An early 20th century fire extinguisher.

And 25 assorted American licence plates.

Meanwhile, Katherine will be aiming to cash in on...

An oil painting and a pair of picture frames.

Three chairs, including one in the style of Lloyd Loom.

A pair of antlers.

30 pieces of Broadhurst crockery.

An assortment of vintage toys.

A gardening book.

A rhubarb forcer.

And a collection of cruise ship memorabilia.

So after a busy day's buying at Newark Antiques Fair,

the challenge for our experts is now to sell the items on for a profit.

-Take care, bye.

-They'll both be pulling out all the stops to find the right buyers

for their items, and working their way through their little black books,

setting up deals on the phone and by email.

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

The most unusual of Katherine's buys

was definitely the rhubarb forcer that she thought was ripe for a profit.

And she's looking to make it her first sale of the day.

OK, it's not my smallest find.

-And it's pretty heavy.

-Oh, goodness me!

Let's get it out! OK.

Don't forget, Katherine paid a whopping £100 for this.

So she's going to have to work really hard to make a profit.

How many people would be able to find a rhubarb forcer in the mass of a huge antiques market?

I know exactly what it is, but you're the gardener amongst us here.

How does it work?

In the winter time, the rhubarb all dies down, so it's all bare patch.

And basically you put it over where the shoots are going to come.

And being dark,

it will encourage the shoots to grow, and you'll create strong stems.

And that's the idea behind it.

You'll get a strong early growth of some lovely, delicious rhubarb.

I'm coming here for my rhubarb crumble! The other thing is, of course, it's terracotta.

Big question. What are you asking?

You know what, I'm going to ask...

-I think a fair price for it would be around £200.

-Right.

OK, well, I know I've seen modern ones,

new ones on the internet at £100.

You've done your research.

-I'll give you 150.

-OK.

-Not quite what I'm looking for.

-You're pushing me, you're pushing me.

I'm going to push you straight into that rhubarb unless we can settle on 160!

-All right. Deal's done.

-Deal's done?

And the first tasting of that rhubarb crumble.

Oh, now, you really are striking a hard bargain.

Well, there is no doubt about it, Katherine definitely knows her onions as well as her rhubarb.

£60 profit is a great result from her first deal.

She also bags a £5 profit from the sale of her gardening book.

And £95 from the sale of her two chairs.

In Hampshire, John is looking to register a profit of his own

by selling his collection of American number plates.

# Any old iron, any old iron, any, any, any old iron... #

This is the scrap-metal dealers that John had in mind when he bought the licence plates.

He has spoken to his contact on the phone,

but until he gets the money in his pocket, the sale isn't secured.

-Jim!

-Hello, John, you made it then?

-So you've got these plates?

-Yes, these are the plates.

I bought them up at Newark Antiques Fair.

I know you like your enamel signs.

-I also know you're a bit of a fan of number plates.

-Yep.

So, I saw these, and I thought, cleaned up, Jim will like those, perhaps display them.

-Mind if I have a look?

-Have a look.

Put them on the back of the toilet door, they'll make a good display.

-All American number plates?

-Lovely American number plates, all got their state names on.

-Well, how many here?

-There are 25 of them there, Jim.

Now, I think we're talking about £5 each.

-Bit on the high side, John.

-How do you see it?

-Too much for me.

I reckon about £3 each.

-£75?

-£75.

-These are American number plates, Jim.

-I've got loads of number plates.

-I know, but they're plain old British number plates,

and they're on plain old British cars.

Just imagine some of the classic American cars that these were once attached to.

They are nice, but a bit expensive.

-So what do you reckon?

-Well, at £4 each, that would be £100.

-It's less than I wanted, but I tell you what, Jim, £100 on one condition.

-What's that?

You fix it for me to see a car being crushed.

-Erm, OK, you've got a deal.

Go on, then.

Well, Mr Cameron has just bagged himself a £50 profit.

Katherine the Great, it's Hammer time.

And there's more good news for John, when he banks

another £20 profit from the sale of his vintage fire extinguisher.

The Hammer may be blazing the selling trail, but Katherine is a tough competitor.

And she strikes back at The Hammer's lead by doubling her money on the Chad Valley bagatelle.

-I think a fair price for that would be around about £40.

-OK. I think we have a deal.

Yes, £20 may not be an earth-shattering profit,

but Katherine has just doubled her money.

Her profit gets a further top-up

when she makes £10 from the sale of her wooden car.

And £12 from the sale of the collectible baby walker.

