Eric Knowles v Philip Serrell: Showdown Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is the Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is showdown. The toughest challenge our experts have faced.

Ouch.

In just 48 frantic hours, our duelling dealers

will each have to source, buy and then sell an entire stall's worth of antiques.

I see it, like it, want it. I've got to buy it.

Testing their knowledge, stamina and nerve to the absolute limit.

Coming up, our experts deliver a master class in the art of haggling.

Would you mind asking if they'll take 350 all in? Eric's paying cash.

How to give your stall a bit of a lift.

What time's the face painting? 12 o'clock?

And what to do when it all goes wrong.

It's starting to rain, and this is all going a bit Pete Tong, isn't it?

Today it's the final battle between...

..and...

Our dealing veterans have been slugging it out all week long

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

Honestly, Eric, I thought your patch was yours and my patch was mine.

If I get my way, there's going to be one fox on the run today.

Thank you. Thank you.

Now, both Phil and Eric know we're coming,

but they have no idea where the next 48 hours will take them.

It's time for us to find out the details of our two heroes' most dastardly dealing challenge yet.

"Philip Serrell, this is your showdown. Your challenge is simple.

"You have today to buy antiques and collectibles from wherever you like."

"Tomorrow, you must sell your items off at a stall at Camden Passage

"in direct competition with your opponent Philip Serrell."

"The winner will be the dealer who makes the most profit.

"You can spend up to £1,000 of your own money." That's not so good.

"By 6pm today, you must finish buying,

"then travel to your hotel where you will meet your opponent Philip Serrell - The Fox."

"Good luck." Trust me. I'm going to need it.

Eric and Phil have up to £1,000 each of their own money to spend.

Today they must buy enough antiques to stock an entire stall.

Two of the biggest brains on the antiques block will need to go into overdrive - big time.

Tomorrow they'll be trying to sell the whole lot in direct competition with each other

to the discerning buyers of Camden Passage market in Islington, North London.

This market is a hip mix of high-end traditional antiques and more modern retro pieces,

and it draws an eclectic mix of buyers, from funky urbanites to tourists.

For Eric and Phil, the key to victory in this challenge lies in knowing their market.

That's not a problem for city-slicker Knocker.

I know Camden Passage very well. I know the sort of dealers up there and the sort of stuff they deal in.

And for the most part, a lot of them are very general,

so I'm going to be looking for small, portable objects.

No worries there then. But for our country boy Phil, Camden might just as well be on the moon,

so he's straight on the blower to his daughter Clem for a few pointers. Aw...

Camden. C-A-M-D-E-N. Camden Passage antiques market.

I just want to find out what sort of things they sell there.

They sell Art Nouveau? That's bad news. That's Eric Knowles, isn't it?

Yes, Art Nouveau is one of Knocker's areas of expertise.

But this is no time to feel sorry for yourself, Foxy,

because our Eric is furiously plotting where to begin his buying blitz.

I need a few antique warehouses and places on several floors where I can go in.

I'm not going to be buying so much for the trade, but more for your sort of touristy market,

so I've got to buy things that are ready to go, things that are not too big,

bearing in mind I want them to be portable.

So, Knocker is on the move, and he's focussed on finding pieces

that will suit Camden Passage's tourist market.

The Fox still hasn't left his lair, but he's been formulating a strategy of his own.

And this wily Worcester boy will be shopping close to home.

I think what I'm going to try and do is go round some local shops.

You know, this is my patch. This is where I'm known.

I'll see what I can buy here within a 15 to 20-mile radius of Worcester,

so the most I'll drive to a shop is half an hour.

If it's more than half an hour, I won't go there, because that's just wasting time.

Show time!

Both Eric and Phil must stop shopping by 6 o'clock this evening,

then our brave boys will be driven to a hotel in London where they'll snatch a few hours' kip

before stalling out at Camden Passage antiques market first thing tomorrow morning.

Getting off to a good buying start will be crucial for both our dealers.

But never short of cunning, The Fox is trying to suss out Eric's strategy.

Are you going to auctions, Eric, or to shops?

I don't think there's any point, to be honest, Phil, discussing my strategy with you, because...

-You're a rat.

-..it's a perfect strategy.

-You're horrible.

-No. I'm not horrible.

-You are.

-Phil, you hurt me.

