John Cameron v Philip Serrell - Antiques Fair Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, the show that takes

the titans of the antiques trade

and pitches them against each other

to see who can make the most money

from buying and selling.

It's amazing, truly amazing.

Today, Mighty John Cameron takes on Majestic Philip Serrell

in an all-out battle for profit, giving YOU

the inside view on the secrets of the trade.

Coming up, our dealers show just how hard they'll push

in their fight for all-out glory...

-15 quid and I'll have it.

-No.

-That's a finish.

-No.

-Go on.

-No.

-16 quid.

-15.

..they reveal how ruthless they're willing to be in their eternal quest for victory...

Not about antiques, it's about making profit.

..and how they'll do absolutely anything to win the day.

This is supposed to be the hottest dish on the menu.

Stand by, it's time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

Strap yourselves in. Today's epic extravaganza pitches

two giants of the auctioneering world against each other -

it's Philip "The Fox" Serrell taking on John "The Hammer" Cameron.

Both will employ their wits and cunning

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

In one corner, it's the Mighty Midlands Mauler.

LION ROARS

He knows his onions, he deals to the death and this old bruiser will eat you for breakfast.

Well, 45, then! That's £5 more!

Facing him, it's the People's Prince of Portsmouth.

He's dapper but deadly, he's always got a plan

and the lust for profit races through his veins.

15 quid, these. 85 quid, the dog.

£100 in total. Should be able to double the money.

Our duelling dual know they have up to £750 of their own money to spend

and that their mission is to make as much profit as possible,

all of which will be going to their chosen charities.

Their battleground is the Lincolnshire Antique and Home Show,

where, amongst the 2,500 stalls, innumerable gems lie hidden.

But which of these mighty warriors will find them?

Phil "The Fox" Serrell and John "The Hammer" Cameron, eyes peeled,

hands on your wallets, it's time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

-John, how are you?

-I'm good, Philip, a bit cold.

-You're frozen!

-I know, at least one of us is appropriately dressed.

-Yeah.

-So have you got your £750?

-In here, you?

-Of course I've got it.

-Have you got a plan?

-A plan?

Today, I'm looking for things with impact, decorating objects,

-things that'll catch the eye, a bit quirky.

-Really?

-But first of all, I need to buy thermal underwear.

-That's an image I'll try and keep away from.

My plan is, I think, um, there's going to be no plan.

-HE LAUGHS

-Like it!

-Good luck.

-See you in a bit.

Yes, don't be deceived by the bonhomie. Now battle has begun,

these antiques colossi will stop at nothing to gain the upper hand.

Mr Serrell claims he has no plan. Was that just a red herring?

One thing's for sure, The Fox is on the prowl

and this seasoned predator is quick to sniff out

his first potential purchase - a wooden dairy bowl.

-Irish?

-Irish, yes, a dairy bowl.

-How much is that?

-70.

-See, I thought he said £70, then.

-Aye, £70.

-Is that what you said?

-Yeah, £70.

Can it be less than that?

-Very little less.

-You can always have a deal with the Irish,

-that's what I love about the Irish.

-Oh, aye?

I can't see that at £70, I really can't.

Well, £60 is the best on it.

-I was thinking of 40 quid.

-Not a chance!

-Get out of here!

I was bid more for it yesterday. No! No, no, no.

Ooh, The Fox is at loggerheads, while The Hammer is scouring

every inch of this market for those quirky items he's after.

This Beswick fox looks nice and warm, curled up and snug indoors.

I wonder if Philip The Fox is outside getting cold and damp.

Oh, The Hammer's confident, but whilst he scopes the territory,

The Fox is refusing to take no for an answer.

Let's see how many times he pushes his luck.

-40 quid.

-No, not a chance.

-Why not?

-No, no, no. I was bid 40 from that man over there yesterday.

Well, 45, then, and that's £5 more.

-Give me 50 for it, it's yours.

-45.

-No.

I'll do 50.

Hold on, you hold those, because I can just...

No, hit me with 50.

-No, I just want you to get the feel of them.

-I've got a pocket full of them.

-Look, just...can you feel that?

-No, no, I'm not taking 45.

Yes, Phil's trying all the tactics, but his opponent won't back down.

Time to try a different tack, Phil.

-You'd love to help me, wouldn't you?

-No.

-You wouldn't like to help me?

-I want to sell you a bowl, give me 50 quid, go on.

-45.

-No.

-Go on.

-No, I'm not taking 45.

Oh, it looks like The Fox could be in for the long haul.

The Hammer is cutting through the aisles like a hot knife through butter.

Vertically-challenged antique hunters should get one of these.

But do you know what, I can't see Philip anywhere.

