Paul Hayes v Philip Serrell - Foreign Market Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

the show that pitches TV's best-loved antiques experts

against each other in an all-out battle for profit.

I'm a double your money girl.

And gives you the insider's view of the trade.

You've got to be in it to win it!

Each week, a pair of duelling dealers

will face a different daily challenge.

We've got work to do.

Putting their own money and hard-earned reputations on the line

as they see who can make the most money

from buying and selling.

Get in there!

Today's duel of the dealers is a foreign affair.

Two British bulldogs slugging it out on French soil.

It's the perky pugilist Paul Hayes

and haggling heavyweight, Philip Serrell.

Coming up: our dealers wrestle with the language...

-A butcher's block.

-Uh...

-A butcher's block for...

Butcher's block. I'm struggling.

..suffer delusions of grandeur...

-I feel like John Lennon.

-You don't look like him!

Thanks. Tell him I do the jokes.

..and flex their antiques muscles in every way imaginable.

I'm worn out!

I don't know what he's going to pay me, but it won't be enough.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Today's bargain battlefield is a place where it pays to know your onions.

An antiques market in France.

Our tireless Titans' adventure takes place in Caen, Normandy,

where they'll root around and seek out all that's chic

in their never-ending quest for maximum profit.

Our epic assault features two of the most ruthless antiques assassins around.

First up, a man with 35 years' experience as an auctioneer.

He wields a hammer like a Viking warrior.

It's the master of Malvern...

It's a question of just really trying to focus.

His rival, a man of the heroic mould.

Born to be a dealer, he sold his first antique at the age of six

and he loves to hunt for a punt.

It's the lion of Lancashire...

I've got expensive tastes!

Now, the foreign market is a tricky beast.

Not only are our dealers out of their comfort zone,

there's another daunting challenge - grappling with the lingo.

-Bronze.

-Tout bronze? No sphelter? No, er...

-Bronze.

-Bronze.

They've each taken the euro equivalent of £750 of their own money to spend.

All the profit goes to their chosen charities.

So, Philip Serrell and Paul Hayes, it's time to put your money where your mouth is.

-Paul Hayes.

-Bonjour, Philip.

-Oui, oui. How are you?

-Ca va?

This is fantastic. Normandy, Caen, here we are.

Isn't it exciting? What I love about French markets is that everything is so different.

When you go to fairs and auctions in Britain, it's all similar stuff.

-Here, you don't know what you'll find.

-What are you after?

-No idea.

-I want something different.

More importantly, something you can sell.

Yes, that is the key to the game.

Time to find some fine foreign fare. Our bargain buccaneers couldn't be more excited.

Just wait till they see what awaits them.

A massive arena heaving with heavenly antiques

and bustling with bargain hunters.

-This is enormous!

-It's fantastic. Bonne chance!

-And good luck as well.

Good luck!

Let's get cracking.

The market will push our experts' expertise

and test their mighty metal.

But our French fighters are intent on taking home the silverware.

I've looked round two rows and I've got all that to go through yet!

It's a fantastic fair.

If I could travel from Worcester to here on a daily basis, I would!

Our masters are revelling in the rarities of this antiques promised land

but their eagle eyes have noticed that all that glitters might as well be gold!

Just too expensive. I can't get near the price I could sell it back in England.

You have to think of that.

Our young wide-eyed warrior is temporarily overwhelmed

but he'd better get his eyes peeling because the old war horse is charging straight in there.

Even if he struggles with the lingo.

-This?

-Ca c'est...

-Butcher's block.

-It's...

-Butcher's block. For... I'm trying to think. Butcher's block.

-I'm struggling.

-To cut the meat.

-Meat. Absolutely.

-230. Le dernier prix?

-Uh...

It's possible to make 180.

All right?

Not expensive.

160. 160.

-160. 160. Yes. OK.

-It's a deal?

-It's fine.

-Good man. Thank you very much.

The cleaver and apple aren't included. Just a little decoration.

The wily fox, though, gets the price down by nearly a third.

He pays 160 euros, that's £145.45.

