James Braxton v David Harper 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, David Harper takes on James Braxton

'in an all-out battle for profit,

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

'Coming up, David meets his match when it comes to haggling.'

Lads, help me a bit. Help me a bit. Give me a bit of a treat.

'James enlists the services of a furry friend.'

What have you found? He's seeking out all these Romans and silver bullion.

'And David shows us how to impress the ladies.'

-If I can juggle them in one hand, would you be impressed?

-No.

-But I would... I am impressed.

-Thank you very much.

'This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.'

'Today's antiques market match-up

'sees the dabber Devilish David Harper

'go head-to-head against our bold James Bingo Braxton

'in an all-out pursuit of profit.

'Our antiques adventurers are on the attack at an antiques fair in Lincolnshire.

'There's thousands of stalls spread out over 200 acres, so they'll need to get moving.

'It's our unique northern deal-maker...'

The trick is always to buy something slightly unusual.

-'..versus our smooth southern stock-shifter.'

-It's a great fair.

Lots of goodies, lots of antiques, lots of odd things.

So there's everything to play for.

'They've got £750 of their own money to spend

'and all the profit goes to their chosen charities.

'David Harper and James Braxton, it's time to put your money where your mouth is.

-David!

-James Bingo Braxton! How are you?

-Very well, Devilish, how are you?

-Devilish!

It's chilly here in Lincolnshire, but it's exciting. A lot of stuff here.

-Yeah, bright and sunny. Seen masses of vans coming in.

-I'm itching to get out there and get buying.

-Any plans for the day?

-Er, hobbies. I'm going to meet people's needs.

So fishing, motoring, trying to find something like that. And you?

Well, we've got £750 each, so it's not a fortune,

-but I'm in a bit of a funky mood, James.

-Ohh!

-Something a bit retro, maybe a bit architectural, I don't know. Best of luck.

-Yeah, good luck.

'The race is on in this flat-capped fandango.

'Gentleman James is planning to go all-out on hobby items

'while Devilish David is out to find fantastic, funky items at this fabulous antiques fair.

'And true to his word, the fast-talking funky finder

'is first to home in on some chairs that fill his funky quota.'

I did say I was looking for something retro and funky. Now, look.

Three wild and wacky chairs. It would be nice to have four or six,

because odd numbers are very difficult to sell.

But there are issues with upholstery because of rules for flame-retardant interiors and fabrics.

So you cannot buy and sell something without a proper ticket.

So whether these have the ticket or not, I don't know, but I will ask.

-Do they have fire tickets?

-They should have. I can't guarantee it.

-But you don't have tickets with them.

Sadly for me, although they are absolutely perfect

and fit my remit just bang-on,

I can't buy them because the restoration costs would be just too much. So, shame.

However, there's a lesson. Just be warned about fire tickets.

If it ain't got a fire ticket, you can't buy them.

# You can't touch this

'Never mind, David, there are plenty more stalls to peruse.

'James, though, has already reached top buying gear

'and it seems he's racing into an early deal.'

This looks rather nice. It's got a great weight to it.

It's a die-cast toy, so it's made of alloy.

It's called a Vanwall, the famous British racing car. Grand Prix winner.

My initial plan was to buy hobby things.

This would look quite nice on somebody's desk.

If I can find a Vanwall owner, my competition will be looking good.

How... How much on it?

-15?

-No, 50.

-Sorry?

-50.

-50! Oh, sorry!

-THEY LAUGH

-That's an old antique dealer's habit, isn't it, that?

-HE LAUGHS

I quite like it. I quite like that, as well.

It's rather fun, this. I like the unnecessary element of it.

It's an element of quality.

The fact that the RAC logo

has been pegged onto the GB plaque.

Nowadays, that would just be punched out,

as the GB is,

but it's just been added. It rather lifts it.

I'm sort of warming up here. Could you do 50 for the two?

I'll do you a deal.

Would you? Oh, that's good. OK.

You can always do a deal with a man with a dog. Thanks a lot. That's really good.

'Bingo's driving a hard bargain today.

'He's taken not one but two items for £50.

'But he's not the only one digging around for bargains.'

What have you found? Are you under the employ...

Are you under the employ of that Devilish David Harper?

He's seeking out all these Romans and silver bullion everywhere.

-There it is. Here's the treasure.

-HE LAUGHS

-Thanks a lot.

'Hm, better watch your back, Bingo. Devilish might not have the dog on duty

'but he's definitely got dogged determination.'

Now she, I've got to say, is a very good-looking creature. Missing her base, obviously.

But she's got the style and she's got the look.

