Mark Franks vs David Harper: Auction Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, pitching TV's antiques experts against each other

and giving you the inside view on the secrets of the trade.

Coming up: our experts show you what to go for when buying at auction.

The best ones to try to bag are ones with no bids.

How secrecy is the key to success.

I'll be very careful what I say.

And just how crucial it is to check before you buy.

They can sell for £200 or £300...

Today's duel is at an auction

pitching "Devilish" David Harper

against the hero of the haggle,

Mark "Franksy" Franks,

to see who can make the most profit from buying and selling antiques.

The stakes couldn't be higher.

-It's the northerner with know-how...

-I'm just waiting for you to perform.

-..versus the likely lad from London.

-Have another cup of tea.

Risking their reputations and their own hard-earned cash

in a battle that will test their knowledge to the limit.

Our duelling duo have up to £1,000 of their own money to spend.

Their mission is to make the most profit over a week of challenges, all of which goes to charity.

Today's battleground is the fine art sale at John Nicholson's in Surrey,

where more than 1,500 antiques and collectables are under the hammer.

In the battle for profit, there can be only one winner. Mark Franks and David Harper -

put your money where your mouth is.

-Here we are, West Sussex.

-Look at that big bird over there.

Now I've got two grand to spend!

Right, we've got £1,000 to spend, but take into account commission,

which is running currently here at 20%, then VAT on the 20%.

-So you've got to take off about 25% leaving us with...

-765.

-OK.

-Well, it's all exciting, all to go for. Any plans?

-I have one plan.

-And this is it. Ready?

-Yeah.

-Silver.

-I'll be looking at silver today. What are you looking at?

-Anything and everything. Anything with a profit. Ready?

-Let's do it.

So our duelling dealers burst into the sale room with two vastly different strategies.

David will be looking at every piece, but has already put some time into refining his search.

A great tip at any auction is put as much time as you can in the viewing, including online at home.

That gives you an idea of what you want to home in on at the auction room.

Now David is hurtling through the rest of the lots using his keen eye for profit-turning pieces.

Franksy has already refined his search and there's a cunning reason behind his strategy.

Guess what. Some of my best friends are top London silver dealers.

So I've got the market waiting for me to bring it to them.

So there you have it. Our well-connected wheeler-dealer will be buying up silver.

Let's see if this strategy will allow him to magnify his profits.

I spy you hiding behind that cabinet. A magnifying glass - all the lens is damaged.

Bit of a shame. How charming is that? Solid silver, made in England.

I won't be buying this. Why? My silver buyer is very fussy.

He will not buy damaged goods. This, even though it could be repaired,

has a small split. That, unfortunately, would put me off.

Lots of good silversmiths could repair this,

but if you're in the trade, you would know it's been done, so it's rejectable.

So the magnifying glass is not for Franksy. With more than two decades of dealing on his CV,

he knows which items will turn a profit and which ones to steer well clear of.

See the damage on the enamel?

To me, that damage kills this set stone dead.

Mark Franks, a man in his element,

employing all his nous to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

He'll need to be on top form as David is homing in on something special.

It's an ice pail. Rings like a bell, so it's got no chips,

no cracks. Looks very plain. Estimated at 80-120,

but the great thing about this that not many people would notice

is if you look very closely on the base, it's stamped Tiffany and Co.

Who hasn't heard of Tiffany? New York jeweller and retailer.

Very high-end, top quality stuff.

This thing will sell on name alone.

And the ring.

The auction is about to begin and Mark and David are limbering up for a fierce bidding war

that will be the ultimate test of their experience.

Both our boys have cast their beady eyes over today's high-quality lots.

-An awful lot of very good, high-end stock here. That I like.

-Yeah.

-If you won the pools, you could spend it here.

-All in one day.

With competition coming from other bidders in the room, as well as the phones and online,

David and Mark won't just be battling with each other.

First to leap into the fray is the devilish one.

Lot 508 is this lovely silver-mounted vase.

At £55.

60. 62 with me. 5 if you like. Thank you. 65.

At £65, then. Selling at the back of the room at 65.

-Get in there! Thank you very much.

-Well done.

Fantastic. David Harper explodes off the starting blocks.

With sale room fees and taxes added, he spent just over £80 on this Art Nouveau vase.

-And the sweet smell of early success sets up a bidding bonanza for David.