And that's because he's grappling his way through the longest negotiation in dealer history, John.

-Go on, 45.

-OK, give your 45.

Oh, you're a good man and I love you to bits!

# Oh, happy day! #

After 14 goes, Phil's bagged his first purchase -

a sycamore dairy bowl for £45.

Right, John, get off those wheels and get buying,

because Phil's straight on to find number two.

-How much is that?

-It can be 20 quid.

It's the replica of the 1966 World Cup Final.

-How much did you say it was?

-It's got to be 20 quid.

-What, for a repro?!

My hearing's gone awful! Sorry?

Er, 20 quid.

I was thinking of a tenner.

Ooh, and he's at it again, The Fox loves a good tussle!

I'll knock another couple of quid off. 18 quid.

-15 quid and I'll have it. That's a finish.

-No.

-Go on.

-No.

-16 quid.

-15.

-16 and we've got a deal.

I know a man that played in the 1966 World Cup

and I'm rather hoping that I might be able to sell him a football.

-Right, OK.

-To quote an expression, "They think it's all over."

-It is.

-Now.

-Our Worcester Wingman scores!

10, 15, go on.

And he's straight on the blower to his friend, who's a giant of England sporting history.

It's none other than football legend George Cohen,

who played in the 1966 World Cup Final.

George, it's Philip Serrell.

I'm in Lincolnshire at the minute and I've bought a replica football,

a leather one of 1966 World Cup Final and I thought, "I know a bloke who played in that game,"

and I was hoping I might get £25 or £30 for it

and I thought it'd be lovely to sell it to you, George.

You're an absolute gentleman, I'll speak to you soon. Take care, bye.

Well, that's fantastic. George says he will buy it. It's only £25,

but what's more important for me, he's a sporting icon!

Oh, what a champion! With two items in his booty bag, and one of those already sold,

The Fox is in total control of the game, but stand back. At last,

The Hammer has fallen on two pieces of Beswick going for £65.

Here we are, they're both marked Beswick underneath

and Beswick are very famous for their range of animals

and everything you can possibly imagine Beswick covered.

Horses, birds, dogs, cats, even comical figures,

and they're discontinued, so you can't get them any more.

As The Hammer snaps up his first purchase,

The Fox is prowling the aisles a fireball of energy

and no stall is left unturned.

But with just a couple of donkeys to his name,

big John Cameron is launching a full-scale charm offensive

on this unsuspecting market.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah, that came out of a monastery, actually.

That is nice. 65 quid, your very best price on that?

-Yeah, that's a John price.

-Is that for me?

-That's a John price.

See, how could I possibly haggle with a face like that, eh?

D'you know what, Karen, you've got yourself a deal, I'll have that.

-Yeah, OK?

-65 quid.

-Cool, right-o.

-All right.

-Nice one, John.

You old smoothie, John. The Hammer falls on his second item -

a silver coffee set for just £65.

-Brilliant, fantastic.

-There we are, how sweet is that?

Early 20th-century, silver-plated, very, very stylish

and I love that little kickback thumb piece with the coffee bean.

I like it, I'd definitely give that house room.

Hopefully someone else will, too.

Calculating Cameron has seized back the advantage.

Now our dealing duo both have two major purchases in the bag.

But The Fox has unearthed a little gem

that has his name written all over it.

There's something about boys - it's the size of their...

Hey, where's this going, Foxy?

..toys, and as men get older, it's watches, cars and pens.

If you want to buy a fountain pen, I think the best name you can buy

is Mont Blanc. ..How old is that, please, sir?

It's about...25 or 30 years old.

How much would that retail for?

-£400?

-A bit under that.

-350, something like that?

The Fox gets down to the nitty-gritty with the stallholder

and bags the Mont Blanc pen for £140.

-Phil's not the only one who's been busy.

-Say hello to my little friend.

It's another Beswick piece, my third of the day.

I didn't think I would buy lots of Beswick, but I couldn't resist,

it's a dachshund fireside model,

Beswick. There, we've got his little mark on the base.

It was by Albert Hallam, one of the most important modellers

at Beswick and I hope someone will fall in love with him. If they do,

he'll either be called Frank or Nancy, cos they have two dachshunds.

If they don't like him, I could be up a certain creek without a paddle.

Once again, the Hammer levels the game

and The Fox is watching his every move.

-How much is that?

-I paid 85 quid for him.

-Really?

-I got him down from 150, yeah. He's a nice thing.

I've got a buyer in mind or I wouldn't have bought it.

If they don't want it, I'm going to be a bit lumbered.

-I like him.

-It IS a dog.

-It certainly is a dog.