No, I mean, I'm just going to, you know, go for it, find it, mark it up and sell it.

Unlucky Mr Fox. Nice try, though.

Knocker is heading for a large antique centre in Dorking where he hopes

he'll find the tourist-friendly pieces that'll fit his buying strategy like a glove.

I have feelings of trepidation and a frisson of excitement,

because whenever I go antiquing, it gives me a buzz.

Yes, Knocker's right up for this battle, but The Fox is also warming to the challenge.

The area I'm going to try and compete on is what's trendy in London.

You know, things that are funky, things that have got a good eye, quirky, small little things.

I mean, you know the sort of things I like and buy.

He's rocking now. Phil might not know Camden Passage all that well,

but if there's one thing he does know inside out, it's his home county of Worcestershire,

and he wastes no time in dialling in to his extensive network of local dealers.

But then The Fox hits a snag.

Ugh, that's annoying.

I've just got a text off the first shop I was going to

saying the girl won't be in until later on this afternoon.

It's literally up the road, so this really is thinking on the hoof.

Well, it's not the ideal start, but The Fox gets back on the phone

and has another local dealer lined up in seconds.

Can I come and see you, like, in half an hour or so?

You better get your best and cheapest stock out, mate.

Glen, can I ask you, have you ever done Camden Passage in London?

Yes, clever boy. Phil's not only lining up the shops to visit,

he's also fishing for every little titbit of info that might help him conquer Camden Passage.

This contest is about to move up a gear, and whilst The Fox reroutes,

Knocker rocks up at his first buying stop.

I'm selling in Camden Passage. I think I'm going to get a lot of, dare I say, day-trippers.

Eric's looking for small, takeaway antiques for an upwardly mobile market,

so a large fragile antique jug and basin should do just the trick.

Oh, Eric...

Normally, I don't get excited about jug and basins, but this one is just so stylish.

The basin's pretty straightforward, but it's the jug. It's a lovely, sort of helmet-shaped jug.

The decoration is a giveaway. It's got this Art Nouveau-type design,

but it's British, so I tend to refer to it these days more as Arts and Crafts.

And rather appropriately,

you can see the mark for Doulton's of Burslem, in this case, not Lambeth.

They had two factories. This one was made in Stoke-on-Trent.

It's called Kelmscott, which just happens to be the home of William Morris.

So you can see why they've titled it so.

The asking price here is 110, which is a little bit on the high side for me,

but I want to go out with that, so I'm going to see if I can find

a better price from the dealer who's selling it.

But I do like that. That's coming home with me.

The prince of porcelain can't resist his pottery.

In fact, our Knocker has a bit of a roving eye when it comes to antiques.

Now he's had his head turned by a 20th-century glass port decanter.

This says it's 19th century. Trust me. It's 20th century. It's by Walsh.

And he's taken by a cheeky little Mucha-style wooden box.

It's not of any great age, but it's nicely done with Mucha designs.

You know, I've got a good feeling about this place I think I might do quite well here.

No doubt you would, Knocker, but only if you stop flirting with the items and start buying them.

But Eric's love-in with the antiques continues when he bumps into an old flame.

Not a secret that I do love the glass of Lalique.

Not just Rene Lalique, but also the work of his son, Marc Lalique,

and his granddaughter, Marie-Claude Lalique. Sadly, both of them no longer with us.

This is a lovely little pendent, which, as you can see, spells out the name Lalique.

It's a lovely emerald green glass.

It's in nice condition, and it's still in its original box.

If you do own one of these, do be careful while you wear it,

because the minute you chip anything like this,

it's worth a fraction of whatever you paid for it.

A good tip no doubt, but here's another - buy something, Eric!

Because The Fox has finally landed at his first buying location and he's moving at speed.

I'm on a real mission today. I've got to Upton. I haven't got time to faff around.

I'm going to see an old client of mine and I'm just going to buy some things.

The Fox is sniffing around for funky, trendy items that will attract a London crowd.

-He knows what he likes.

-Can we get those three little seals there?

-And he knows what he doesn't.

-I'll let you put those back.

-Sure.

-But there's no need for weapons, Foxy.

-I find it bizarre these things are all called fishing priest,

when the actual object of it is to administer

the coup de grace to your trout or your salmon on the river bank.