Who'd have thought, 10 or 15 years ago,

you'd buy a butcher's block to put in your house?

But you have to think laterally and I think it's really cool. I'm really pleased.

Phil has found his French feet and sprinted off.

Mr Morecambe is still under starter's orders,

but he's found a book stall to kick-start his haul.

Est-ce que vous avez le livre...

-En Anglais?

-Non, non. Francais histoire.

-Histoire, oui.

-Francais. Napoleon ou... Revolution.

I'm asking if he has any French books on the French Revolution

or on Napoleon.

Pigeon French. Argot-go. Our boy can't converse for toffee,

but you've got to admire his efforts to make himself understood.

This one's the history of Louis XIV. That's quite interesting.

With these being actually in French,

it's going to struggle but I think there will be a market although limited.

If this one's 20 or 30 quid, I'll have a go,

but I'm not paying any more than that.

C'est combien, ca?

Uh...vingt.

Vingt. Merci, monsieur.

20 quid. We've got our first buy, guys.

Don't get your euros and your pounds muddled, "Mr Morecambe".

The man said 20 euros. That works out at £18.18.

We have a book that's been printed in 1735.

It's leather-bound. OK, it's printed in French, but it's a fantastic thing to have.

C'est belle affaire. A bonne affaire. My French is improving all the time!

Well, if you say so, Paul.

Our boy can just about make himself understood, and that's half the battle.

But it puts the mighty fox at a disadvantage.

He'll be relying on his expert knowledge and that raw animal charm.

Rrghhh!

I said you've got to think laterally in this business.

What we're looking at now is just a pair of workmen's benches.

They look...like they're probably oak.

They date from about 1890, something like that.

Maybe been used for carpentry on an estate or something.

But I think they make great kitchen benches.

The Fox is a merciless haggler.

Since the language is lacking,

he throws his blows with the pen and paper method of negotiation.

-You're saying 100?

-C'est ca.

Phil goes in at 70.

SPEAKS IN FRENCH

He tries again at 80.

Non, je ne peu pas. Le mieux c'est ca.

He's up to 90.

Et encore une fois, c'est bonne.

IN FRENCH

And he attempts a cheeky 99!

No, I'll give you 100 euros.

100 euros. Thank you very much indeed.

Oh, he makes no ground at all. Very unlike Phil!

The pair of benches cost 100 euros. That's £90.91.

I had a good look at them and I don't think they are oak.

I'm sure it's cherry and any fruit wood enhances the value.

Hopefully, I'll get 150 to 200 for them, but you know,

the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Bang on, oh wily one.

It's all about profit.

Foxy's sniffing about for more premium pieces

and Mr Morecambe is playing catch-up.

Here we are. This is the sort of thing I'd expect to find in France.

A fantastic clock. Garniture de cheminee.

It goes on your mantelpiece.

-C'est combien le cloche, le garniture?

-Le prix?

-Oui.

Le prix c'est mille deux cents.

Mille cents? A thousand euros. There you go.

Oh, and that keeps happening.

Every way he turns, our eager-beaver blue-eyed boy is denied.

-How much?

-It's 700.

-700. OK.

This one is 450 euros.

2,700 euros. I think we'll move on!

His purchasing power is blocked at every turn.

It's like being invited to the party and told you're not allowed to dance!

5,000 euros! I'll have to set my sights a bit lower!

As Paul struggles on, the Fox pounces on a bird cage.

But will the price knock him off his perch?

New bottom, yeah?

-New bottom?

-Yeah, yeah.

-This is 80 euros?

-Oui.

50 and I'll have it.

-50. Yeah.

-Good man. Thank you very much indeed.

I have just bought a bird cage!

Why have I bought a bird cage? I've bought a bird cage with the wrong bottom.

And at 50 euros, it sets the bird man of Blighty back 45.45.

And if I can't find somebody who's going to use it as a decorative lot,

I could always stick some budgies in there!

Phil is sitting pretty, but his buying bonanza has ruffled his feathers.

I came here with a fairly firm view that I wasn't going to buy furniture.

And what have I bought?

Furniture.