The only true way of checking whether something is a bronze or a spelter,

bear in mind, spelter is the poor man's bronze and much cheaper,

is by scratching it and getting down to the base metal.

So if you scratch something, like this...

There we go. Can you just see that gold glint there?

That's not 18 carat gold, but that tells you it's bronze.

If I'd scratched that down to the base metal and it had come up as being silver

or grey, like a battleship grey, then it's spelter.

It's OK still to buy it if you want it, but it's not worth nearly as much.

So I'll go and get a price on that.

# She's got the look

-'For £60, old Devilish scores with his first lady of the day.'

-Thank you very much.

'With two items already purchased, Bingo thinks he's got this competition in the bag.

'Now he's spotted another potential purchase.

'He just needs to get a handle on the price.'

-How much on your Gladstone?

-Tenner.

But it's got very dry at some point, hasn't it, and has deteriorated.

I'd love to know if you can actually open this. Do you know how you...

Oh, hello! That's a good start, isn't it?

-Is there anything in it? There's no money in there, is there?

-No.

Nicely lined inside.

-Could you do a fiver?

-Eight quid.

-Eight quid?

-Yeah.

It would be churlish to argue with you. Eight quid, definitely. Thanks a lot. Thank you.

'So for a healthy £8, Bingo's sewn up the deal on the doctor's bag that needs a lot of surgery.'

That is a restoration product.

There's a nice shoemaker down in Eastbourne

who I think might be able to do something for me. Just needs tidying up.

'Bingo's sitting pretty in this competition now,

'so David needs to up his pace or face being carpeted for lack of progress.'

-What have you got on the carpet chair here?

-450.

-450. It's an interesting thing, isn't it?

-It is.

-It's certainly Victorian. It's 1860, 1870, isn't it? And I love the fact that...

I wonder if that's original. I'm not sure.

Can I have a...

It's a good style. It's like a gentleman's club style, isn't it?

But it's been kind of home-ified. Any maker's mark?

-Yes.

-Can we have a look at that?

-Of course.

-Do we know who it is?

-No.

Where is it?

OK, James Shoolbred and Company, Tottenham House, London.

I think that could be the retailer. Yeah, I do.

But it's a good retailer and I think that reference number there will tell us who the maker is.

-Do you think this is original or not?

-Yes.

-I have a feeling it might well be.

What I'm looking for here is evidence of old upholstery.

If you see the tack marks, if you can just peel it back in areas

and you can see evidence of old holes that look like worm holes, then it's been recovered.

Most of these things have been recovered 10 or 20 times in their lifetime.

Bear in mind, this is 140 years old.

But if it is original Victorian fabric,

that makes a huge difference, not only to its value, but also to its saleability and desirability.

It makes it just a bit specialist. But is there a profit in it?

-Yeah, definitely.

-What would be the death on this?

-450 is the absolute death for me.

'Mm, that's a big price. Too big for David?

'It would take a massive chunk out of his £750 budget.'

Lads, help me a bit. Help me a bit.

-Give me a bit of a treat.

-Fiver?

-Oh, make it 50 quid.

-I can't.

-Are you sure? Cash?

No. No, definitely not.

Give me my fiver off, I'll have it. Go on.

Good lad. That's probably the lowest discount I've ever, ever had on anything in my life.

-We're from Yorkshire, you see?

-Well, so am I.

But with a chair like that, if you see something as delicious as that

and you don't buy it, you're crazy.

'Just £5 off? David's haggling skills are found wanting here,

'but he wants this chair so much, it doesn't seem to matter.'

-There you are. Seeing as you're from Yorkshire...

-Yeah?

Aww, you are marvellous. Thank you very much indeed. Really good.

-An extra fiver off a Yorkshireman. Fantastic!

-See you later, mate.

-See you.

'Well, would you look at that! David's just had his discount doubled.

'That chair cost him £440.

'Despite the sheer size of today's market,

'Bingo is already shaking his tail feather at another potential purchase.'

If there's one thing I'm a fan of it's peacock chairs.

There's something very James Bondy about them, isn't there?

There's that lovely 60s, 70s chic.

But I suppose it's a lovers' seat, for the happy couple.

It just feels so good. Every little bit is very light.

It's the aggregate amount of thousands of pieces

that are taking a big old lumbering Englishman like me.

And it just feels so lovely.

This is going to be a logistical nightmare,

but it may be a nightmare worth enduring.

'Shrewd Bingo snapped up the 60s seat of love for £130.'

As to David Harper's strategy of everything funky,

I think with that double peacock chair, I have out-funked him in a big way.