-£75 for the pair of lustres.

80, thank you.

Mr Harper is blazing a trail through the sale room,

buying a pair of cut-glass table lustres for just under £99

and without breaking stride he picks up the Tiffany ice pail from earlier for just under £105.

I love it, I love it!

There's no holding this demon dealer back. In the first five minutes,

David has already picked up three lots. Mark, on the other hand, hasn't even raised his hand to bid.

-You get a thrill out of spending money.

-My thrill is MAKING money, not wasting money.

Oh, I see. He's getting jealous. Getting jealous.

Maybe, or maybe Franksy is just biding his time and waiting to strike.

And it's not long before the time is right.

£5 for the goblet. Thank you. 5 bid. At £5. Take 8 now.

Selling it at the back at 5.

-228, thank you.

-I just bought a lump of glass for a fiver.

It's part of my strategy. A few cheap items, big profits.

I could quadruple my money and then buy some silver. Big money.

David might be taking the Mickey, but Mark bags his first buy -

an engraved glass goblet for just over £6.

The London lad certainly knows what he's doing. It had an estimate of £10-£20, but when he saw no interest

our crafty connoisseur bid and bought in the blink of an eye.

No slouch, Devilish David is itching to carry on his early morning spending spree.

Amethyst-coloured dolphin candlesticks. One slightly damaged.

60. 70 bid.

-80 I'll take. At £70. At £70.

-They seem cheap. I'll have a go at that.

-75.

-It's been quite a while since he's bid.

-Ah, I feel better.

-You all right?

A quick impersonation.

Mm, a little word of advice, Franksy - focus on the antiques and leave impressions to a professional.

In his quest to grab another quick, deal, David has won the pair of dolphin candlesticks

for a little over £90. Just half the price of the top estimate. It's almost too good to be true.

I've got to admit I've made a slight mistake here.

I rushed in and dived in and bought on price. I didn't look at these, but I've had them before.

They can sell for £200 or £300.

And that's exactly the reason why I thought I'd made a mistake.

One of them was described in the catalogue listing as AF.

AF stands for "as found". I didn't see that. When I picked them up, I realised someone had smashed it

and then glued it. There you go. Fools rush in, eh?

David Harper, breaking new ground in the antiques trade.

It's a setback, but it hasn't diminished his hunger for victory.

Selling at the back at 45.

221.

He pays just over £55 for a restored 19th-century Derby porcelain vase.

At lunchtime I'll buy you some haddock to go with all those chips.

Franksy might well scoff, but it's not stopping David.

A 19th-century, porcelain-encrusted mirror bought for just under £31.

The best ones to bag are the ones getting no bids. They can slip through the net.

He may be watching from the sidelines, but nothing slips past Franksy's eagle eye.

-It's not long before he spots his next bargain contender.

-10 bid. 15, sir?

Thank you. 15. 20. And 5?

No. At £20, then, and selling at the back at 20.

Mark bags his second deal of the day.

He's paid just under £25 for three 18th-century tea bowls and saucers.

It's all part of his masterplan. He's keeping his hand in the game,

but saving the lion's share of his kitty for the silver which comes up later on.

-15 anywhere?

-And that has given Franksy a real thirst for more.

He's in action.

He snaps up a blacksmith figure for just under £19.

He snags this figure of a boy for just under £25.

And follows it up with a Royal Doulton figure of a flower girl, costing just over £12.

He does like his naff figurines. I'd love to see his house!

Well, they might not be your bag, Mr H, but Franksy wouldn't shell out unless he was sure of a profit.

Next up, three Staffordshire pastille burners. David's got them marked down as moneymakers.

Lovely little novelty things. They used to make £200...

-Wakey wakey, Mr Harper! The lot is selling now.

-They'll be cheap.

-60 anywhere?

-Yeah, 50 or 60 quid would be good. I'm on. Are we...?

I missed it! I can't believe it!

David! Keep your eyes on the prize. You missed the lot you wanted!

Today's buying derby is galloping towards the finish, so as we head to the final furlong,

who's got their nose in front and who's coming up on the outside?

Mark and David each began the day with £1,000 of their own money.

Mark is still waiting for the silver and has bought cheaply,

so far buying five items for just under £86.50.

That leaves him with a pot of just over £913.50 still to spend.