I wonder what he's bought?

Has he gone down that ormolu, glitzy, china, silvery sort of lot? I bet he has!

Well, now you mention it...

Hidden away is a fantastic clock.

It's not ormolu. Ormolu is gilded bronze.

This one's sphelter. You can see the lead substance coming through.

But the panels are made by the French porcelain factory, Sevres.

This has probably been under a dome at some point.

At the moment, it's 250 euros, which is about £200.

If I can get that any less. It's had a bit of a repair on it.

C'est tres bonne. C'est working? C'est travaille?

Oui. C'est porcelaine de Paris.

-Oui, Paris porcelaine.

-Paris porcelaine.

-I'm asking him 150 euros.

-Voila. Ca je peu.

180 euros he's come down to.

Which is about £150, isn't it?

The trader reveals that's what he paid for the clock

but then drops even further for a quick sale.

He's willing to accept 170 because it's almost his money back.

We've all been there and he's glad to get a few quid in if you've had a quiet fair.

-Shake on that? 170?

-OK.

-Merci, monsieur. Merci.

Mr Morecambe boots in a belter.

His hard man haggling skills get the price right down.

£154.55. Good work, sir.

What have I bought? It's a sphelter clock.

It dates from the late 19th century.

The porcelain panels are from Paris. I thought they were Sevres,

but they're from a Parisian factory.

It's very important that these panels are intact.

If you have a cracked panel you can't restore them.

I think it's worth 200 quid all day long.

So it was the right time to buy it! Clock that!

The clock ticks round to lunch time and there's no rest for our eagle-eyed experts.

Unlike the locals!

What I do love about the French is they do do things in style.

This is no burger and a can. That's doing it properly.

And as the Fox sniffs out a cheeky croque monsieur,

let's take a look at our bargain bandits' tallies.

They both arrived in Caen with the euro equivalent of £750 of their own cash.

Paul had a hard morning. Just two items in the bag for £172.73,

leaving him with more than £577 still to spend.

Phil, however, is out in the lead.

He's picked up three purchases costing £281.81

meaning he's still got over £468 in his kitty.

Our boys have no time for breaks.

They have to be canny in Caen if they are to foil the French into selling on the cheap.

And it's not long before something special catches Paul's eye.

This is from an old optician's. These are lenses.

Different thicknesses. You can get your eyes tested.

That's 230 euros. That's a really good item.

A bit expensive. That would be great.

-J'ai achete ca a Kempton Park.

-You bought it in Kempton Park? He bought it in England!

-I think it's '20s or '30s, something like that.

-Here we are.

-It looks in good condition. In its original box.

-Yes.

I really like that, you know?

Could you see it at 170 euro?

-No, I'm sorry.

-Only asking!

-Yeah.

-I'll get minimum 200.

-OK.

-So 200 is minimum?

-Yes, absolutely.

I think I'm going to have that. It's a long time since I've seen one complete and in good condition.

200 euros is £181.82.

And at the same stall, our boy homes in on some movie memorabilia.

-It's an original one.

-Original 1960s film poster.

So it's traditional to bargain, of course.

So it's 50 and the best price would be 40.

OK. I shall have that, sir. Thank you.

The original poster for the French version of Portrait in Black costs £36.36.

As Paul steams ahead,

the pressure ramps up on Phil.

But this fox doesn't feel the heat. His face might look like a wet weekend in Worcestershire,

but our wily one is secretly loving every minute.

I love that.

Some of this old luggage stuff is so cool.

A barber's bowl. Great things.

I'd love to come back here and buy some things to keep for myself.

There are some fantastic things here. Spoilt for choice.

Foxy's fun times aren't leading to any purchases, though.

With Mr Morecambe marching ahead,

Phil realises he must strip back his strategy.

The issue for me is I've got to try and buy some variety.

I've got wood, wood, wood, wood.

I could go and buy more wood but I want to try and vary what I'm buying.

Well, that's a plan, then, Foxy. No more wood.

Hang on, what's this? A sledge. Made of wood.

That is what you call panic buying.