'Now, the pressure of finding a bargain can do strange things to our boys.'

Ooh, marvellous. Paella, please.

What do you want? We've got chicken, chicken and chorizo and seafood.

'Hang on. That chef looks familiar.'

-Can I have half and half?

-Sure.

-Is that good?

-Yep.

-Have you been doing this very long?

-Couple of years.

-You look quite professional. Do you want to just continue?

-Yeah, OK.

-You're a bit slow.

-£4.

-Thank you very much.

-Keep the change.

-That's very kind. Thank you.

-Thank you. See you again.

-Bye.

-I'll just get a fork. That's marvellous. Mm.

That is amazing. Can you imagine? Paella in Lincolnshire.

And also, I can't wait to see Bingo. There's a bloke here looks just like him. Must be his twin.

'So that's Bingo's plan. Fill him up and slow him down.

'Anyway, back to business.

'They both started the day with £750 of their own cash.

'David has so far bought two items, spending £500,

'leaving him just £250 to play with.

'James has bought four items for £188,

'so he still has £562 to spend.'

Right.

I just want to find the right... the right thing

and find some nice goodies.

I've got £500 to spend and I need to buy something substantial, I think.

I want a nice bit of silver. Something tasty, something meaty.

'Devilish David spots a familiar face across the room

'and he's quick to move in and turn on the Devilish charm.'

Hello, you two. Hiding away. Come on.

-You know I always buy from you two. I can't help myself! I see you, I've got to throw money at you.

-Good!

So what have you got that you might think I would like?

-What about some Tudric?

-Which is the posher way of describing it, "Tud-ric" or "Chood-ric?"

-Shall we call it "Chood-ric"?

-Yes.

-Shall we be posh?

So that is... Well, Tudric was always made for Liberty.

And the style is wonderful,

very Arts & Crafts, probably about 1900 to 1922 or 1923.

It's got a bit of a dint in the coffee pot.

But it's terribly stylish and very, very good quality.

Each piece is completely hand-beaten, hand-made from pewter.

Erm, what's the best on that?

-What have we got on the price?

-You've got £15 on the whole lot.

No, we haven't. It's written on that little coffee pot.

-All right, £115, then.

-How much have we got?

You don't even... I can't believe it.

-Girls, absolutely treat me. I need a big treat.

-I'd say 90.

-90?

-90.

-It couldn't be 70, could it?

-Look, he's trying.

-I know. I'm in pain.

-You said 70, we said 90. Should we meet him in the middle?

-Yeah, 80.

-80. In the middle. That's it.

-No more.

-No more.

-It's only because I love you both, I'm going to give you a kiss. I'm sorry but I am.

You always do me fantastic deals and I love you both. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Brilliant.

-Will it be censored?

-Ooh, I say!

-Will it be cash?

Oh, this one's more interested in the money.

'The devilish charm works wonder for David and he takes the whole set for £80

'and gets a couple of kisses, as well.'

I did see something a bit better than that in an auction recently and it sold for over £500.

That one has a bit of damage but there's still a guaranteed profit.

I'd buy that one all day every day.

-What does FUNKI mean?

-That's a Danish maker.

-Oh, I see.

Got something for David here, Mr Funki himself.

'It doesn't appear that David needs your help, Bingo.

'He may only have a little bread left to spend,

'but he's spotted a board marked up at £150.'

Well, what do you think of that?

Just a plain little bread board or cheese board or whatever you want to call it.

But look at the lovely little mouse there.

Some of you will know what that means. It was made by Mousey Thompson and that is their emblem.

But completely used and abused and according to this lady, been in their family all of its life.

I think this does date back to probably the 1930s or 1940s,

back to the period of Mousey Thompson himself, the guy that formed the company.

They're the items that all the collectors want.

They can make many hundreds of pounds. I do have one guy, one particular specialist,

who deals pretty much only in Mousey Thompson wares.

Let me just put that away for five minutes

and make a phone call, make sure I'm not making any mistake,

cos it's not the cheapest bread board in the world,

and see what he thinks.

'Ever the professional, Devilish David does some digging to determine his best option.

'James Braxton prefers a more direct route.

'He's picked up his fifth item, a turquoise dolphin vase for £35.'

Has quite a contemporary look to it, so 60s, 70s.

We can add some value to this. I'm pleased.

'David's research has been fruitful. His friend who specialises in Mousey Thompson antiques

'has not only encouraged him to buy it, but is interested in buying it himself.'

-Can it be 100?

-No. 120 is the best I can do.

-I've got to have it.