David, meanwhile, has already six items in the bag and has spent just over £463.

That leaves him with just under £537 in his kitty.

Today's auction contest is far from over.

They both have up to £1,000 of their own money to spend

buying antiques to sell for profit, but which one will make the most cash in this battle of the best?

Earlier today, our competing dealers hit the viewing room. Franksy's eyes are on the silver.

One item has him cooing like a baby.

(Come close, come close.)

Now this is a quiet one. There's a few silver dealers here so I'll be careful what I say.

A child's rattle. Beautiful little bells.

A piece of coral coming off the top to teethe on when you've got new teeth and a whistle...

-TOOT

-..at the bottom. What a charming thing.

Condition's fairly good. There's a tiny split down the bottom, but I can live with that.

The marks are not bad. A bit rubbed.

Then again, how long has this been shoving around a baby's mouth?

This is my star buy.

(If I can buy this, I'll be very happy.)

And he'll be even happier if no one else spots the rattle and he secures it for its estimate of £100-£150.

As this item is an antique, legislation doesn't apply to the coral it contains.

In his hunt for treasure, David's spotted a familiar name.

Let me show you a real Ming jar. This dates to the Ming period, between about 1350 and 1650.

A Chinese provincial pot. Missing its lid, as most are.

Decorated with river scenes and people going about their business.

This thing, a pot that's between 300 and 600 years old is estimated at £80-£120.

I tell you what, what a fabulous decorator's piece that is. Wonderful.

Well, the jar appeals to the interior design guru in David, but can he buy it at the right price?

Our dealers know exactly what they want, but with more than 800 lots before any silver comes on,

Franksy's got nothing on his hands but time.

# So tired, tired of waiting

# Tired of waiting for you... #

David, though, has set a lightning quick pace all day and with the Ming jar up next,

he's got no intention of taking his foot off the gas.

1109. I'm bid 50 there.

60. 60.

-75. Your bid, sir.

-Just got it at 75 quid.

-221.

-Thank you. £75. I think that's a cracking buy.

Fabulous. Very pleased.

Mark Franks will be very jealous.

Well, he doesn't look very jealous. The devilish one bags the Ming dynasty ginger jar

for just under £93. But he's not finished yet.

-Earlier on, David lost out on his chance to bid on three Staffordshire pastille burners.

-I missed it!

But determination is the cornerstone of dealing

and Mr Harper isn't about to give up just yet.

-Were there any bids on it?

-No. There was a reserve of £60.

-£60.

-OK, estimate £60-£80. Can we get them any cheaper?

-I have a small measure of discretion. £50.

Plus the old commission. OK. Put them down to me, please. Thank you.

A real trade secret revealed by a true expert - missing a sale doesn't need to be the end of it.

David snaps up the pastille burners he missed for just under £62.

Mr Harper still has just under £400 to spend. He's sniffing around a French serpentine stone carving

with a whopping great price tag of £300-£500.

1158. The French serpentine figure of a wolf.

This is rather nice.

150. 200. 250 anywhere?

-225?

-200. I'll take 225.

At 225.

I've just had a bid on 225-worth of bronze. That could be me gone.

I've just bought it. And he's not a wolf, he's a dog. Adds value.

Either way, it's a pedigree purchase for David, costing him just under £278 including fees.

Well, here is my very heavy and fabulous-quality French, 19th-century, serpentine carving.

Absolutely magnificent quality, beautifully carved.

He's had some restoration. It was estimated at £300-£500. Could easily sell for £600 or £700,

plus commission, so at £225 plus commission, this one I feel is my star buy of the day.

From the off, our northern whippet shot out of the traps and after spending big, his work here is done.

As they say in Vegas, Elvis has left the building.

It's been a great day. I bought some fabulous pieces. It's now time to start selling them.

I'll leave my new mate Mark to it. Hope he enjoys himself. Bon voyage.

Well, David may have gone, but there's still heavy competition for Franksy to contend with.

For just under £31, he picks up item number six, a shagreen or sharkskin cigarette case.

The sale of antique sharkskin is not restricted, so Mark is on safe ground,

-but he's really waiting for the silver.

-Patience is a virtue.

# Have a little patience, yeah... #

Yes, good things come to those who wait. For Franksy, his patience has been a virtue.