Both experts are working hard to secure deals on all of their items.

Katherine has gone off-road in search of another potential buyer.

One of my top selling tips is you've really got to know your market place,

and who you're selling to.

And that's exactly what I've done with my cruise liner memorabilia.

The only problem is, I've got to find out where they are!

After a quick search, Katherine tracks down her potential buyer, who sells cruise liner fashion,

and may have a use for her classic cruise liner memorabilia.

Hello!

This is all the cruise liner memorabilia I mentioned to you.

-Excellent.

-Which I thought would be perfect.

Fantastic.

I've sorted it, actually. It all relates to the Queen Elizabeth. So this is luxury liner at its best.

Interesting tale really, because the cruise liner is built pre-war,

but it doesn't actually take passengers really until the post-war era.

That's when it starts to take passengers across the Atlantic to New York.

How might you use these?

I think we might use some of the images from the fronts of these menus.

This one in particular is very exotic.

Very much, hopefully, evocative of where these people that buy our clothes will be wearing them.

So on our website, or in brochures.

-Maybe shots of the actual vessels themselves would be good.

-There's a nice one there.

It really does convey the glamour of ocean liner travel and cruise liner travel.

-So what do you think?

-Well, I think you could convince me. Just!

I think, realistically, this shouldn't go for less than £200. I think that's what it's worth.

Well, we don't have a very large marketing budget.

And I was thinking more like 60.

OK. Right.

-That's quite far apart from where I'd like to be.

-Yes.

I think I could bring it down to probably 120.

What about 100?

-Final offer, actually. 100.

-OK.

I don't think you're going to go any more than that, so let's go for it.

-Deal done.

-Thank you.

That's another £35 profit in the bank for Katherine the Great,

and she is steaming ahead.

But don't write off The Hammer just yet.

With his post-war advertising sign to sell, he's hoping for another big deal.

Good to see there's no sign are saying "No cold callers or canvassers".

-Martin, good to see you.

-How are you doing?

-All right.

-So you brought the sign along?

-I have indeed.

-Do you want to come on through, and we'll see if we can do a deal?

-Come on, then.

Well, it looks as though John has brought the sign to the right place.

The potential buyer is clearly a serious collector, but there are no guarantees he'll want to buy it.

What do you think?

Nice picture on it, condition obviously where the water has sat top and bottom, gone a bit.

But, no, it's a good sign.

The nice thing about it, there's no damage to the main area.

No. And a lot of kids used to throw stones and chip them.

-Is this a confession, Martin?

-No! No, it's not.

These are pre, before me, John. Maybe in your time, perhaps.

This is post-war, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

-So is this something that could find its way into your collection, Martin?

Certainly. Very interested. But, as always, dependent on price, John.

Well, I think it's a nice thing.

I know what these things make, I'm looking for £140 for it.

-Right. I'm gobsmacked.

-Go on.

-I think you're a little bit off the mark.

And I'll offer you about 80 quid for it, John.

I see you still fancy yourself as having a career in comedy, Martin. 80 quid?!

Martin's certainly driving a hard bargain. He and The Hammer settle on a price of £120.

-Seeing as it's you, it's a deal.

-Good man. You won't regret it.

-Thank you very much.

The buyer definitely knew his stuff,

but John has walked away with a £50 profit.

And he adds another £30 to his kitty

from the sale of his pawnbroker's sign to a different buyer.

Both our experts are working flat out to sell all their items for the biggest possible profit.

But who's flying high, and whose bid for victory is yet to take off?

Katherine the Great has sold £560 worth of goods,

giving her £237 worth of profit.

John "The Hammer" Cameron has made sales of £345,

bagging him a profit of £150.

Don't forget that both our rivals are working their socks off

to put deals together, on the phone or by email.

But until their potential buyers have handed over the cash, no sale is in the bag.

John might be trailing at the moment, but with plenty of items

left to sell, he isn't out of this contest just yet.

All he's thinking about is the next sale, and he's on his way to try

and seal a deal for his barometer, which he bought for £60.

Now, Paul, I've brought this barometer in to show you. It's a nice thing.

I've seen them before, but not for a while.

Early 20th century carved oak frame.

It's got this barometer in here.

Thermometer in there, little clock in there, and even a compass in the top. Do you like it?

Yes, it's not too bad.

It all depends how much it is.

Well, I was hoping for £140 for it today, Paul.

-I think £100 is about where I want to be.

-How's business?

-Terrible.

You've got a suntan there, don't be telling me business is terrible!