Ooh, a low blow from The Fox!

The tactics our boys will adopt in the fight for victory.

Phil and John both started the day with £750 of their own cash

and it's a close one.

Phil flew out of the stalls faster than a thoroughbred on Derby day,

racking up three purchases for a total of £201,

leaving him £549 still to spend.

After a slow start, John came up on the inside to level the race.

He's also sealed three deals worth £215,

which means there's still £535 in his kitty,

but it's early days yet.

Our brave boys are pretty much neck and neck,

so the next round in this epic context is going to be crucial.

I've got money burning a hole in my pocket and limited time.

I need to find some more items.

The Hammer is instantly on the attack, hunting for bargains,

but The Fox seems to be having a moment of self doubt.

I've noticed John seems a lot more organised and sorted than me.

Everything he buys, he seems to have a specific end user in mind,

whereas I just buy things, panic, and then think,

"I hope it all works out all right."

And it does most of the time.

Ooh, come on, Foxy, crack on,

because your rival is on the march and, once again,

our resident Dr Doolittle has gone for the dachshunds.

These double as knife rests, and he got £7 off the asking price.

You may remember, I'd just bought a Beswick fireside dachshund dog,

so I'm hoping to bundle these up, 15 quid these,

85 quid the dog, £100 in total, should be able to double the money.

Yes, The Hammer is a man of cunning tactics,

but The Fox is a man of keen mind

and he's applying his encyclopaedic knowledge

to secure his next purchase.

That's a nice thing, isn't it? Do you know how to date these things?

-Not really, go on.

-There's six dots there and six dots there. That's 12.

13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

I think they started putting the dots on in 1892,

-21 on 1892 is 1913.

-There you go.

-So that was made in 1913.

-Lovely.

That was assayed in Birmingham.

There's a Birmingham Hallmark and painted by a man called Rickets.

-How much?

-95 quid is the best for you.

-Go on, then, I'll have it.

The Fox pulls back level with his opposition.

He's got four items in his booty bag

and a brain bulging with antiques information.

A quick tip for you at home. If you buy Worcester-painted fruit,

buy it with a pink mark on the back and not black. That's a lot later.

This is in a little silver surround that's completely had it.

And if I cut that out, I can probably

sell the silver for £20, frame this and sell it separately.

I come from Worcester, I've got dealers I can sell this to,

collectors I can sell this to and at the minute,

one of the hottest things in the Worcester hand-painted market

is 20th-century painted fruit. I'm really pleased with it.

I hope, with a good following wind, there's £100 profit in this.

Ooh, that's fighting talk from The Fox!

The clock is ticking and now it seems it's time for the cool, calm

and collected Mr Cameron to feel the pressure.

Well, whilst I'm keeping an eye out for those quirky items,

something with impact, I'm keeping an eye on things that remind me

of certain collecting habits of collectors I know,

but there's so much to see here, it really is hard to make a decision.

Well, let's hope our John knows an Elvis fan who likes his nosh,

because his next purchase is a pair of Elvis plates for £10.

You can't go wrong with the King!

-LIKE ELVIS:

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

He's quick to follow it up with a wall sign purchased for £50.

The Hammer is inching ahead,

so there's no time for The Fox to rest on his laurels.

I think I bought quite well

and the danger when you think that is to take your mind off the game,

relax a bit and then blow the whole lot by buying something ridiculous,

so I've got to keep concentrating, but I really want to focus

on buying another two or three really nice little bits that appeal to me,

hoping, if they appeal to me, they'll appeal to other people.

At last, The Fox settles on a plan and his new strategy to go for items

that most appeal to his own tastes soon starts paying off.

He picks up a Georgian child's lambing chair for £120.

Basically, like a rocking potty trainer from about 1860.

And most of them are in oak or elm and you can just see there,

that lifts up and a little chamber pot would've gone under there.

And he's swift to follow up with a set of wooden carpet bowls for £50.

I know some people that bowl and I'm just hopeful that, er,

one of them might turn up trumps for me.

It's The Hammer's turn on the ropes,

but Canny Cameron is always thinking ahead,

even if it leads down some unexpected paths.

Can I persuade you to take £100 for those pictures?

-I've been doing the pictures for five quid each.

-Go on!

I've just paid 80 quid, give me 120, come on! You'll win on that.

I've got to get a major profit! £100, a nice round figure, go on.

-I'm taking it.

-You're a good man!

-I'll break the glass!

You're bigger, you'll break me. I'd better give you the 100 quid

and take 'em before you change your mind!

The man of the people seals the deal,

but he's hardly walking away with a set of old masters.

What's the story, Mr C?