Now the pressure is on. With other silver dealers hovering, Mark's got no guarantees

he'll acquire any of his items. He'll need all his guile to make sure he's not going home

with only a few low-cost items.

Wish me luck.

1761. 30 bid.

40 I'll take. 40. 50 now.

50.

60. 70.

At 70. Your bid, Clive.

80. At 80. Your bid, sir.

At £80.

-228.

-80 quid.

Hmm. All the money.

So Mark picks up an early-20th century continental silver box for a total of just under £99,

including fees. With rival bidders pushing prices up, our boy bursts into action.

-228.

-Yes! ..I'm pleased about that.

He snaps up three silver boxes for just over £148...

228.

..before picking up this Victorian silver hip flask for just over £74.

It's all been worth the wait. I've got some lots I hoped to get.

One more and I'll be over the moon.

And now the critical piece of Franksy's silver puzzle - the Victorian silver baby's rattle,

estimated at £100-£150. Can he outbid the competition?

Can he seize the day? Can he stop his nerves rattling?

1795.

The rattle.

100. 150. 2 I'll take.

160.

Franksy makes his move.

180.

200.

220.

-Oh, he's got competition...

-220 on the phone. 240.

-..from a phone bidder.

280.

280. The bid's in the room, against the phones.

At 280. Your bid, sir.

At 280.

-228.

-Yes!

-Worth the wait.

-And he's done it!

Franksy's gone toe-to-toe with a mystery phone bidder and won.

For just under £346, including fees, he's going home with the rattle.

Mark got what he came for and he's as pleased as punch.

With Franksy's dealing done, it's time to tot up today's totals.

How did our duelling dealers do with their kitty of £1,000 each?

After a slow start, Mark went for a big finish.

With four major silver purchases,

he spend a grand total of just over £784 on a haul of ten items.

David did the opposite and sprinted straight off the blocks,

clocking up nine buys for a total of just under £895.50.

Throughout today's gruelling contest, our dealers have used their experience to buy the items

they believe will make the most profit. It's now up to Mark and David to sell their items.

Their quest is to net as much profit as possible on each piece.

Mark will be selling...

a glass goblet with Sunningdale engraving, three 18th-century English tea bowls and saucers,

a Lladro-style blacksmith figure,

a Nao figure of a boy,

a Royal Doulton figure of a girl,

a shagreen cigarette case, three antique silver boxes,

this continental silver box and silver hip flask

and a Victorian silver and coral baby's rattle. David must sell...

a green Art Nouveau Lutz-style vase,

a pair of cut-glass table lustres,

a Tiffany ice pail, this pair of dolphin candlesticks - one in need of repair,

a 19th-century, twin-handled Derby vase,

this German porcelain-encrusted mirror from the 19th century,

three Staffordshire Pottery pastille burners, a Ming dynasty ginger jar

and a 19th-century French serpentine figure of a dog.

With their arsenal of antiques complete, the challenge now is to sell their purchases

to make the biggest possible profit.

They'll both be pulling out all the stops to find buyers, doing deals left, right and centre

on the phone and by email.

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

Well, here we go. Another day, another potential dollar.

I could work 16 hours flat out and not earn a penny,

so it's case of going to the shop where all my gorgeous things are stored, hit the phone, my contacts,

and see if we can create some lovely jubbly sales.

So the devilish one is whizzing off to pick up his pieces and start trying to seal those crucial deals.

He'll need his wits about him if he wants to reign victorious over Franksy in today's challenge.

Mark is starting off his quest for profit in London's West End.

He's off to visit a silver-restoring mate who can add value to a couple of pieces and add to his chances.

-Hello, Greg.

-Hello, mate.

-How you doing?

-I've got a couple of little beauties. You know what will be wrong with that.

-Holes.

Polished to death. You can see the light through the topper there.

-That's not going to be a problem.

-And the other thing,

-if you take your glasses off, it don't look too bad.

-Glasses off.

Oh, it's great. Nothing needs doing.

-You've got a split there.

-Yeah.

-And a bit of a solder on here.

-Yeah.

-What are we looking at for the pair?

-50 quid.

-30 quid.

-OK.

-Yeah?

Mark has known Greg for years and it's not just what you know, it's who you know

that enables you to cut money-saving deals, especially when it comes to restoration work before a sale.

In Barnard Castle, David's taken his pastille or incense burners that cost a shade under £62

to his friend and part-time dealer Anthony, hoping for the sweet smell of success.