-OK.

-I really want it.

-I'm pleased that it'll be appreciated.

-It's going to go to a good home.

'Smoothly done, David.

'Outside, Bingo's beginning to bargain on yet more bags.'

-What about 70 for the two?

-Yeah, sounds like a deal to me.

-Whey!

'Two more bags to add to his previous Gladstone purchase,

'he'll be hoping that when it comes to selling, there'll be three bags full of profit.

'Talking of dosh, how's David's kitty looking?'

£50 left. That's it.

It's ten past four, and at ten past four, these fairs start to really slow down.

You'll see dealers going home. You can't buy much for 50 quid,

so I've got to look for something small and, erm, well, cheap, I suppose.

Small and cheap, that's the idea.

'And quick as a flash, he does spot something small. A pair of silver salt and pepper shakers.'

So what have we got, Sheffield?

Sheffield, I think they're 1910, 1909.

-Would you describe them as funky?

-Yeah, I like them.

-Brilliant!

I do. You can imagine having your boiled egg in the morning

with your little condiment set there. I think they're nice.

-How about 25 quid?

-Yeah, go on, then.

-Good man. Fantastic.

'So for half his remaining cash, he picks up a silver salt and pepper pot.

'And then the sneaky old devil spots a final potential buy nearby.

'A tortoiseshell and ivory box.'

Lovely little thing but has seen better days.

-It has. I know it has. But it is sweet.

-And the price reflects, as they say.

Now then, so that dates to early 19th century?

-Erm...

-1840?

-Yeah, mid. Blonde tortoiseshell.

-Yeah, blonde.

-I prefer brunettes myself. SHE LAUGHS

-Thank God for that!

THEY LAUGH

-Little ivory feet.

-You can have it.

-Fantastic! THEY LAUGH

-Always works.

-Now I'm blushing.

-Erm...

-A little silver top. They are bonny.

-30 quid.

Ohh! I haven't got 30 quid. I've got 25 quid and that's it.

-But that's what it cost.

-Ohh, I know!

Why am I going to let you have it for 25? Talk me into this.

OK. Well, I'm in desperate need of help.

-And you like brunettes.

-I love brunettes. I've never ever been out with...

-It's yours.

I haven't even finished all my compliments. It's worked. THEY LAUGH

# Smooth operator

'Hm. Just like his flirting, this box is not to everyone's taste.

'But being 19th century, it predates both ivory and tortoiseshell legislation and is safe to buy.'

It would've been used for a small piece of jewellery, maybe a double ring box.

Worth every penny of 25 quid. An absolute bargain.

I've got no money left so I can't restore it.

But somebody will restore it and then it'll be used again for generations to come.

'Well, David may be all spent up, but Bingo still has money to burn. And what class!

'He snaps up a brass and glass coffee table for £40.'

-Good. Thank you very much indeed. Thanks a lot. Thank you.

-'It's a Bingo boom.'

A brass coffee table, sort of an occasional table.

Has no great age but it has quite a nice look to it.

And it's something that interior designers quite like.

It's quite benign. You can put things on it, it's not making too much of a statement,

and it's perfect by the side of a sofa.

And we have lots of weight here. I took the glass out just to feel the weight of the brass.

Failing everything else, I think I've got 40 quid worth in scrap.

'Right, time to find Devilish.'

Here's my mate, here! HE LAUGHS

-David!

-How are you?

-This is your partner in crime?

-Yeah, it is.

-This is James.

-Don't believe a word this man says.

'The final whistle has blown on today's buying bonanza.

'It's time to find out what our duo have spent.

'Both David and James started the day with £750 of their own cash.

'Devilish David Harper spent every last penny of his £750 kitty

'on six items, leaving nothing for restoration.

'James Bingo Braxton was a little more frugal.

'He bought eight items for a total of £333.

'It's time for our demon dealers to size up each other's wares.'

-Quite a collection here, James.

-I know!

-THEY LAUGH

-Any regrets now you're seeing it all?

-I think we could fill a van.

Of regret! THEY LAUGH

-I've got a few. What's your favourite item?

-Erm, I think we're sitting in it.

You know what? You've really out-funked me. You really have.

I'm so disappointed. This is wild and wacky. What do you think of my chair?

-I'm feeling like jumping up and down and just testing the springs.

-No, don't!

-It's absolutely original so I had to have it.

-Well done, you.

-What's your worst bet?

-Er, I have gone slightly long on Gladstone bags.

-I see that.

They could be my Achilles heel. Anyway, well done. I think you've bought some lovely items.