-So, you get it in your hand and you just whack it on the back of the head, don't you?

-Yes.

A priest is still considered a humane way to dispatch fish,

but there are rules about which fish you are allowed to catch for the pot

and from which location you can catch them.

But it looks like our country gent has hit his buying stride.

He's spent £90 on a mix of stylish decorative pieces and a couple of more unusual items,

including the fishing priest, a seal and four ceramic advertising pots.

-Thank you for that.

-Yes, see you soon.

-Come again.

And Mr Fox's stop in Upton is capped off nicely

when another local shop owner gives him a couple of props to decorate his stall with for free.

What a lovely, lovely man. Do you know, when I was putting the other stuff back in the car,

I saw these bits and thought they'd look great dressing my stall.

I went in, and do you know, he's given me these just to dress my stall.

How fabulous is that?

But unluckily for Phil, the bottle is empty.

Now, a slow start hasn't stopped The Fox registering in our first 48-hour showdown buy.

And no doubt the ball of energy that is Knocker Knowles is hot on his heels.

RECORD SCRATCHING

MUSIC: "Nice 'n' Easy" by Frank Sinatra

# Let's take it nice and easy It's gonna be so easy. #

I am on this occasion speechless insofar as I'm stuck for words,

because, well, I've got so much choice and it's a matter of whittling it down

to those pieces that I think are the most desirable. Time really is pressing.

I really need to get a move on, so as soon as I can do this deal, the better.

Hallelujah! Eric finally abandons his frothy cappuccino and heads back to the antique centre.

But with only a few hours of buying left,

he better seal some deals quick sharp or he'll be seriously behind.

-I'm back.

-HE LAUGHS

Sounded like a threat that, didn't it?

Right, I've done my working out, and these are the pieces that I'd like to go for.

Now, this Dorking antiques centre is made up of the individual units of various dealers,

represented today by Wendy.

There's 22 on the ticket. Would you accept 20?

Several of Eric's favourite pieces come from the same dealer, including this Lalique pendent.

And whilst he might be under serious time pressure,

Knocker is a cool enough customer to make sure he asks for discount.

Now bearing in mind I've just looked at all the Lalique jewellery...

I know that this is obviously this is the same dealer, yes?

It comes to 367.

Bearing in mind that I'm going with a big spend, would you mind asking if they'd take 350 all in.

Eric's paying cash.

After a brief chat with the relevant dealer, Knocker gets his deal.

And in total, our Lancashire lad splashes out a sensational £640 on 16 different items.

Let me just count this out for you. So, that's one, two, three, four, five...

Eric's strategy is to buy small, portable items for souvenir-hunting tourists

that he hopes will be swarming his stall at Camden Passage Market tomorrow morning.

So, a chunky Arts and Crafts jug and basin and a 20th-century decanter might seem unusual choices.

But Eric gets back on track with a small terrier brooch,

an enamelled bracelet and some Butler & Wilson costume jewellery.

I'm going to hit the road, because time is really, really pressing at the moment.

Unlike Knocker, Phil is buying locally,

and he's concentrating on items he thinks will suit small London flats.

These are about 1920. They're fun, because people sew these together and make cushions out of them.

He's interested in several pieces, like this prayer mat and Victorian footstool,

but he's come up against a Northern dealer who's no pushover when it comes to talking money.

# There's gonna be a showdown #

OK, 25 for those,

and I'll give you...

35... I'll give you 60 quid for the lot then.

And those two out there. Good man.

-Would you like to sit down now?

-You can't do that, Phil.

No. Your arithmetic is quite poor.

The two planters, that, that and that. How much?

-£85.

-Get out of here!

Split the difference. 65.

-£80.

-Keep trying.

-No, that's my final offer.

-"That is my final offer?"

-Yes.

-Do you want to phone a friend?

-No.

-You sure?

-Yes, Phil.

-Sure?

-£80.

-That's too much, Nigel.

-I'll give you 70 and I'll have a deal with you now. I'll shake your hand.

-75.

-78, erm, 70.

-OK.

-You're a good man. Thank you, Nigel.

Yes, Phil digs in and he gets there in the end,

but the clock is ticking and he's still got £800 to spend.

The brilliant, strategic brain of The Fox is racing.

I quite like the things I bought, and I think that's half the battle if you buy things to sell.