I'll talk to you later, when I've bought it.

-Can you not do this for £120?

-No.

-£100?

If that's your best price, Paul, I'm in no mood to argue today.

-It's yours.

-Deal's done.

-£100.

-Business is fantastic!

-Now, tell me about this holiday.

Well, it's a sale, and another £40 of profit.

But it definitely won't go down in the history books

as The Hammer's finest haggle.

However, he adds another £45 of profit

from the sale of his printing stamp panel.

This contest is now too close to call.

The Hammer is hoping to seal his next deal from the comfort of his own home.

Come out, have a sit down. I said you could have a look at these.

Just put these coffees down.

Now, have a look at those.

-What do you think?

-There's a bad repair around there, John.

Yeah, I spotted that.

Now, the piece is there. It's been glued back in so it's still there.

And because it's underneath that bowl, you can't really see it.

-No.

-They're quite nice, aren't they? A good Victorian pair?

-Yeah.

Apart from that little bit of damage and the missing lustres, what do you think?

Well, I'm afraid

that they don't come up to the quality of the lustres that I have, but they are very pretty.

So these are of interest to you, yeah?

Well, they could be.

Here we go. Now, we know we've got to get down to the awkward business of the money, Alf.

Now, as you know, I've sold to you many times from the rostrum,

-but not sitting face-to-face in a personal negotiation.

-Is it difficult?

I'm finding it quite hard.

-Anyway, let's pretend I'm on the rostrum.

-Right.

Who'll start the bidding at £200?

Do I have £200 anywhere?

No. But you've got one at 125.

Oh dear. 125 is not enough.

We need to bid a bit more. Keep the bidding going, Alf.

126.

-Of course, you really do feel like you're in the sale room, don't you?

-Yes.

-Do I hear 150 anywhere?

-I think that I will say yes. 150.

-150?

-Yes.

Well, that's a novel approach to haggling, but it's paid off

as John has just tripled his money and made £100 profit.

-Would you take them home for me?

-You want delivery as well?

-Yes, please.

-Dear Lord, there's no pleasing some people, is there?

He also bags another £50 from the sale of his silver salt pot

and the pressure is now back on his opponent.

But when the going gets tough, Katherine the Great gets going.

And she's been thinking outside the box about the best way to sell

the Kathie Winkle pottery she bought for £30.

Now, I've made you a really nice cup of tea and not just in your average teacup.

I've made it in the pottery that, hopefully, you're going to buy.

She's showing the pottery to an interior designer she knows.

The designer's impressed, but will she pay a profitable price?

It couldn't really go for less than at least £3 or £4 a piece,

which does tot up to about, you know, towards £100. Would that be reasonable?

No. I'm afraid we're way off.

I can't get carried away with that.

I have to stick to the budget. I was thinking nearer half that.

-If I came down to what I think is reasonable, £70?

-It's still too much.

I think maybe 55?

Could we meet on... What about...

What about 65?

I'd throw in a chocolate biscuit.

I'd even make him a cup of tea, if you introduced him to me.

-OK, it's a deal. 65.

-Perfect.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

Drink up.

Yes, that's a fine effort from Katherine.

She's racking up sale after sale

and has just added another £35 to her total.

There's no doubt about it that she's in it to win it today.

And she bags another impressive profit

from the sale of her painting.

With just a few more items left to sell in today's battle of the sexes,

there's nothing to choose between our two experts.

But Katherine is hoping to make a decisive move

by selling the Lloyd Loom style chair she bought at Newark for £40.

I'm in Oxfordshire now and I've got my chair in the back, the chair that I bought in Newark.

And I'm on my way to see Henry, who's managing director of the Lusty Furniture Company.

That's the firm that originally sold Lloyd Loom furniture in Britain in the 1920s.

And they're still making it the same way as they did way back then.

Well, it sounds as though Katherine has found the perfect potential buyer, but can she seal the deal?

Great, well let's come inside with these pieces.

And see what we can do with them.

Gosh. What a fitting environment.

Well, these are some of the contemporary and the old models

that go back to about 1922, in fact, when Lloyd Loom first came to England.

Yeah, I mean, it's fantastic.

You've get sort of the real sense

that this is the right place for something like this to be.

-The design aspect.

-Certainly the design aspect. I'm seeing a few things that interest me.

We've got this beading, which is very reminiscent of the Lusty Lloyd Loom style.

And this design is particularly interesting. When I first saw

the picture of it, my heart sort of stopped and I thought, it can't be anything to do with us.