-Careful now, lad.

-Can you believe the things I do to try to make money?

OK, it's going to work now. Look at that!

-It's just drawing beautifully.

-That is fantastic.

-Come on, then. Let's do some money dealing.

-OK, I'll sell you those

for £125.

OK...

Well, I know little about these, David. I'm fascinated, charmed with them.

-What about 90?

-How about 110?

-I know what you're going to say.

-Well, we have to.

-I think so.

-We'll both be happy. £100?

-You're done. Brilliant.

-Now these two have haggled out a price,

David's up and running with a first profit of just over £38.

I love making profit. I've just done it and I'm free of goods full of money!

David's delighted, but a dealer's life is full of ups and downs.

After that definite up, Mr Harper is facing something of a down.

His pair of cut-glass table lustres have been broken in transit.

So the Put Your Money games masters have decided to reimburse him for them at cost price.

David has hatched a devilishly clever plan to resurrect another casualty - his candlesticks!

Remember this little disaster?

Well, David's brought them to Anne-Marie, the owner of a company that designs and manufactures

-awards and trophies.

-I hope you'll give them a new lease of life.

-Have you any ideas?

-As it happens, I've done some artistic impressions for you. Shall I show you?

Go and get them. I'm very excited.

That has got to be a very good sign if she's put work into it already.

Here we are.

-My gosh!

-I've done a few visuals and a few ideas. They're quite sellable for me.

I'd like to know what price you're after for them, with the damage.

I bought them in auction and paid £75, plus commission.

I'm not looking for a profit. Just to get out. They owe me £90-something.

What do you think?

95?

-Are you happy at that?

-I'd be happy.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

I'll recreate these into beautiful trophies and make a profit myself.

-It's a nice project for me.

-Well, the devilish one triumphs over adversity

and he's even managed to make £2.37 profit.

Not much, but better than a loss. Back in London's West End,

Mark's silver is being restored to its former glory.

# Hi-ho, silver lining Anywhere you go

# Well, baby I see your sun is shining... #

And Franksy's reliving some former glories of his own.

Queen's Town Road, Battersea. Number 57 was my first shop in about '86, '87.

Yes, I was nothing but a slip of a lad, buying and selling antiques.

Ah! A misty-eyed Mark there, thinking of days gone by,

but he doesn't have time for reminiscing as he's on his way to see old friend Georgia.

Royal Doulton, good make. Her name's Wendy. She has a basket of flowers.

-I saw her pretty face and thought of you.

-How sweet.

-I'll let you have it for 40 quid. How's that?

-Oh, no. 20 quid?

-30?

No...

-25.

-Is that it?

-Yeah.

-We'll have a deal at 25. Can I get a free bunch of flowers?

On your bike, mate!

A profit of just over £12.50 for the Royal Doulton figure

won't be enough to seal victory, but every penny counts.

These pennies keep tumbling in with a profit of just under £4 for his glass goblet.

But a loss of just over £10 from his tea bowls and saucers means he has to stay on his toes.

Something David is all too aware of. He's pounding the pavements of Barnard Castle to a clothes shop.

He's hoping owner Claire will be interested in his mirror.

If I said to you 130,

I think you're getting something of great quality for not very much money.

-Right. I'm going to start at 100.

-Hmm. That gives me a margin.

-It's damaged.

-But it does add to the appeal.

-What'll we do, then?

125.

-It's too high, isn't it, really?

-I don't know.

-You were at 130. I'm quite happy with 100 and...

-40.

15.

-Do it for 120 and we're done.

-Are we still going to be friends?

-Always.

-At 120?

-Yes.

-Go.

-Give us a kiss.

-Mwah!

Nicely done, David. The sale of the mirror adds just over £89 profit to his coffers

and he's racked up his third sale. Right now, Franksy is lagging behind his rival.

He's only sold one item and really needs to pick up the pace.

He's back to collect his restored silver pieces.

Let's do the acid test.

Brilliant. Fantastic. Beautiful.

-That looks just like the one I gave you.

-I think it might be.

-Is that the same one?

-Yeah.

-That is a miracle. Look at that.

I'm so impressed. I'm speechless. Greg, you're a top geezer.

-Thank you very much.

-I owe you a beer.

-Thank you. See you.