If you like them, there's every chance someone else will like them.

With our brave boys on the move, it's time to find out what they've spent so far.

Our dealing duo both started the day

with up to £1,000 of their own money to spend.

So far, Knocker has spent a whopping £640

and he's bought a stall-busting 16 items.

He's got just £360 left to play with.

The Fox has spent just £200 so far and has bough ten items,

leaving him with £800 still in his kitty.

Our duelling dealers have each got just 48 hours to source, buy

and then sell an entire stall's worth of antiques.

They're on the hunt for items they think will sell best at a North London market.

Knocker is pounding the pavements in Dorking.

He's after an antiques cabinet for displaying his jewellery items,

which he can then sell once it's served its purpose.

-Anything in this wonderful emporium of yours that comes close?

-I don't have anything at the moment.

I'm looking for a glazed table cabinet. Something to put bits of jewellery in.

-Anything in stock of that nature?

-Nothing at the moment.

-I know what you're looking for, but I haven't got anything like that in the shop at the moment.

-OK.

I'm putting on a brave face, but I'm up against it.

Yes, our Knocker is under pressure,

but over in Worcester, The Fox doesn't seem to have a care in the world.

He's only spent £200, has bagged far fewer items than his opponent,

and has only just arrived at a shop he was trying to visit hours ago.

Now he's here, he seems more interested in the labels than the antiques.

You look at that there, it doesn't just say "a scent bottle",

but it's "London 1924, superbly hand-cut dressing table pot

"with silver cover, mounts and grand stopper."

It's just a whole history about the thing, and I will try to replicate that on my stand.

Well, no doubt your labels will look lovely, Phil,

but if you don't get in there and buy some more antiques, you'll have hardly anything to put them on.

In Dorking, Knocker is still on the trail of that elusive display cabinet.

Well, I've just had a tip-off that I might find what I'm looking for

in the way of a jewellery display box in this shop.

It is very much the 11th hour,

so hold your breath, here it goes.

Lo and behold, it looks like Eric's tip is a good one.

£55. Is that for cash?

-Yes.

-It is. OK.

Well, for £55,

and really for the benefit of my blood pressure, can we call that a deal?

Knocker's straight in there, but at £55, will this modern box prove profitable?

Back in Worcester, it looks like it's Phil's turn to take things easy.

Hardly any time left, hardly any money spent, so why not take a load off?

# Cos nice and easy does it every time. #

"Killarney. Killarney Lakes." That's yew wood, isn't it?

I didn't know whether it was yew or arbutus. I'm not sure.

-Do you know arbutus wood?

-No.

-You get around that part of Ireland - Kerry, West Cork.

-This is calling me. How much is this?

-£45.

-The Fox is putting paw in pocket at last.

As well as this elm card case for £45, he buys this wooden money box for £30,

and a bullet-shaped teapot for £60.

He also buys this 1920s ivory figure for £60.

Remember, there are strict rules governing the buying and selling of ivory.

This item is fine to sell, because it's an antique that was produced before 1947,

the date from which the legislation applies.

I've only got 35 minutes left, 50 yards to walk. Get your skates on.

Phil is sticking to his strategy like a limpet.

He's buying small, interesting items.

If the buyers will think they're funky enough for their flats, we'll find that out in the morning.

And speaking of funky, Knocker Knowles, Prince of Pots, art nouveau expert, art deco maestro

is branching out into cheap and cheerful jewellery.

Is the pressure getting to you, Eric?

These are quite nice. I quite like the starfish.

-Yes, those are actually M&S, 1980s probably.

-M&S!

They're a bit tinchy. You have to have little ears for those.

I'm not really a size man when it comes to ears.

They're either nibble-worthy or they're not worth nibbling.

Yes, there must be a pair for Philip. Rumour has it he likes to wear them from time to time.

You need big ears for these?

Here's you telling me it doesn't matter what shape your ears are, now you say you need big ears.

-I think this will just do the trick.

-Well, if you say so, Eric.

In Worcester, Phil is also trying to squeeze in some last-minute shopping.

HE GROANS

The Fox snaps up this gilt wall bracket for £40,

and this mahogany Colonial mirror for £180.

It's his most expensive purchase of the day and he's feeling more than a little protective of it.

You might look at this at home

and think all this silvering here has come off and that's a bad thing.