-But I did get a book which does show the design.

-Oh, look.

Pretty much as on the Lewis Larsson style...

-Yes.

-..from 1919. And it's not a million miles from that.

I'm not entirely sure it's one of our pieces, but I do think this is commercial.

I can see it sitting around people's swimming pools.

I can see it sitting in people's conservatories.

It's got this wonderful sprung cantilever feel to it.

So it's a more comfortable and solid chair that you just sit down on. Do you think it'll survive me?

Absolutely.

I think it's very you.

Well, it's quite low, isn't it? We'll have a go.

That feels rather comfortable. Fantastic.

Well, now you're sitting comfortably, now you're sitting VERY comfortably,

is it the kind of piece you'd like to buy back?

-Can I tempt you?

-Yes, I think you could tempt us.

So I think it's about time to get down to some business.

Realistically, I think it's worth every penny of £120.

OK, well it's a bit rich for us.

We have to do a bit of work on it to get it to a point we could do anything with it.

Obviously, starting with this pink cover. But I think £95-£100 would work for us.

-If you could set on 100?

-I'll go for 100.

-Great.

-£100 it is. Perfect.

-Fantastic.

-Sit down and enjoy it. I'll go and make you a cup of tea, shall I?

-That would be good news.

Yes, £60 profit on the chair is a fantastic result.

And when Katherine sells her picture frames for a £20 profit

and banks £50 from the sale of her antlers, she's all sold up.

If Mr Cameron is going to win today's contest,

he has to make a handsome profit from his barber's tools.

When I bought my collection of vintage barber's tools, the first thing that struck me was the price.

The dealer at Newark was asking £200 for them, but I managed to get him down to £100.

When I bought them, I had a couple of potential buyers in mind

and since I've cast out my line, I've had a nibble on the bait.

One thing's for sure, though, if they do want them, they're not getting them for a snip.

The hairdressers' may have expressed an interest in the vintage tools, but John still has to seal the deal.

They cost him £100.

Will he be able to make a profit?

I was up at Newark Antiques Fair and I came across

this really interesting collection of old hairdressing tools. Have a look at that.

-What do you think?

-Lovely, John, but I think we've moved on a bit. We've got electricity now.

Yeah, very funny, very funny.

Not thinking about you using them.

I'm thinking about a real interesting retro display.

Now, I think if we had a glass cabinet in the corner here

with these things sympathetically arranged, kind of following the time,

back from the '40s, through to the '50s, and charting the kind of rise of the electric clipper.

I think these would be a great conversation piece, Kev, really retro.

I think your clients would see this, some of the older ones, and it'd be a trip down memory lane.

-What sort of money are you looking for?

-I'm thinking £20 a piece.

Comes to £400.

400?

After a strong sales pitch, John's opened negotiations at four times what he paid for the tools.

It's a bold move and we'll find out very shortly if it paid off because it's time to

tot up the totals and reveal how much our experts have made.

John and Katherine started out with up to £750 of their own money.

Katherine spent £523.

Whilst her rival parted with £570.

Don't forget that every penny of profit they make will be going to charity.

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

-Katherine, how are you?

-John, lovely to see you.

-Fresh from your Newark Antiques Fair challenge?

-It was good.

Newark Antiques market was brilliant.

Interested to know, how did you get on with that rhubarb forcer?

Well, it's all a matter of growth, watching your money grow with your purchases, you see.

Well, enough chit-chat, I want to know how much profit you made.

-I'll count down.

-Go on, then.

Three, two, one. Ta-da!

-Congratulations.

-I pipped you there.

-Just this once, I'll let you off.

-Well, I don't know how I did it

-because you literally bought half the fair.

-I did, I did.

But I'm pleased with that. But you've done so well. Well done.

Thank you very much.

But let the battle continue.

-Let's go.

-Come on.

So it's a well deserved victory for John after selling his vintage

hairdressing tools for a massive £200 profit.

£15 each?

£15 a piece? You'll buy them for £15 a piece?

-£300?

-£300? Kev...

-I think we've got a deal.

-Thanks very much.

They may have made it look easy, but both John and Katherine have worked

incredibly hard to raise so much for 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 £585 profit will be going to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Well, today's round may have gone to John,

but tomorrow our experts will be climbing into the ring once again

as they square up to each other at a car boot sale.

I'm sure I can make a profit on this.

Katherine the Great? On your bike!

A great condition piece. A good, classy collectible.

The great thing about car boot sales is you really don't know what you're going to find!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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