With his silver hip flask and small box restored,

Mark's increased the saleability and potential profit margins.

With both our experts working their socks off, who's racing ahead and who is stuck in a jam?

Mark has it all to do. He's sold three items for £50,

but netted just under £7 in profit.

David is way out in front.

He's sold £315-worth of goods

and bagged himself just under £130 of profit.

Remember, today's champion will be the dealer who makes the most profit.

Franksy's hopes rest almost entirely on his collection of silver.

He shelled out £30 to restore, revitalise and reinvigorate his hip flask and a small box.

He's now taking his whole collection to Daniel, one of London's top silver dealers,

but there's no guarantees he'll part with enough hard cash to keep our London lad in contention.

-Right. I've got the hip flask here.

-I've had it restored.

-OK.

From the colour, you can just tell and see that it's been to a silversmith.

And also it's quite white inside there. Heat's been applied to it.

Nothing wrong with it, but it's not something I would sell.

-I just like everything to be...

-Proper.

-Well, perfect.

Our boy looks gutted. Although the restoration work on the flask is top quality,

it's simply not for Daniel. Will Mark fare any better with this?

You've got lots of marks on the base. You have English import marks.

These are Dutch pseudo marks, not genuine Dutch marks.

They're trying to portray it as made in the 18th century. It was imported into Sheffield and then was sold.

-This box can be £175.

-Okey-dokey.

-Right.

That's more like it. That's a profit of just over £76 for the Dutch box.

Next is the repaired box, which was bought in a group of three.

-You can just see little bits of solder there.

-Shall I put that one away?

-Yeah, I'll give that back.

-It goes in the bag.

-This is an emotional rollercoaster ride!

The two remaining small boxes sell for a total of £290. Mark's now in profit on the three boxes,

but will he be able to sell the restored box and bump up his profits even further?

Finally, it's the baby's rattle that set Mark back just over £345.

It's not a bad example at all. And it's got all the bells on. Cos they're never soldered on.

The amount of rattles I've seen with bells missing. There must be people with bells inside them!

No, that's lovely. It's good, a nice piece of coral on it.

There's a very tiny little split up the side there. It does make a difference having that split.

It can be forgiven because the rest is good.

I see that at £425.

-I think we've got ourselves a deal.

-Shall we tot this up?

-Why not?

That's got to be a big relief for Franksy. His star item rattles up just over £79 profit.

890. You don't want to round it up to 900, make life easy for you?

-I don't normally, but we'll round it up.

-You're a gentleman.

He just couldn't resist pushing for that extra tenner. As usual, our cheeky chappie wins out.

He's made a total profit of just over £155 from the Dutch box and the rattle

-and he goes sailing into the lead.

-Mr Harper, how are you getting on?

Oh? Not as good as me? There's no surprise.

And with those taunts, the pressure is right back on David.

He's off to see fellow dealer Yvonne with his Art Nouveau vase. He needs a storming result to get back in it.

Unfortunately, I would say that it isn't Lutz.

-It's in the style of, in the manner of.

-In the style of, yes.

-It's one of the other Bohemian glass factories.

-Absolutely right.

-But it's a nice piece.

-What would it ideally need to be for you?

-120.

-Would you really?

-Hmm.

-You're being a bit hard there, Yvonne.

-It's a hard business.

Do you want to make me 140?

-No!

-You don't?

-No.

I'll meet you halfway.

-I don't want to take it home. I'd rather have money.

-Do we have a deal, then?

-Thank you.

That's a healthy profit of just under £50

and he goes on to sell his Crown Derby vase to interior designer George.

-Deal done.

-75?

-75.

Making a little over £19 profit.

Next he sells his Ming dynasty ginger jar to local dealer Robert.

-115?

-115.

-Good man. Thanks.

That nets him a profit of just over £22.

After that round of dealing, David's right back in the game.

Turnover is absolutely vital. I've got a little bit of profit, so I'm on my way.

In London, Mark has decided to put an end to his silver saga

by putting his two restored pieces into auction.

We'll find out later if this plan proves to be a winner.

As we near the end of today's battle royale, Mark heads to Surrey.

He's headed for Black Barn Forge to meet blacksmith James.

He's hoping for a deal that will make sparks fly.

-I emailed you a picture of this. Do you remember?

-Yes, I do.