Actually, that's part of our shabby chic thing. People will love that, so I'm definitely having that.

Our Lancashire lad splashes out £230 on a cornucopia of colourful jewellery -

taking his total spend to just over £985.

And that is that, buying over, bang on the button.

Just have a look at this.

Eric and Phil both started out today with £1,000 of their own money.

Knocker spent just under £970 on 35 items for his stall,

plus just under £20 on decoration.

While The Fox bagged 17 items

and spent £615 on his showdown collection.

With their buying done, both our duelling dealers make a beeline for their London hotel

where they'll be resting their weary bones before the biggest day of their dealing lives.

Their vans are full to the brim with the booty

they think will turn them a winning profit at the market tomorrow.

But only time will tell who's chosen the winning strategy.

I did not intend initially to buy so much in the way of jewellery, but I've done it.

It is the sort of thing that tends to go very quickly as long as it's priced right.

So, come on, girls, come and get it!

It's been a good day. I'm pleased with what I've bought.

All I have to think about now is what I'm going to ask for them.

Knocker is the first to land in the hotel, but The Fox isn't far behind.

Once they've checked in and freshened up,

our warring warriors hold a temporary truce.

I've got to put my cards on the table and tell you now, mate, that I'm in it to win it.

-So, shall we have a drink on that?

-I'll drink to that, Knocker. Cheers.

Tomorrow brings the real battle as they attempt to sell

all of their purchases in direct competition at the antiques market.

Among the goodies for sale are Phil's bijoux silver teapot and antique containers.

And Eric's emerald-coloured Lalique statement jewellery

and Arts and Crafts jug and basin.

Coming up, Eric reveals his secret weapon.

-I'll walk around with one there and...

-One in the back.

And The Fox is under pressure.

It's now starting to rain, and this is all going a bit Pete Tong, isn't it?

It's early doors in North London and the market is preparing for another day of trading.

There's a palpable sense of excitement as the dealers stall out for the day's business

selling to Islington's trendy mix of youngsters, tourists and fellow dealers.

Over the next eight hours, our dealers face their biggest challenge yet.

They must attempt to sell everything they bought yesterday.

Ladies and gentlemen, the moment of truth has arrived for our antiques odd couple.

Take those 75p price tickets off. They're not going to do you any good at all.

They're perfect in case we get any more of those winters of discontent.

Phil and Eric's stalls are right next to each other,

so they'll have to fight even harder to make sure

that it's their stall that the buyers come to first.

As Knocker and The Fox unpack their goods, their aim is to display them in ways

that will inspire people to part with their hard-earned cash.

I'll be back. Just keep an eye, will you?

If he's going to do this all day, I can see us falling apart here, because he's just wandered off.

Who claims ultimate victory will all come down to who has judged this market best.

Oh, my life... Ronald McDonald. Look at him.

-What time's the face painting? 12 o'clock?

-Gentlemen, it's time to reveal your stalls.

May the best man win.

Now the golden rule for getting the best deal at any antiques market is to get in there early,

because the dealers will often trade amongst themselves before the crowds arrive,

so if the item you buy was purchased earlier that morning,

the chances are it might just be a little more expensive.

And the lure of a stall run by the famous Eric Knowles

is too much for this antiques professional to resist -

much to the amusement of The Fox.

-You local?

-Yes, I'm just down the road.

-Yes? All right.

Knowles has got a victim.

-Everybody's welcome here, I can promise you.

-The fish is rising to the fly.

Oh, he's got it. Here you are, look.

He's on the line now. Go on, reel him in, Eric.

Yes, I mean, it's got... It's Mucha, isn't it?

But it's got no age. I've made no pretence of that.

The poor chap is on the bank. He doesn't even know what's happened to him.

-So, what have we got on this?

-27?

-£27?

-Yes, it's got to be worth that. That's fine.

-Of course it is.

-Well done, Eric. A victim, erm, I mean a sale.

-Yes, I made a sale.

-ALL LAUGH

-He's gone green, hasn't he? Have you noticed?

Yes, green around the gills, Eric, but it's not who has the first laugh.

-£27 for the Mucha-style box delivers him the first profit of the day.

-Thank you.

But The Fox doesn't have long to wait for a bit of professional interest of his own.

This dealer is keen on Phil's treen pieces.