I went for these prints, cos I know several people that race bikes

and know a couple of a people that have bike shops,

so I've got to be able to find myself a buyer amongst that crowd.

You either love fast bikes or you don't.

25 quid each, they've cost me.

They're not antique. It's not about antiques, it's about making profit.

John Cameron, master tactician, we salute you!

Today, this antiques fair is nothing but a profit battleground

and our boys are antiques gladiators slugging it out for victory,

but the supremely confident wily one is starting to wobble.

I've sort of begun to panic a bit now, because, you know,

I got off to a really good start this morning

and things are going a bit pear-shaped now,

because I haven't been able to buy what I was hoping to buy

and I just really am having a bit of a quiet panic.

The Fox is in a hole and he doesn't like it one little bit!

But he's not a man to roll over

and soon homes in on his next potential purchase.

You've got a walnut tea caddy here.

Initially, there would've been two little compartments in there.

You'd have had India tea and China tea and they'd have had lidded tops

and those tops have long since gone, as they do.

That is just the best quality timber there is. So this is burr walnut

and if you can imagine the burr on the side of a tree,

it's a natural growth and, if you slice through that natural growth,

you get a richly-knotted veneer, which is just like this here.

-Would 60 quid buy it?

-Um, 70, you can take it.

-That would be the best on it.

-Can you help me any more?

I'm pulling a tenner back myself.

I understand that. Go on, I'll have it.

Phil picks up the walnut tea caddy,

his seventh purchase of the day, for £70.

It's getting down to the wire and our warring warriors

are under immense pressure to seek out those last elusive pieces.

# They call me the seeker!

# I've been searching low and high! #

Time's cracking on, I've still got money in my pocket

and a number of items to buy and people are starting to pack away, so I'm starting to panic,

and you know what happens in the transfer window when it's closing?

Football clubs start making panic buys, things they regret later,

so I've got to get out and start looking.

The Hammer is a man of his word

and it's not long before he's sizing up a thirst extinguisher.

It's actually musical. How kitsch can you get? But I do love it.

The price on the bottom is £38,

but this lovely lady has said,

without haggling, that I can have it for 28.

How could I possibly refuse that?

-You've got yourself a deal.

-OK.

Yes, that effortless endeavour puts John on eight purchases

to Phil's seven and, while The Fox keeps seeking,

The Hammer finds a mini bar.

This is a great piece of 1950s, 1960s bar ware. Look at that.

Every home should have one. It's covered in Formica laminate,

look at that, mirrored bar inside, excellent condition.

If you buy something like that, you've got to have somebody in mind.

-I like this. Not something I came here to buy.

-I understand that.

Let's cut to the chase.

You've got £85 on there, what's the very best price you can do?

How's 60 sound to you?

60 sounds very reasonable, actually. I'm happy with 60.

-All right?

-OK, buddy, I'm fine with that.

-£60?

-Good man.

-Jolly good.

I appreciate that. £60! We've got ourselves a '50s bar.

Now I just need a '50s retro freak. Great.

The Hammer notches up purchase number nine.

Our warhorses have hit the final furlong

and the finishing line is tantalisingly close.

The Fox is lost in the buying wilderness.

Before lunch, I really did feel quite confident

and I thought I might have got the upper hand over John, but now,

the way this just ebbs and flows, he's probably going

to have a rip-roaring afternoon and I'm in deep trouble again.

The Hammer has the advantage

and he's sticking to his favourite stall.

You've got next to it there, a reproduction,

quite an art deco '30s-style radiogram.

You've got 85 quid on it, what can you do on this?

-Because you bought the other piece...

-Yes.

-..I'll knock you a good deal of £50 on it.

-£50, is that the best price?

-You're pushing me now, 45.

-45 quid.

-OK, if I asked you to chuck that in...?

-Fine.

-How much?

-I'll chuck it in.

-For 45 quid?

-I'll chuck it in.

-You don't want to adopt, do you?

-Have you got a good job?

-HE LAUGHS

-Does it look like it?

I've bought myself here a 1930s-style radiogram.

This is probably made in the middle of the '80s.

Look at the side of it here.

We've got a cassette - these are almost antiques themselves, now.

Very typical of the sort of thing you would have seen in most homes around the 1930s,

listening to what had been going on in the war. You can almost hear them now, can't you?

# We are the Ovaltineys

# Little girls and boys... #

Oh, John, enough already!

RECORD SCRATCHES

And on that note, the final whistle sounds on today's buying.

The Fox didn't manage to find that last elusive item,

but this competition will be decided on who's made the wisest purchases.

Our two tusslers started off the day with £750 of their own money.

Phil, The Fox, bought a healthy seven items and spent £536.