Why have I bought this? I bought it in a real blind rush.

There's no age to it, but I paid 30 euros for this

and I'm hoping we might have a bit of snow in Malvern. Who knows?

Something that might get me out of trouble.

Hmm. Let's hope so, Foxy.

The impulse purchase cost him £27.27.

As the afternoon wears on, the pressure builds on our gutsy gladiators.

Time to build up the armoury is running out.

Mr Morecambe's master mechanism winds into action.

He picks up a pocket watch for 120 euros, that's £109.09.

OK. Merci beaucoup, Monsieur. Merci.

Just think that a gentleman in about 1800, 1820

would have had this as a pocket watch, his best watch.

The whole item is solid silver

and the technology at the time was called a verge escapement.

The simple principle is it runs like a bicycle on a chain.

If you can imagine those very small cogs and a tiny chain going round.

The workmanship is beautiful. I think the interiors are nicer than the exteriors.

There's a reason for that. Gentlemen didn't like to show their wealth.

Nothing was embellished. Everything was pure and simple.

But the insides were fantastic.

That's Paul's fifth item, shoving Phil right onto the back foot

and increasing that trading tension.

The day's difficulty rating is set to soar.

We've been told that in half an hour, this place is going to get rammed.

What does that mean? I'll hardly be able to see the stalls, let alone buy anything.

So Paul and I really have got to get a shake on.

Well, come on, Foxy. Get shaking!

The Fox shakes and shimmies over to a stall

where he spots two Worcester jugs

right up his street - quite literally, in fact.

This dates to around 1865, 1875. These are shot silk colours.

This is very typical of that aesthetic movement, Japanesque influence

that England went through in that 1860 to 1890 period.

I think that's quite sweet. If a piece of porcelain has been restored

and you bite into it, if it's been restored it's like biting soap or putty.

Whereas an unrestored piece is like chewing on glass.

No sign of restoration. So will The Fox get his teeth into a deal?

I'd like to try and buy the two together

for about 110 euros.

-Le dernier prix?

-Le dernier prix, cent dix.

-That's 110.

-Voila.

Exactly what he wanted. Might as well try his luck.

A hundred.

-Why are we whispering?

-Oui.

-Oui? Ah, good man.

Thank you very much. I'm really pleased with those.

And he gets them for even less. A master!

100 euros for the jugs is £90.91.

That is just so ridiculous, isn't it?

You travel hundreds of miles from the Midlands of England to France

and I take home two pots that were made 50 yards from where I live!

Which makes you the perfect punter to pick them up, Phil,

and take them back to where they belong.

By the time the crowds start coming in,

our tireless traders have got what they came for and step out of the maelstrom.

So, after the fun and games of the antiques fair,

what's the deal with the money?

Our fearless fighters started the day with the euro equivalent of £750.

After a shaky start, Paul ended up with five items totalling £500.

Phil started well but slowed up towards the end.

He's also heading home with five items

and he's paid almost £400.

-What a fair, eh?

-What a fantastic fair. Formidable!

Amazing. At home all the business is done at dawn,

and here it's done at dusk. The place is rammed!

There were lots of things I'd love to have bought, but the prices here!

-Everything's 1,000 euros, 2,000.

-They charge like wounded rhinos!

-What's your best buy?

-Best buy has to be this poster.

It sums up the golden age of cinema, 1950s, 1960s.

-I'm in that sort of retro throwback.

-I am, but not knowingly!

-What was your favourite buy?

-I love these cherry benches.

They're probably workers' benches. I paid 100 euros, 90 quid for the two.

I think they'd look cool in a trendy kitchen.

Just your sort of thing. It reminds me of school.

-Anyway, we've got a train to catch.

-Come on, then.

Our masters of the antiques universe race across the Channel

to muster their forces for the next stage in this war.

And if they thought the Caen market was tough, they ain't seen nothing yet.

Our boys must now get selling with one single aim.

Profit, and lots of it.

Our wily Worcestershire warrior has arrived back at Fox HQ to assess his armoury.

I think I brought back some half-decent things.

My bird cage is a real bit of fun.