-Well, I rate yours, too. Very best of luck.

-Good luck.

'Now that the buying battle is behind our boys,

'they're ready to embrace an even tougher challenge.

'They've got to sell with all their might.

'The aim - to make as much profit as they possibly can, because only one man can take the title.

'Our sharp-shooting sellers of the second-hand

'return home to map out their selling strategies.

'To the south, East Sussex, the manor of one Bingo Braxton.

'And to the north, Teesdale, the stomping ground of the devilish one,

'who is assessing his antiques arsenal.'

The carpet chair, £440,

quite a lump of money on one object, but what an object.

The Tudric pewter tea and coffee set,

fantastic thing. That was a steal.

The Robert Mouseman bread board,

these things by that maker from that period

can make a fortune.

The silver salt and pepper shakers, funky, funky, funky.

'David will also need to shift his tortoiseshell box and his Art Deco statue.

'And what does gentleman James think of all his bounty?'

I like that die-cast racing car and the GB number plate.

I know quite a few petrol heads. Somebody will want to buy those two.

I like the bags. They're in a poor condition. I might have somebody take a look.

The peacock chair, what a fabulous item. I should make a good profit on that.

'He'll also need to sell his dolphin vase and a brass coffee table.

'Our crafty competitors will be pulling out all the stops to find buyers for their items,

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

'With more stock to shift, Bingo knows he needs to get off to a flying start.

'Solid selling and fast is the order of the day.

'So Bingo's off to the Cotswolds to see old school chum Dickie

'to try and sell him the dolphin vase he bought for £35.'

I haven't seen Dickie for 24 years,

so that's the further power of antiques, reuniting old friends.

I know Dickie will have some mad agenda up his sleeve.

'Nobody's exempt from Braxton's contacts book,

'even if he hasn't seen them for nearly a quarter of a century.'

-Are you lurking behind there?

-Oh!

-Hello, big man, how are you?

-James, old man. It's been years!

-I know.

-It's been years.

-A long time.

-Incredible.

-You've aged well.

You look the same as you do on telly.

Come in. Come in.

-That's the rather fun bit, the dolphins.

-Uh-huh.

-But it's quite fun. It's just a great centre-piece.

-Can you tell me a bit about its manufacture?

I would say it's Venetian.

A nice fellow on the islands off Venice in Murano, well-known for their glass works.

My wife would love that for an anniversary present. Glass is three years.

-Oh, good.

-You're a bit late.

-How long have you been married, Dickie?

-20 years.

-HE LAUGHS

-Well, it's never too late, is it?

So, I think she would actually like this, and blue is her favourite colour.

I have my haggling hat here. I have my haggling fez.

-If you don't mind.

-No, no.

-Now, I wore this in Morocco

and it gave me haggling inspiration.

-What are you prepared to offer me?

-Oh, I would start off at £25.

-HE LAUGHS

-Oh, God! I see, it is a great hat.

-It's working. It is working.

-HE LAUGHS

Right. 75 for you.

-I can go up to £50.

-65.

-That sounds about right.

-Does the haggling give you the green?

-It's calmed down. We've obviously found the right price.

-Put it there. 65.

-Excellent. £65.

'Yes, hats off to Bingo.

'He got there in the end and made a profit of £30.

'Bingo is in the driving seat early in this competition and he motors on.

'He takes the toy car that he bought with a GB number plate for £50

'down to Bexhill to see John, a restorer of classic cars.'

-45.

-45? Is that your final offer?

-It is, yeah.

Dear, oh, dear. I am being mugged in this car.

-45, John. Come on.

-OK.

-That's very good. Thanks a lot.

'He sells it for £45,

'although he'll need to sell his GB number plate for over £5 before he sees profit.

'In the north, the duke of dealing, Devilish David, isn't about to take this sitting down.

'He's taking the armchair he bought for £440 over to Newcastle to meet his dealer friend Steve.'

Steve, you've seen the picture. Now it's here.

Is it as drop-dead gorgeous in real life?

To be honest, David, I hate to say this,

but yeah, it is good. It's really good.

-It's a good thing, isn't it?

-Is everything original about it?

This thing looks today exactly like it looked in 1880 apart from a little bit of wear.

It looks right to me. It looks... It's beautiful, isn't it?

-The colours are great.

-Squeeze it. You can hear the horse hair crunching.

-Yeah, you can.

-Turn it over.

-Right.

-We'll have a look underneath.

-If you look here, Steve, there's the plaque.

Oh, Shoolbred. I shouldn't be saying this. I love to buy Shoolbred.

-I'm putting the price up. I can tell.