These are antiques that are made of wood, but are not furniture.

And good treen like Phil's fishing priest

should be as tempting to the touch as it is easy on the eye.

I do like treen, but...

-That's an unusual thing.

-I appreciate that it is, but it's...

There's nothing in it for me at all.

-Well, you know, things are negotiable, aren't they?

-So, how much?

Make me an offer I can't refuse, and trust me, I can refuse that.

-45 quid.

-Behave.

-45, honestly.

-Behave.

I think at £55 I'll set it to you.

Then I've earned something and you've earned something.

-I'll take it.

-I've earned a tanner.

-That's fair enough.

Yes, The Fox is one tough negotiator

and the two treen pieces each generate a profit of £10.

I'm actually really sad to see them go, because I like those things.

I like anything I've bought. It's like seeing your children leave home, but...

It's 95 quid and I suppose at the end of the day that's £20 profit, isn't it?

The Fox stops feeling broody pretty quickly once there's a profit in the offing.

But after an early rush, trade begins to slump.

And the effects of all this high-pressure dealing

appear to be taking their toll on The Fox's energy levels.

-BELL CHIMES

-Clue number one, completely ignoring your customers.

-BELL CHIMES

-Clue number two, idol chatter of raising all your prices.

Some of this stuff's too cheap on my stall, Eric. I've under-priced it.

-BELL CHIMES

-Clue number three,

getting the opposition to do your dealing for you.

-How much is that piece, Phil?

-I don't actually know.

Finally, Phil remembers what he's here for and gets off his foxy backside

to snatch victory away from the jaws of dealing disaster.

I've never seen one with a dial on it.

-It wants a bit of light varnish, doesn't it?

-Yes. How much?

-It's 45. That's the finish really.

-I'll take that.

-Yes? Thank you very much indeed.

£45 on his clock-shaped money box is excellent business,

and so is £55 on his 19th-century gold leaf wall bracket.

Now that's worth getting off your booty for, Foxy.

-There we are. That's 100. Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

-I wish you all the best.

So far, Phil's collection of curios has been going down well with other dealers,

but he's yet to sell anything to the trendy London flat-dwellers

that his entire buying strategy was aimed at.

It's an interesting mirror that, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Yes, it's a nice thing.

-Yes.

-Oh, dear.

The real issue for me now is that I've got things priced up.

Do I drop the price or do I leave it where it is?

That mirror, I don't want to come down on that at all.

It's just a real, you know... Do you? Don't you? Shall I? Shan't I?

The trouble is you don't know until it's too late.

And to complicate matters even further,

it looks like good old Mother Nature is in the mood to rain in their parade.

Knocker built his strategy on Islington's busy tourist market

and invested nearly £400 of his spending money on small jewellery items.

There's been some interest.

-So, 1950s these ones?

-No, I think they're 1980s.

-I think I'll have to leave it today, but thank you very much.

-It's a pleasure.

Eric, you smoothy.

And because you've got quite nice lobes...

-Where are you from?

-Germany.

-Oh, Deutschland.

-Und welche Stadt in Deutschland?

-Duesseldorf.

-Oh, Duesseldorf.

-This the sort of thing you might be interested in?

-It would.

-I haven't actually got any money on me.

-No, don't you worry about that.

-Those are £10, zehn Pfund. Would you wear those?

-No.

-Thank you very much.

-Nice to meet you. Thank you.

Great lobes.

Oh, well. The jewellery just isn't shifting.

But it's a classic piece of Arts and Crafts ceramics

that sees this serious collector offering with intent.

There you go. Stick to what you know, Eric.

-This is very nice.

-You like that?

-It's really nice.

I haven't seen one that's absolutely perfect in that condition.

-Yes, it's nice.

-Very nice.

-I've looked it over. You'd always look there for a bit of restoration

-Very, very nice.

-Or on the handle.

-Very art nouveau.

-Very.

-Or even Arts and Crafts.

-It is a bit, yes. So, how much is it?

Well, I've got 140 on it, but as I know that you are a...

-A connoisseur.

-A connoisseur. That's the word I'm searching for.

-125.

-OK, that's a deal then.

-125?

-It's very, very nice. Yes, 125.

£125. Knocker, take a bow.

But Eric will be less pleased with the news that his foxy neighbour

is developing a rather special relationship with a passing American tourist.