The sledge, I was banking on snow, but it hasn't happened. But you never know.

And what about going all the way to France and coming back with two jugs that were made just down the road!

And my butcher's block. A great decorative item

but I might just have put my neck on that one.

Am I going to get out of it? We're going to have to find out.

In addition, Phil must also sell his pair of benches.

In Morecambe, our antiques superman must mean business.

He's taking on fuel, he's ready to fight and he's got the weapons for it.

I'm quite pleased, actually, with what I've bought.

I bought a very traditional French item, this ormolu clock.

It dates from the late 19th-century with the Paris porcelain mounts.

I bought a lovely French book which dates from about 1730,

a lovely pocket watch, dated about 1820.

Then something a bit more unusual, this optician's set.

It's something you don't come across every day. But it may prove difficult to sell.

Paul also has to find a new home for the 1960s film poster.

So, will our boys find their French fancies provide pots of profit?

They won't know until they've shaken on their sales and the money is in their hands.

For only then is a deal truly sealed.

Time to get on the hunt for buyers.

And here he comes, bounding off the bench, The Fox,

a picture of bushy-tailed vitality.

And there's nothing he likes better before a sale than an invigorating warm-up.

Always remember, when you're buying something, you have to cart it to the shop you're selling it to.

In this case, not so easy.

And this is only the first one!

Phil is in Upton upon Severn to meet Lee, who sells antique furniture.

-Morning, Lee.

-Morning, Phil. How are you?

I parked miles away. Miles! There we are. Let me just shut the door.

-What do you think of that, then?

-Yes, it's lovely.

Yeah. They're good, aren't they? There's a pair of them.

-OK.

-The other one's in the car.

If I could see the pair, it would be great.

You want to see the pair? Great. OK.

-I'll be back in a minute.

-Thank you.

The Fox is like a coiled spring straining every finely-honed sinew for a sale.

I'm worn out!

I don't know what he's going to pay me, but it won't be enough!

-They're your sort of thing, aren't they?

-Yes, they are.

They've got a nice look, they're rustic.

We sell to a lot of country houses, farmhouses.

They'd fit in nicely.

I would like to get somewhere around 125 quid apiece for them.

-They want to go as a pair, don't they?

-Of course.

I'll have to sit down, Lee. I'm worn out!

So how much are you going to bid me for them?

That's a good test for them, as well!

Oh, thank you(!) Did you hear that?

Accurate, but rather hard. That's put another tenner on them!

-£200 for the pair.

-That's a valiant and a noble starting point.

I thought you might say that!

-You give me your very best shot.

-OK.

-220.

-You're a done man. Thank you very much, Lee. I'm really pleased with those.

Good job he's sitting down. Even The Fox was surprised by how well that went.

The benches bring in a very solid starting profit of £129.09.

The battle has well and truly begun.

Phil's opening salvo was a big one.

But before Mr Morecambe returns fire,

he's seeking out some expert advice on his optical lenses.

He takes them to Leyland to show optometrist Colin.

Nice to meet you, Colin. Are you well?

Using his own frame, Colin shows Paul how the lenses are used.

-I feel like John Lennon.

-You don't look like him!

Tell him I do the jokes!

-The lenses would be put in and taken out.

-OK.

You'd be looking at letters or lights and we'd assess your responses.

-Is there any significance in the red and black?

-The red is for long-sighted lenses,

-and the black is for short-sighted lenses.

-Is that what it is?

Are these very expensive? It's a niche market, I imagine.

Something like this is very expensive.

-Nowadays, they're not of this quality.

-Cards on the table,

-I paid 180 euros, which is about...

-160.

-That was quick. 150 to £160.

Uh-oh. In the thrill of the chase for profit,

Paul's got his pounds and euros all confused.

It was £180 he paid for the lenses, not euros.

New sets, even in plastic, would be more expensive than that.

Quite a bit more expensive. Maybe double that.

-Right.

-But as I say, you can't buy this quality.

Ooh, hang on, it looks like Colin's impressed.

I wasn't expecting this, but is it something you'd be interested in?