-Doesn't matter.

-I'm selling it to myself. Wrong thing to do.

I know that they became a department store in 1875.

So Tottenham House was their department store. One of the first department stores.

So, I would date it at 1875, 1880.

When I did my research after speaking to you, it said that Shoolbred were makers and retailers.

What they actually did, they opened a department store and started making their own furniture.

And I've no doubt this is a prime example.

-And they were one of the first stores to do room settings. Did you know that?

-I didn't know.

So the Victorians could see everything in situ, in the window,

imagine the room, buy the whole thing.

-I didn't know the Victorians were doing that.

-Yeah. Shoolbred were one of the first.

If I said to you five to seven provincial auction estimate. Meet me halfway, mid-estimate, 600 quid,

everybody's a winner. You said to me, "Does it sit well?" Try it.

-And you tell me that that is not a comfortable chair.

-Now, I've got a bad back, you know?

-This will solve all your problems, including the bad back.

-Right.

-Go for it.

-Let's give it a try.

-Tell me, is that perfect or what?

-It's really comfortable.

Oh, why am I selling it? It is really comfortable. I think my back's cured.

-Do you want to give me £600 for it?

-David, I can't go to six.

-I see it more 550.

-575.

-575?

-575 and we'll do it. How's that?

-575.

-575, good man.

Thank you, Steve. It's a very, very good buy.

'Ding-dong, the bells of profit are ringing out to the tune of £135.

'Great work, David.

'Now, anything David can do, James can do better. Or at least that's what he's thinking

'as he takes the peacock chair that he bought for £130

'across East Sussex to see a contact who's expressed an interest.'

I'm here to see Catherine. She runs an Arabian tent hire business which I found on the internet.

I always thought that fabulous big peacock chair might make a good prop.

-Wow!

-It's a mighty beast, isn't it?

-That certainly only just fits in that van.

-Now, if you can just give me a hand.

-Yeah.

-I've got it. Brilliant. We'll take it over there.

-Yeah.

Not too heavy, is it?

It's amazing, isn't it?

And I think definitely Indian. It's got that lovely peacock...

It's one of those funny things. It could be any age, couldn't it?

-I think it's probably late 60s, early 70s.

-Yes. It looks colonial, though, doesn't it?

-It does.

Have a sit. Come and sit down. It has a lovely sort of serene, calming effect.

It does. It feels extremely comfortable. I think Indian weddings this would be great for.

That nutty old fellow, price. I said to you in my e-mail,

-I said I was looking for about £300 to £500.

-Yeah.

-What would you be happy paying me for this?

-Well, I've thought about this long and hard.

-Yeah.

-And I would be very happy paying you 300.

How about 400? What I'm basing the price on is I've never seen one

and I think, in your hands, I think it could be a little jewel.

350.

375 is my final offer.

-There it is.

-All right.

-Thank you.

'That sale was "in tents"! Top "marquees" to Bingo.

'He sold superbly and has a massive £245 profit to show for it.

'Now, the devilish David Harper needs to make a sale faster.

'With his set that makes teas, his friend Gordon he sees...'

-Will you have it at 130?

-I'll have it at 130.

'..he makes 50 quid and then scarpers.

'London, the capital of the UK and a world-renowned shopping destination.

'£64 billion were spent here last year and so it is to West London that James travelled

'with two of his leather bags in the hope of bagging some cash.'

Here lies a cautionary tale.

A buyer told me that they were willing to buy any nice leather stylish bag from me.

So I went out, I bought three bags at the antiques fair,

then I compounded my mistake and spent a lot of money on restoration,

in fact, I spent £100 on each bag.

When I showed them to my original buyer, they said no. So here I am, left holding the bags.

I've come to the middle of Kensington to try and get out of the mess I have created.

'He's come to see a legendary vintage clothes dealer called Bill,

'otherwise known as The Guv'nor.'

Your speciality... I'm told by my great old school friend who has put me on to you,

-he said, go and see the Guv'nor, he's the man.

-Yeah.

-..is vintage clothing, is it?

-Style.

-Style.

-We sell style.

-You sell style.

-Vintage clothing suggests anything. Savile Row, anything. We sell style.

-And accessories. You're going to try and sell me those bags.

-I am going to try and sell you these bags.

Well, we've got a Gladstone. I've done quite a lot of work on them, as you can see.

I have revived them. And I've got this rather stylish fellow in here.

What I like about this fellow, I quite like, and you'll like it,

because it almost matches your rather natty sports jacket, I love the lining.

-Quite fun, isn't it?