Do you like your meat pots, madam?

Now with opening lines like that, what chance does our Eric stand?

-Have you heard of Gentleman's Relish?

-Yes.

-They would have been used and discarded.

-Wouldn't they have been kept?

-No, no, no.

No, these would have been just discarded, because...

-Do you keep the tins that your food comes in today?

-No.

-No.

-That's a good point.

-So why would you have kept these?

They were discarded on the rubbish dump, and that was it - finished.

-And a few survived.

-Well, no. These have probably been dug up out of someone's garden.

-From a rubbish dump, you see.

-That's what it says, "a rubbish dump".

-I'm buying something from a rubbish dump and taking it to The States?

-Hopefully, you'll buy it.

-I came back for this one.

-You just want that one?

-Yes. I have to worry about weight, you know.

-Yes.

You worry about weight? I have to worry about weight all the time.

Well, you've got two very similar there. Which would you like?

-I thought this one, because this was a little distorted.

-That one is £5, my dear.

-Oh, now you're going to... Here you go.

-Thank you very much.

And another happy customer, and after snapping up a potted meat lid

that was dug out of a rubbish dump for just £5, who can blame the lady?

-I'm assuming I paid the right dealer.

-Yes, you did.

-No, you're good, my love.

-That's my day boy you've just paid.

-Thanks.

-Thank you. Bye-bye.

The banter is flying thick and fast, and the boys are back on top selling form.

-I've sold a pot lid.

-Good lad.

So far, offloading their items has been far from easy,

but our warring warriors are fighting to their last.

It's been a mixed morning for Knocker.

He's sold just two items for a profit of £47.

The Fox has been a little busier,

and has made £50 profit on the six items he's sold so far.

But with many antiques left to trade on both stalls,

this 48-hour showdown could still go either way.

Our two brave boys know they need to pull out all the stops

as they enter the final phase of this epic challenge.

It's Phil who's first to strike.

What would be your best price on this?

-On it or the two?

-On it.

-I'd like to sell you the two.

-Really?

-Yes.

-How much would we pay for the two?

-How much has that got priced on it?

-£58.

-Very best one-off deal, you can have it for 20 quid. I mean seriously...

-When are you finishing?

-I'll sell it to the next person that comes along.

-I'll have it.

-You can't have the bottle, but you can have the pot.

-I thought that was part of it.

-No.

Good work, Phil. That plastic plant pot will be heading

to just the kind of London flat you bought it for.

And the news gets even better for The Fox

when the same buyer sends his mate over to purchase the other one.

-I'll give you £11 and you're making £1 profit.

-Give me £11.50.

-All right.

Next door rival Knocker is desperately trying to talk up

some of the jewellery he bought yesterday.

Luckily for Eric, this lady is all ears.

-What make are these?

-You know, I haven't got a clue.

-I'm on a learning curve.

-I think I might wear these.

-I like these and the pink ones as well.

-OK, I'll pop them in here.

-That's great.

Go on, Knocker. £10 for the earrings means you've doubled your money.

And Eric adds to his profit margins when his two brass candle sticks sell for £20.

-They've got an elegance that some Victorian candlesticks just don't have. Are we on?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

The Fox bites back quickly when his seal sells to a collector

for more than twice what he bought it for.

-Before you even try, I'll tell you the best price I can do.

-Right.

-It's £25, and it's yours.

-Right. That's what I though you would say.

-Then we're all happy.

-I won't haggle with that.

-You're a star. Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Time is now becoming a major pressure for both our dealers.

And our boys aren't helped when the heavens open and the rain comes pouring down.

Trying to sell an entire stall's worth of antiques in just one day under these conditions

is an almighty challenge, especially at a time when buyers are cautious.

Reducing prices is one option for generating more sales.

The weather's been sort of changeable, hasn't it?

-I'm going to play my joker.

-What's that?

-"No reasonable offer refused."

-Oh, really? OK, but there you go.

Well, Phil, I'll walk around with one there and one on my back.

Listen, I think I'm going to let you do that, OK?

But I'm not necessarily going to join in, because I've got faith.

I have. I've got faith.

Good for you, Eric. It's a brave strategy from Knocker.

Let's hope he doesn't live to regret it later.

Luckily, his port decanter has caught this couple's eye.

If you want to offer me anything between 30 and 35, you can take it home with you.

-25?

-No!

-Give us a couple of minutes.

OK, well listen, if you want to come back to me, I'm all ears.

What are you doing, Eric? £25 for the decanter would have been a £5 profit.

And you've let them go. Phil's not having it any easier.

He's gone to one of Islington's best silver shops to see if they're interested

in his bullet-shaped teapot, but there's no joy for The Fox.

That's quite disappointing really,

because that's another negative response for my teapot.

I'm going back to my stall now to see if Eric's done any good.

Now it's starting to rain and this is all going a bit Pete Tong, isn't it?

Oh, Phil, don't give up. There's still hope.

As Eric learns when the lady who was interested in his decanter returns and stumps up £30 for it.

-£30. Put your hand there.

-Deal.

-And then put your cash there.

Well, of course. We all knew Eric was right to refuse her first offer, didn't we?

-Thank you.

-OK, thank you.

-Bye.

-Bye-bye.

It's the endgame here at the antiques market.

And despite the rain, the tourists that Eric based his strategy on are starting to appear.

The problem is that Phil seems to be doing more business with them than he is.

Do you know what pork pies are?

The Fox sells another one of his potted meat lids to a very pleased German lady for £10.

Take care.

And follows that up by selling his white metal dish to a New Zealander, also for £10 profit.

-Have a good trip, matey. Thanks a lot.

-Thank you very much.

But Knocker gets the final say when he sells

his terrier brooch and compact to an Italian dog lover.

-Grazie.

-Thank you.

-OK, thank you.

And on that very Italian note, our very English summer's day is over,

and our dealing is done.

Rain has delayed play on more than one occasion today,

so as the boys pack up their unsold antiques for another day, what happens next?

Well, the sun comes out, of course.

I would have thought they'd have a few porters around the place,

but come on, be frank with me, would you do that again?

It was hard work. It's time for me to get back to my sale room.

-I'll tell you what, there are easier ways of making money.

-Aren't there just.

It's time now to tot up the totals and find out exactly how much our dynamic duo have made.

Both Eric and Phil were allowed to spend

up to £1,000 of their own money on the showdown.

Eric spent just under £987

on his funky collection of touristy-friendly pieces,

while Phil spent £615 on his eclectic mix of items.

Throughout our highly challenging showdown, our experts bought and sold

a phenomenal amount of top-class antiques and collectibles.

But did the good, old British weather manage to rain on their parade? Let's find out.

Let's be honest. The weather didn't help. Bucketing down one minute...

-You've got to take your hat off to the people who stand there.

-Yes.

-I love the first day buying.

I genuinely bought things that I liked, because I think it's easier to sell things you like.

-But that market, is that ever tough.

-I'll tell you something, I've been going up there for a long time.

I've not been up for ten years. My goodness, what a difference a decade makes.

-Shall we see what the damage is?

-Shall we? Are you ready?

-Yes.

-This is profit.

-Yes.

-OK. One, two, three...

Look at that.

After their losses, our boys may not have made the profit margins they'd hoped for in rainy Islington,

but one thing is for sure,

they've both been building up their profit pot all week over a series of challenges,

so it's time to reveal whether Knocker or The Fox will be this week's King of the Dealers.

Shall we see as a result how we got on over the entire week?

-You better count me in, Knocker.

-OK, let's go. One, two, three...

-And where are we?

-Oh, look. You've...

-Oh!

-That... Do you know...

-ERIC LAUGHS

-Well, even so...

-That is close.

-Yes, it's close.

I think that's an honourable score.

All I can say in the meantime, Phil, is

have I got a pair of earrings for you.

But I think you've got... Listen, come and try them on.

So, overall victory goes to Knocker.

Both our experts have notched up good profits

and every penny they've made will be going to their chosen charities.

For me, the money is going to go in memory

of a local Worcester boy called Dan James for spinal research,

and that really means a lot.

In memory of my friend Tim Ward,

my money's going to the Lancashire & South Cumbria Kidney Patients Association.

Well, after a week of no-holds-barred combat,

both our experts have put their money where their mouths are

and proved they've got what it takes to make a profit

from antiques when their own money is on the line.

For more information about Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, including how the programme was made,

visit the website at bbc.co.uk/lifestyle

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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