-Possibly.

-If I was to ask for £175, how does that sound?

-I would say yes.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

Can we shake on that? It saves me going anywhere else. Thank you very much.

-Lovely to see you.

-Thanks for your time.

That's not good. Paul's confusion between pounds and euros over how much he paid

means he's actually made a loss on that sale of £6.82.

The things that can happen in the heat of battle!

Paul's next stop is Clitheroe.

He hopes clock specialist Glen

will like the silver pocket watch that cost Paul £109.

It's sort of 1800, 1820.

-It's French, it's a solid silver case. Looks in good condition.

-It looks in nice condition.

-Would you have a market for it?

-I think so, yes.

-If I asked 150?

-Where do you see it?

-Do you know if it works?

-Have a good look. How do you tell?

-You want to see if the balance swings.

-That's doing it there.

So that's a good thing. The whole thing spins on a shaft

that's literally as thin as a hair.

So if it gets banged or dropped, this is the thing that breaks.

Cos it's hard, but brittle. That breaks. So that's good.

-That's inside there.

-You can see it's swinging. What are you talking? 150?

If you said 135, Paul, I'd do it at that.

Tell you what, I think that's a fair price. We'll shake on that.

-Lovely, Paul.

-Lovely to see you.

This time, Paul clocks a much needed profit of £25.91.

Phil is close to home as well. But the weather in Worcester isn't going to help this next sale!

So I go to France and I pay £27 for a sledge and there's no snow!

So now I need to find a really big kid. There's no bigger kid than this one.

-Hello, Phil!

-You are a goon!

I thought, if I buy this, snow on the Malvern Hills, tobogganing.

No problem selling it. And of course sales law takes over.

It's glorious sunshine. You're in a T-shirt and I have a sledge!

-Is it of any interest?

-Yes, definitely of interest to me.

-Why?

It appeals to the child in me. Definitely, if we can strike a bargain.

I'd like to try and get 60 quid for it.

60 quid.

Um, you know, not much snow. You can't really go grass tobogganing!

OK. I'd like to get 50 quid for it.

-I'll give you 50 quid for it.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-You're an absolute gentleman.

He can't conjure up snow, but The Fox can sell ice to Eskimos.

The sledge makes a very cool profit of £22.73.

-You haven't road-tested it.

-That's my next question. Let's give it a go.

I can't understand this. I can't move it at all.

Mush! Mush!

Faster! Mush!

Who's he calling "mush"? Surely not The Fox? He wouldn't dare!

Already we've witnessed the ecstasy and the agony of high-pressure selling.

But who's bringing home the bacon?

Paul "Mr Morecambe" Hayes has sold two of his items

and after a small loss, his profit is £19.09.

Phil "The Fox" Serrell is firing on all cylinders.

He's also made two sales, but has notched up a profit of £151.82.

Both our brave boys still have three items each left to sell.

In this game, anything can happen.

Mr Morecambe hits the phones.

He's got some serious catching up to do.

And there's no time to waste.

Phil has had a stroke of luck.

I was in my sale room last week

and a lady came in, saw this bird cage, asked if it was for sale

and lo and behold, here I am now!

And the lady in question is Bettina.

She's looking for a new cage for her songbird Pavarotti.

What's Pavarotti? Is he one of the great tenors?

He is to me. He's my little tenor.

He's specifically bred to sing.

He's a canary crossed with a goldfinch.

If we're quiet, will he sing?

-Um...

-Let's keep quiet and see what happens.

-He might.

SILENCE

Yes, well, Pavarotti must be looking after his voice.

While we're waiting for Pavarotti to give us a command performance,

the bird cage - I know you liked it.

-Are you interested in buying it?

-Very much so, yes.

That's got to be £120. I don't know where that figure's come from.

HE SPLUTTERS

-Hmm.

-That's a wince, isn't it?

It's not only Pavarotti that's not singing now!

-It's a little bit more than I was hoping for.

-OK.

OK. I'll tell you what I'll do. £100 and it's yours.

-We've got a deal.

-Is that a deal? You're a love.