-I can do it for £60.

-I'll give you about 30.

-What about 40?

35?

Go on, then. 35. Thanks, James.

That's just under £16.50 profit for Franksy.

It's not going to set the world alight, but it does stoke the fires of his campaign.

It's been a long and winding road for the hip flask and silver box, but their journey is at an end.

Mark's returned to the auction house to see how they performed.

How you doing? All right?

-Your items made £151.25.

-I think there's a little profit in that.

-Cheque's in the post?

-Yeah, will be.

-Lovely, OK.

Thanks. Take care, mate.

Mark's finely-restored hip flask netted him just under £35 profit.

Having already sold two of the three boxes earlier to the silver dealer,

Mark makes a total profit on all three boxes of just over £154.

That is a tidy little profit. Another two items sold and gone.

Devilish David's thundering through Derbyshire with the aim of selling his two remaining pieces -

the Tiffany ice pail and his 18th-century serpentine figure.

He's visiting fellow dealer George, who is also an old mate, but will he be interested?

-Wow. Has it been restored? Is there any damage?

-Yeah.

Right across its body, one of its legs, and it's missing a little chip here.

-Out of his top lip.

-What's it going to cost?

That, George, to you at £440 will be me giving you a birthday present.

Look me in the eye. You've got more chance of me paying 400-odd quid

than seeing Lord Lucan ride Shergar past my shop window.

-Really?

-So I'm looking around about the 300 quid mark.

-Yeah. Mm. I couldn't do it.

-425.

-No, no.

I'm looking more at three-and-a-half hundred quid, David.

-Make it 395...

-No.

-What are we going to do? We're 45 quid away.

-Shall we spin a coin?

-No. We did that last time and I lost.

-But I rarely win.

-I tell you what we'll do. Watch very carefully.

-Ready?

-Yeah.

-Which hand is it in?

-375.

-And if I choose the wrong hand?

-350.

George, I'm going to go...

-..for that one.

-I always lose!

I always lose!

-375.

-Good man. It's always a pleasure.

David pulls it off and with a fantastic profit of just over £97 under his belt

he's right back in contention for today's title.

Now he only has the Tiffany ice pail left to sell.

George has introduced him to colleague John. Will Devilish David's run of luck continue?

Good, clean glass. Fairly modern.

-Yeah, quite modern.

-Probably 20-30 years old.

-Have a look at the base, John.

-Oh! What's this I see? ..Is that genuine?

-Absolutely genuine.

-That would interest me. I've got different things.

-OK.

-Haven't got a posh ice bucket.

-Everybody, John, needs a posh ice bucket. If you can find one that says Tiffany...

-I know.

-I'm impressed.

-I was impressed.

-What's it going to cost me?

-David has captured John's interest,

but can he make enough profit to clinch victory? Or will Franksy have the upper hand?

We'll find out shortly because it's now time to tot up the totals.

Mark "Franksy" Franks spent a total of just over £784 at auction

and a further £30 on restoration.

Devilish David Harper spent a little over £895 altogether.

Over one week of challenges, all of the profit they make goes to the charities of their choice.

So without further ado, it's time to find out which one made the most cash.

-Here he is.

-Welcome to London.

-Thank you very much.

This is the Thames, Tower Bridge and that building behind, looks like an egg, Boris Johnson. Wave.

-Boris!

-You know him, do you?

-We're like that.

-You are amazing.

-I know.

-Shall we reveal?

-Go on, then. Three, two, one.

Oooh! I've just, just got you.

-Well done, well done.

-Good for us both.

-Both raised money for charity.

-Absolutely wonderful. Show me Tower Bridge.

-I'm going to take you on my boat.

It was a close-run thing, but the Tiffany ice pail did it.

-155.

-Go on. You've done a deal.

David snatches victory with a profit of just over £50.

Unfortunately for Mark, he was unable to cut deals for his cigarette case or the young boy,

leaving him with a loss of just over £55.

Unfortunately, all my hard work and effort didn't quite pay off, but quite a respectable amount.

Here we are in London, in Mark's backyard, and I've beaten him!

He could have got me with one or two good sales.

A hair's breadth between them today, but there's more challenges to come before our boys bank their profit.

-Tomorrow David and Mark will do battle at a car boot sale.

-The cheapest stuff ever is here.

I want something to leap out at me.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011

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