-Sorry, they don't sell.

Eight years ago, people would kill you for that. Right?

Things in this business go out of fashion. I don't sell fashion. I sell style.

-So I like them.

-Good.

-They're quality, they're style.

This I love. I think it's 1920s.

-That sounds about right. The interior is pretty awful.

-Yeah, it is.

-He's going to try and sell it to me.

-HE LAUGHS

-I know your trick. You're softening me up.

-I'm not a trickster at all.

Now, Bill, will you make my day? What would you suggest?

That one is saleable. That one isn't. Only as decor.

-Would you give me 120 for that?

-I wouldn't give you anywhere near 120 for it.

How about for the two? What would you offer me?

100 quid for the two. I only make one offer and don't argue.

-100 quid for the two?

-Yeah.

-Ohh!

-How about 125?

-Nope. 100 quid. One offer, that's it. One offer.

100 quid, Bill, I'm not going to stand here arguing with you.

-£100.

-Quite right.

-Thank you.

-What a gentleman.

'Oh, dear, the Guv'nor played hardball with Bingo there and got a great price.'

The Guv'nor has got the money, hasn't he?

'Yes, he certainly has, and James's misery deepens when he makes another loss on his third leather bag.

'In total he loses £198 on all three.

'As we approach the halfway mark, let's check on our fierce fighters' facts and figures.

'So far, Devilish David has sold two of his six items and is doing well

'with a profit of £185.

'Bingo has already sold six of his seven items,

'but his profit is currently only £72.

'David is not taking his foot off the gas.

'He travelled down to the Mouseman workshop in North Yorkshire

'to find out more about the chopping board that he bought for £120.

'Now, armed with extra knowledge, he races back to Barnard Castle

'to meet Paul, an expert dealer in these objects.'

Good to see you, Paul. Clap your eyes on this one.

Mm!

-Go on, get the glasses on.

-We've got some good wear here.

-Lovely wear. Lovely colour.

-It's obviously well-used. It's what I love about the earlier pieces.

When people realised the value of them, they started cutting on the back.

So they started using it as a bread board upside down.

But, I mean, this one's been really used. It was making sandwiches for the whole football team.

-THEY LAUGH

-And the rugby team.

I haven't seen that mouse before.

I can tell you, in all the years of me collecting and buying, I've not seen that mouse.

What do you see that's different in that mouse?

It's a much flatter head than you'd normally see. I think it's right.

The whiskers look good. It looks a good piece. But I've never seen that mouse before.

-I'd date this 1950s. Can I buy it?

-Yes, you can buy it.

-I would see this at £100. That's where I'd see it.

-Sadly, we're miles away, Paul.

I paid 120. Can you give me 175? Could you sell it for 200?

-Go on, then.

-Yeah? Good man.

'A good sale and luckily for David, that mouse wasn't a trap.

'He escaped with £55 profit.

# King of the road

'Braxton, the British bulldog of bargaining, isn't used to lagging behind.

'He'll climb the highest mountain or swim the deepest ocean for a sale.

-Let's go!

-'So he thinks nothing of the six-hour drive from East Sussex to County Durham,

'where he's hoping to sell his GB plate to John, who specialises in classic car restoration.'

-John, here's the number plate.

-This is the plate. Right.

Just like that one. Actually, this is a much nicer one.

What sort of date would you give that?

-The fact that it's a pressed plate suggests to me that it's got some age to it.

-Yeah.

-It could be 20 or 30 years old.

-And what attracted me was how they pegged it.

-Yep.

The RAC badge, which has been beautifully fitted, just makes all the difference.

-That's certainly out of the ordinary. Jolly nice indeed.

-Has a look of quality.

-What's it worth to you, John?

-If it didn't have the RAC plaque on and if it wasn't pressed,

we'd be talking about 50p. The fact that it's so beautifully done, I think that's worth 20 quid.

-20 quid?

-I think so.

-Brilliant. John, thank you.

-Thank you very much.

It will grace my wall, my filthy wall.

'He's motoring. The wheels of selling are now turning nicely for Bingo.

'Combined with the car he sold earlier,

'he's now sitting on £15 profit.

'With a decent lead over his rival, Devilish is looking to push it still further.

'He's taking his salt and pepper pots that he bought for £25,

'over to see his designer contact, Claire.'

-Aren't they magic?

-Really stylish.

-Aren't they fantastic?

-They're a bit wacky, aren't they?

-Funky.

-Crazy.

-Solid silver. You know what they are.

-Little dinosaurs.

-Well, they could be. If that's what you want them to be.

-No, they're salt and pepper pots.

-Aren't they gorgeous?

-Can I tempt you?

-This is price now.

-First of all, if I can juggle them in one hand, would you be impressed?

-No.

CIRCUS MUSIC

-I am impressed.

-Thank you very much. £55.

I'm going to sound like a market stall. Not for one, but for two!

-45?

-Well, I would say to you £50 and we're done. Meet you half..

-And we would...

-And we kiss on each cheek?

-Do we get a kiss? Continental.

-Oh, marvellous!

-That was fun.

-That was worth 50 quid.

'It certainly was. Two kisses and £25 profit.

'David is one happy dealer. And it gets better.

'He sells his tortoiseshell box for £50, which nets him £25 profit.

'As we enter the final furlong, James Braxton finds himself in the last chance saloon of selling.

'He needs to sell his brass coffee table that he bought for £40 for a great price.

'So he's off to see his friend David, who's hunting for a classic-looking TV stand.

'Mr B thinks it could fit the bill.'

-This is solid brass and I think it might fit the purpose very well.

-I think it's excellent.

With that middle shelf, you can put the tuner box on there.

-I think it's just the job.

-I sent you a price guide of £200 to £300.

I prefer the 200 end of that rather than the 300 end.

-It's funny how all buyers like that.

-THEY LAUGH

-What about 280?

-I'd say 230.

-What about 260, then?

-OK. 260.

-Well done.

'The brass neck of it! Bingo blasts out a brilliant sale.

'£220 profit. He's in the lead.'

I always knew that occasional table would look after me.

It makes a fabulous television stand. And a cheap one for David.

But a great profit for me. And after the debacle of the Gladstone bags, boy, do I need a profit.

I think I'm back in the race. Bring it on, Devilish! ECHOES: Devilish! Devilish!

'David hears Bingo's war cry all the way up in Barnard Castle

'and knows he needs to make his last sale count.

'He's decided to put his final item, a bronze lady bought for £60, into auction.

'He only needs a modest profit to take the title. But it's a gamble because he could make a loss.'

There she is. By, she looks fantastic.

-£40. 50 for it.

-Go on! Go on!

-45 can I say? 45 I have.

-45.

-£55. 60.

-Internet. Yes.

-In the room at £55.

-Come on! Come on!

'Will his lady do it for him? We'll find out shortly. Now it's time to check on our dealers' final spend.

'They both started with £750 of their own money.

'Devilish David Harper spent every penny of his £750 on six purchases.

'And James Bingo Braxton bought eight items but spent £633

'including restoration costs.

'All the money David and James have made from today's challenge will be going to their chosen charity.

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

-David.

-Wow! Check this weather out! It's slightly different.

-Slightly better than Lincoln.

-My gosh! Wasn't it a windy, blowy day?

-How did that carpet chair get on?

-What a quality thing.

I sold it to a dealer in Newcastle who looks for Shoolbred pieces.

He was absolutely delighted. It had numbers on the legs. He was over the moon. Did well. That went.

-Now, what about the Gladstone bags?

-Don't.

-What? Have you done badly on them?

Don't! Don't even mention it. Well, you sound as though you've had a good time.

-I've had a good time.

-I'm getting more anxious about this. I thought I'd done quite well.

But maybe old David is pipping me again.

-Shall we see?

-Shall we see? OK.

-Are you ready?

-Ready, steady...

-Three, two, one... BOTH: Go!

You've got me! I can't believe it! Well done, James!

-I've got you? 312. With the Gladstones, as well.

-HE LAUGHS

How did the Gladstones do? Did they make money?

-I made a huge loss!

-You didn't.

-I did, I'm afraid.

-Where did you make the profits?

-I made big profits on the peacock chair.

-The item I loved.

-£245.

-What? You are my hero.

Come on. Yours is a glass of champagne. THEY LAUGH

'Oh, it was a close one, but the crown goes to Bingo Braxton.

'David's bronze lady must have struggled at auction.'

-60. That's exactly what she owes me.

-At £60.

-20 percent commission to come off so I'm now losing money.

-Come on!

-£60. 5 anywhere? It's being sold at £60 to the internet.

No! No! No! No! HAMMER BANGS Ohh!

'After seller fees, David makes a loss of just over £13.

'Not quite enough this time, old boy.'

It just goes to show, never get over-confident.

And I did. And I paid the price.

In the end, the peacock chair and the brass occasional table,

I got back like Rocky and landed a punch!

'Yes, it's Bingo's victory today. But David has a chance to avenge his defeat tomorrow

'when we send them to battle in Belgium.'

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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