Philip Serrell once again flaps his wings and flies off,

taking with him a soaring profit of £54.55.

Don't you feel a song coming on, Pavarotti?

SILENCE

Singers - they can be so temperamental!

In Lancashire, Mr Morecambe has been hard at it.

He took his porcelaine de Paris clock to an antiques fair

and sold it for £180.

Our games masters have deducted the price he paid for his market pitch,

taking his profit down to £15.45.

Paul's last research trip ended in a surprise sale.

Now his quest for profit has brought him to York where he hopes to pull the same trick again.

Sometimes, I feel a bit like a detective.

I've come to try and find some information about the French book I bought on the trip.

I know it's 1735. I know it's about Louis XIII and Louis XIV.

But that's about it.

So I contacted a friend who has a bookshop in Southport

who's recommended me this one in York.

Hopefully I'll find some information about it

and see if he wants to buy it.

The bookshop, which specialises in rare and out of print publications

is owned by Tony.

What comes straight to mind here is the fact it says "Tome second".

That means it's one volume from a set.

-This chap, Francois De Mezeray, had a colourful life.

-Right.

He wrote this from old transcripts about Louis XIII and Louis XIV

and they didn't like it. He attacked the tax system in the country.

They penalised him by taking his pension away from him.

-Honestly?

-Yeah. So he wrote this, hoping to make some money out of it,

and it backfired on him.

So he ended up in a sad position.

This signature, this would be the original owner?

This would be the original owner, yes.

This could have belonged to an aristocrat during the French Revolution

-and it's come onto the market...

-Dispersal of the estates.

That could have happened.

-Right.

-He might have had his head chopped off.

-In the revolution?

-Amazing!

-Could be why it's just an odd volume.

Mr Morecambe is spellbound. Where will the story lead from here?

Could this be the item to turn the entire contest on its head?

We'll find out shortly.

But our wily warrior is not worried.

He's brought his two 19th-century Royal Worcester jugs home to Worcester's porcelain museum,

a place Phil knows well. He's a trustee of the Friends of the Museum

and helps them to raise money.

But today he's here in his capacity as a dealer. He's meeting Amanda, who runs the gift shop.

She'll be no walk-over!

-Isn't it nice to think they've come back home?

-Absolutely.

-Beautiful.

As the expression goes, feel the goods.

You have to. It's how I first came to absolutely love them.

There's a little hairline just along the lip here.

Oh, yes, I can see that.

It's probably going to knock the value, but it's still a nice little thing.

I think it's lovely. I have to say, out of all the Worcester porcelains,

I think the shot silks and the blushed ivory are the most undervalued at the moment.

I couldn't agree more. Oh, look, Philip.

Underneath, can you see we've got the decoration going onto the foot.

That is so pretty. That's Royal Worcester through and through.

-Attention to detail.

-Yes.

-Absolute quality.

I've fallen in love with that one myself.

It's absolutely gorgeous.

I value the two at around £220.

Which is putting that one at 50 to 60 quid and that one 170 to 180.

The white and gold jug doesn't quite command that price for me.

I was thinking more in the region of £40 for that.

And the little vase that's highly decorated,

that is more interesting. I was thinking about 140 to 145 for that.

That puts us in at 185.

Tell you what I'll do. If you put another fiver on that, that's £190.

You'll take that? Settle with that?

It's travelled a long way to come back home.

-I can't take it back to France.

-You can't. OK. Deal done.

-You're an angel.

Another brilliant deal from our fantastic Mr Fox.

The jugs bring in a smashing profit of £99.09.

Mr Morecambe is still in York.

He's come to meet film buff Catherine, who runs a cinema,

to sees if she thinks his vintage poster is a blockbuster.

This is Meurtre Sans Faire-Part. Do you like the French accent?

-Very nice!

-It's the film Portrait in Black.

There are quite a lot of different movie posters for this film,

as there are for lots of films of that era.

I love the fact it looks so retro, all angled, almost like North By Northwest,

-Hitchcock.

-Classic film.

-Absolute classic.

Obviously there's some massive Hollywood names. Anthony Quinn, Lana Turner.