John, The Hammer, notched up a mighty 11 items,

but spent less than his rival - just £523.

Before our brave boys go their separate ways,

they're keen to swap notes on each other's wares.

Not a regret because I have to get it off my chest.

I bought this little Georgian lambing chair

and it looks A-OK, but I think it's probably got a later back on it.

That's not so hot.

-What you think of these babies?

-Actually, not much.

-Well, I paid a tenner for them.

-You were robbed!

-What's your best buy?

-I love this little Dachshund and I love my donkeys. I think they're sweet.

I like that little Worcester, pin dish.

There's a good profit in that.

It makes me laugh because I think, you and I are different generations and so is our stuff, isn't it?

Bruised but unbowed, our warriors head back to their respective corners to prep for the serious

business of making profits that will knock their rival out of the ring.

In Worcester, Phil is working up his plan of attack.

He's already got one meeting in the back of the net

with England footy legend, George Cohen to try and sell his 1966 replica football.

But he's still got six other items to shift,

including a 19th-century sycamore dairy bowl,

a Mont Blanc fountain pen, dating back to the 1980s

and a Georgian lambing chair.

John's got his work cut out with 11 sales to make,

among them a pair of ceramic donkeys and a ceramic Dachshund, all made by Beswick,

a silver coffee set from the early 20th century

and a laminate bar from the 1950s.

With no time to lose, these two dealing heavyweights get stuck into the research

and the phone calls that they hope will net them the best deals.

But until they've shaken on it and the money has changed hands,

no deal is truly sealed.

And it's John who's first off the starting blocks. He's raced down to his local curry house

and is hungry to see off that first extinguisher.

-It is a novelty drinks dispenser.

-Yes, yes.

Yes? There we are, look, cork out of there.

There is where you put the contents inside.

That's just a cap on the top.

But also, there's a bonus...

-..it's musical.

-Music, is it?

-THEY LAUGH

That's why it's called The First Extinguisher.

-You want this here in the restaurant?

-Yes.

I'm hoping to get about £100 for this.

It's a novelty item, you can't get them any more.

-I'm thinking of £100, how does that sound?

-I think 80.

-£80?

-Yes.

Well, it's a little bit less than I had hoped.

What is the hottest dish you do, what type of dish?

Now, the latest, hottest food here is Kerala dishes.

-So, Kerala?

-Yes.

-And that's very, very hot?

-Very, very hot, and flavour.

-I tell you what, if I eat the Kerala?

-Yes.

-The hot dish...

If I can eat the Kerala and we test this, £90 and we have the deal?

-All right.

-£90.

-£90.

-We'll shake on that.

The Hammer really is putting his money where his mouth is,

but has he bitten off more than he can chew?

-This is your meal, Kerala dish.

-This is Kerala, this is hot, yeah?

-This is hot.

-Thank you, Abdul. Thank you.

Right, I've got The Fire Extinguisher on hand,

I have the Kerala.

This is supposedly the hottest dish on the menu. Here goes...

# Fire! #

It's pretty hot.

Oh, he's struggling. He's feeling the burn.

I think my eyes are watering.

Well, we'll see if The Fire Extinguisher works.

Cheers!

# I'll feel you burn! #

Oh! I bet the Fox doesn't have to do anything like this.

We'll see about that, but John burns rubber - and back of his throat - to take an early lead.

He sells The First Extinguisher for more than three times what he paid for it

and pockets a profit of £62.

But Phil is hot on his heels.

He's taking his lambing chair to show dealer contact, Lee.

Here it is, my little chair.

I quite like these little lambing chairs.

I know that it's got its problems in that it's had this backboard,

I would think, replaced some long time ago,

but it's just a sweet, little chair.

It's a cute little thing.

It's going to appeal to somebody who's going to buy it for a doll or bear, or something like that.

-Yes, it's interesting.

-I paid £120 for it, which I thought was cheap.

I think I'm going to offer you a fair deal, right -

£150.

-It not too unreasonable.

-You can put down provenance Philip Serrell,

-but as long as you don't tell anybody I sat in it.

-No. I'm sure they'll believe me if I say that!

Its novelty value, there should be a profit in that. I'm happy with that.

-Good man, thank you.

-OK, thank you.

Nice work, Foxy! The sly one pitches the price just right

and walks away with £30 profit.

For me, that pretty much ticked all the boxes.

A small profit, I know, but a quick turnover.

John picks his items with buyers in mind

and he chooses his targets with total precision.

He is on his way to see Charlotte, whose family John knows well.

Charlotte's mum, Helen, is a keen collector of Beswick

and they're also the proud owners of this little fellow, Frank.

-Charlotte, they're side-by-side, what do you reckon on the likeness?

-He's very like Frank.

Yes, even his look looking up is how he looks at my mum.

I thought, "I have to buy that, Helen would love it."

-I know you're looking for a present, aren't you?

-Yes, it's her birthday at the end of this month.

-OK, so, do you think she would like this?

-Yes, I think she would.

It's a promising start and The Hammer is quick to showcase his Wedgwood Dachshund knife rests

and his two Beswick donkeys for Charlotte's sister.

-Do you think your sister will be able to stretch to buying these?

-I would expect so.

By selective targeting, The Hammer is about to offload

three of his purchases in one almighty sale.

-265, then.

-OK, you've got yourself a deal.

-Brilliant.

The Hammer falls and nails £100 profit.

Phil is seeing an old mate, Tom,

and he's about to whip out his secret weapon.

This is lovely. To be fair, this is...

the style of fountain pen which appeals to me.

I like the black and gold classic.

My thoughts are, that in a retail market,

it's worth around 250 to 300,

but the great thing about a pen like that, you should always use an organic ink in them.

If you use a chemical-based ink, it can clog up the works and all the rest of it.

The price you talk about is fair.

250 to 300, I give you 275 and be happy.

Chum, I'll tell you what, we're old mates, I'm going to keep it at that.

The Fox nearly doubles his money on the Mont Blanc pen

and he picks up a profit of £135.

The Fox is like a profit-making postman doing the rounds.

Next stop is Kate, an antiques dealer friend,

to show her his Worcester plaque.

-I think it's really, really sweet.

-I do, as well...

-Ricketts.

-Yeah. And he was a good painter.

-You know, it's from the golden age of painting that, I think.

-It's very nice, actually.

-So would you buy to keep it, or buy to sell it?

-I'd keep this.

-It's a nice thing.

-I'd keep it for me grandkids.

The plaque gets a new home and The Fox get a sale of £195,

netting himself £100 profit.

The Hammer's not hanging about. He sells the electric drinks sign

and, after the cost of the PAT testing,

walks away £48 better off.

And he follows it up by doubling his money on the Elvis plates,

making a profit of £10.

After some intensive phone bashing, Phil's lined up a potential buyer for his tea caddy.

I'm off to see Gabrielle Bullock, who I've known for 35 years. I know she's a buyer of a good lot.

I'm hoping that this little walnut caddy will appeal to her.

She's scrupulously fair, but I know she'll make me work for any profit.

Go on, Foxy, work your magic.

See, I think...

that's worth £150, that's what I think.

I would be looking to sell it somewhere round about that.

-OK.

-Well, a bit more.

-All right, yeah.

This is veneered. It's not solid walnut.

The other thing that's interesting for people to know at home, is that Victorians were dab hands.

This is good quality timber.

But if the timber wasn't of the very best quality,

they'd get a sponge and ink it up to make it look a much richer colour.

An indication of the quality of that box

-is that they have used a burr on the back, rather than a straight grain.

-Absolutely right.

And on the sides as well. That's all delayed us greatly

from me arriving at how much you're going to give me for it.

Do I need a chair?

You'll be all right.

Er...135?

-You're an angel. I'll take that, Gabrielle. Thank you so much.

-Cheers.

Dealers of this quality don't mess about. Gabrielle gets the caddy

and Foxy walks away with a £65 profit.

As our brave boys scout about for more buyers,

the profit is already piling up.

John "The Hammer" Cameron has rid himself of six items

and pocketed £220 profit.

But he needs to up his game.

Even though Phil "The Fox" Serrell's only sold four items

he's already made £330.

And so begins the mad dash for the finishing line.

Our two antiques thoroughbreds know they have to pull out all the stops

if they want to snatch victory today.

The Hammer's had his 1950s bar rewired

and some new bulbs installed at a cost of £10.

That's on top of the £60 he paid for it.

He's brought it to Keith, who runs a vintage shop in Southsea.

Oh, yes. That's lovely.

So nice to see a different... the mirror at the back.

Normally, it's got cocktail shakers and glasses on and everything, Champagne bottles.

It's lovely to see a different, more Mediterranean, Mexican theme.

Isn't it? That, to me, says '50s holidays.

Not only have you got a brand-new bulb in there, you've got four spares as well. Chuck those in.

Brilliant. Look, let's close that up.

Have a look underneath there.

So, if we open up the cabinet there,

we've got shelving for glass, and the bottle receptacles.

I'm looking for a couple of hundred pounds for it.

That's probably near to what I would sell it for.

I was thinking more 120?

Had I not had to go to the extra expense of getting it rewired and tested,

I may well have been able to do something at that level,

but I had to invest a bit more money in it.

It doesn't give me a great profit.

What about 160, Keith? Can we do anything there?

Can we do 150?

I think I can take £150, albeit on one condition.

Hold on, John, you've sold it! Don't start making conditions now.

I'd like to see if you can do me a makeover -

see if I can submerge myself in the retro scene. What do you reckon?

I think we definitely could do something with you.

Ladies and gentlemen, the many guises of The Hammer.

# I'm a soul man

# I'm a soul man... #

Oh, blimey, John, it was all going so well!

Our man of the people's more than doubled his investment.

The 1950s bar shook up a delicious serving of £80 profit.

Who said selling antiques isn't cool...

..when I'm walking away with a nice, cool profit?

And Mr C keeps cool enough to get a sale of his four motorcycle prints

for £200, taking the chequered flag with a profit of £100.

The Fox is revving up to sell the dairy bowl.

He hits the brakes in Ludlow,

where he's visiting furniture dealer, Glenn.

Remember, Phil needs £45, just to break even.

Doesn't that look fantastic there, look?

Don't you think that looks the part?

-It's a dairy bowl, isn't it?

-It is a dairy bowl, yes.

So, what would they have been used for in a dairy?

Just putting milk in, or...?

I think they were actually used just in the process of making butter.

-Making butter.

-Things like that. Just as a mixing bowl.

Where do these normally come from?

This particular variety, I'd say, was Welsh.

That one's about...1850 in date.

-That's because of the thickness of it?

-Yeah.

If it was an earlier bowl, it would be thinner.

How much am I going to...? Do you want to buy it, that's the question?

-It would depend how much it was.

-Well...

I know that I had one for sale not that long ago.

-I think I might've bought it.

-I didn't want to mention that, but...!

That, all in, was the thick end of £200, wasn't it?

-Um... If it was, I actually lost money selling it.

-Really?

Cos I sold it for 180.

Ooh, shouldn't have gone there, Foxy!

This isn't going quite so well, really, is it?

-What's a fair price for that, Glenn?

-As I'm going to struggle to get 140, 150 for it...

-it's £120.

-That's your best shot?

It's more than my best shot.

I'll take your hand off, mate. Thank you ever so much.

Yes, that could've gone badly wrong,

but Ludlow's lucky for Phil, netting him a healthy profit of £75.

He goes on to sell his carpet bowls to old friend, Douglas,

jacking up a profit of £25

and enjoying a cracking good game in the process.

Look at that... Yes! Ohhh!

Right, beaten you.

The Hammer's hit the road. His head's buzzing with strategy.

He's in Berkshire to see someone who might just fall for his next item.

I'm here to meet renowned chef, Alan Murchison,

to see if I can tempt him with my silver-plated coffee set.

In doing some research, I've discovered a bit of a link to Scotland.

As Alan is Scottish himself, I'm hoping it might tempt him

to give me an exquisite profit.

The coffee set cost him £65,

but our likely lad is confident he can turn a profit.

So, here it is.

How does it compare to what you thought I'd bring you today?

It's actually far nicer.

It's quite an impressive piece,

it's got a lovely feel to it and great detail as well -

the little coffee bean on the top.

When I first bought this piece,

it reminded me of a designer of the 19th century.

-Do you know about Christopher Dresser?

-No.

He was the first to embrace the machine age.

He designed for Elkington and Co, the silversmiths,

for Coalbrookdale, the iron makers, who did benches and garden seats.

Anyone who was anyone wanted his services in the 19th century.

I started doing some research, and when I had a look on the bottom,

you've got "H & H" and that little symbol there.

That's Hukin & Heath,

a Birmingham firm of silversmiths that started up in the 1850s.

They employed Dr Christopher Dresser.

-This very Japanese handle...

-It's beautiful.

Lovely, isn't it?

..and this straight spout here are very typically Christopher Dresser.

Mm. You're driving the price up with this sales pitch!

Give me a few facts. This is obviously a very expensive piece.

I'm looking for around £280, £250 for it.

That's a lot of money for a cup of coffee.

It is a lot of money, but you get a lot for it.

It's very stylish, there's a great attribution there

to a very important Scottish designer - let's not forget that!

But you've also got a Scotsman buying it!

John's pulling out all the stops,

but this deal's not going to be easy.

We'll find out later if The Hammer hit home.

As we get ever-closer to the finishing line,

our warring warriors are throwing everything at this epic battle.

John lugs his repro radiogram to his friend Lorna's boutique

and...she loves it!

Including the cost of electrical testing,

The Hammer marches away with a tidy profit of £53.

And he soon sees off his last item,

The New York game he got for free at the antiques fair.

He sells it for £25 and that's all pure profit.

In London, Phil is limbering up for his final sale.

The buyer on the touchline is a legend of English football.

This really is the stuff dreams are made of.

I'm meeting George Cohen at Fulham Football Club. I mean,

World Cup winner, 1966, a legend!

How lucky am I?! I paid £16 at the antique fair.

I phoned George up, told him I was hoping for £25 or £30.

To be truthful, I'd have given him the wretched thing,

I'm so looking forward to seeing him. Aren't these seats magnificent!

They're as old as me!

-Oh, get out of it. Lovely to see you again, George.

-Nice to see you, too.

Have a seat. How many times did you play for England, George?

37.

-Really?

-Yes.

What did you earn out of the '66 World Cup, George?

Well, the bonus...

Well, you got £60 for playing in the game, of course.

A whole 60 quid, all to yourself!

Yes. Taxed, of course.

Having won the World Cup, we shared £22,000, evenly.

George, to do what you've done, at sport, is just...

-Well, there are only 11 people who've ever won an England World Cup at football, aren't there?

-Yes.

-That's a bit special, isn't it?

-It is.

-Unfortunately, one or two have left.

-Yeah.

We're not getting any younger, obviously.

-But they're a wonderful bunch of people.

-Do you miss it?

Not really. I like watching now.

I loved it while I was playing.

As I've said before, you know that it's got to come to an end.

You know that there's got to be other things in life.

I come from a family, from Fulham here,

that, you know, were realists.

We knew that we have to earn a living outside of football.

George, I've got to talk about this. I know I phoned you about it.

Are you going to buy this off me?

I am. But can I get it for £2.50?

I'll tell you what, George, you might've only got £60 for playing in the game,

-but prices have changed.

-Have they really?

-Inflation's been rampant.

I know a bloke who played in this game.

If I got him to sign that, I reckon that'd be worth a fortune!

-Who was that?

-Ooh, I couldn't possibly say, George!

How much are you asking for this?

If you give me £25, George...

-I'll give you £25 for this.

-You're a star.

Can you change a 50?

We don't have those in Worcestershire!

Ah, thank you so much, George.

It's a great pleasure. Nice of you to come along here.

Well, that is a paltry £9 profit, but, trust me, those few minutes with George, they were worth thousands.

What a privilege.

The thing about George is I don't think he realises what a legend he is

and quite what a special man he is.

Anyway, the sprinklers are on and it's time for an early bath for me.

Yes, off you go, Foxy. It might not be the greatest profit,

but every little helps.

That's £9 to add to the pot.

So, they've scoured their contacts books and flexed their wheeler-dealer muscles.

But which of our brave boys went that extra mile?

Both our experts started out with £750 of their own money to spend.

Phil "The Fox" spent £536 at the antiques market,

almost exactly the same as John "The Hammer"

who, after restoration costs, handed over £537.

But it doesn't matter how much they forked out,

it's the profit that counts.

All the money Phil and John made from today's challenge

will be going to a charity of their choice.

So, it's time to find out who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion!

-Phil, good to see you.

-You too!

How did you get on since the antique fair?

Wasn't it a good day? I loved it!

I felt I did well in the morning, buying,

but the afternoon, I found it tough.

I made some rash purchases that, on reflection, I thought, "What have I bought?!"

The thing I thought was I'm very conscious that I'm firmly rooted in the 18th century

and you bought some kitsch, vintage, retro stuff.

And it's what people want today. You can do the three, two, one.

OK. Three, two, one...

-Wow!

-How did you do that?!

Well, I have to say, I think my little silver-plated coffee set

saved the day for me.

Blimey! Give me lessons. How do you do it?

Get my head in the books. Research!

Yes, that silver coffee set gave John a hefty haul of cash.

He paid £65,

and the chef was staggered when he heard the asking price of £280.

That's a lot of money! I'd be looking to spend...

-£150.

-150.

-Can you do any better than that?

-I would probably go 175.

-I would go 175.

-Would you do 200 for it?

-200? OK.

-£200, you've got yourself a deal.

The Hammer notched up a profit of £135, more than tripling his money.

You can't complain at that.

I did a bit of research, got quite lucky,

attributed my silver-plated tea set to Christopher Dresser

and made a healthy £135 profit,

which ensured a little bit of distance between me and The Fox.

John is really up there

when it comes to buying 20th-century items, collectable items,

and perhaps I'm sticking a little bit to the old school antiques.

You can't bank any profits yet, because there are plenty more challenges to come.

Tomorrow, our duelling dealers will be hurdling language barriers

when they square up at an antiques fair in France.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]