She was a screen siren. Men really fell for her.

You can see why. The artwork, she looks astonishing.

She's about 40 here, actually.

Is it something you could use?

It's not something I would put up in the cinema,

-but we think we can use it.

-OK.

-If I said about £40?

-No!

-You couldn't do that?

I'd probably want to give you 25 quid.

-You couldn't make it £30?

-What about 27.50?

-I think we'll shake on that, shall we?

-Let's do it.

-Meurtre Sans Faire-Part.

-Merci.

-Merci beaucoup.

Not the Oscar-winning performance he was hoping for.

Our boy's made a loss of £8.86. But as they say in France, "C'est la vie!"

The Fox is still pounding the streets of Worcester.

He's down to his last item, the butcher's block that cost him £145.

He's come to see Tina, who owns a shop selling vintage and shabby chic furniture.

What do you reckon to it?

I obviously think it's a beautiful piece as what it is, a butcher's block.

-My granddad was a butcher all his life.

-So was mine!

-Ah. Was your granddad's surname Lamb?

-Really?

-Right!

-Vintage industrial is huge at the moment.

-Tell me, you're in it. What does vintage mean?

-Usually it's old.

-So I'm vintage?

-Ooh. Retro. Let's say you're retro.

-What's the difference between retro and vintage?

It's a little bit trendier.

-WOLF WHISTLE

-That'll be those stripy scarves, you silver fox!

I am hoping that I'm going to get around £220 for it.

I'd be happy to take this off your hands this minute for £190.

I can make a profit on it, you'd obviously make a profit on it.

How do you know that?

Well, because I know that you're a better dealer than I am!

-Get out of it!

-You've been in it longer, cos you're retro!

No, you said I was vintage! OK, I'll shake you by the hand.

£190 does give me a profit and I'm very grateful to you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

The butcher's block brings in a prime cut of profit. £44.55.

I'm really pleased with that sale.

What's so nice is that Tina loved the butcher's block as well.

Who knows, her grandfather might have used it.

Thinking about it, only if he was a butcher in France!

And that philosophical conundrum brings us full circle.

Both our captains of industry started with the equivalent of £750.

Mr Morecambe bought five items and, adding in selling fees,

ended up spending £520.

The Fox also made five purchases,

but spent quite a bit less,

almost £400.

But only one of our dealing dips can become the prince of profit.

All the money Phil and Paul make from today's challenge will be going to a charity of their choice.

So, without further ado,

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

-Ah, bonjour, Philip!

-Sacre bleu!

-Ca va? It is sacre bleu!

What a fantastic market it was in France.

I loved it. What a treat for the eye.

Wonderful ormolu, but very expensive.

-But I really enjoyed the place.

-What I do remember is,

those bloomin' benches I got.

-It taught me a lesson. Buy small.

-My dad used to say, "If it doesn't go in your pocket, don't buy it!"

Another thing, we've got all this snow. Where was it when I needed it?

-That sledge.

-You could sell it now.

-How did you get on?

-I can see clearly now.

That optician's set did quite well. I found out lots about it.

Shall we see? Three, two, one, go!

How did you do that?

-Don't ask, Phil. J'ai mal a la tete. I've got a headache!

-Really?

-Yes.

So Paul's book clearly didn't have a happy ending.

He was hoping potential links to the French Revolution could have won big.

But it wasn't to be.

-Just as a text and the binding, it's an odd volume. The value's not great.

-No.

If it was 25 quid, something like that, would it be of interest to you?

It's not really, no.

Oh, no. Paul did eventually find a buyer at an antiques fair,

but again that involved extra fees.

He sold the book for £20 which resulted in a loss of £8.18.

I really enjoyed the French market.

I got slightly confused when selling the items, between the euro and the pound.

But you know what? C'est la vie!

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to France.

It was a great market and I luckily turned in some profits.

I think Paul must have had some real bad luck

because I know he bought some good things.

Time for Mr Morecambe to go and revise his figures

because there's another chance to shine tomorrow as our bargain busters bid big in Wiltshire.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd