Catherine v Jonty - Auction 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, one pair of duelling dealers

face a different daily challenge.

Lovely! We've got some work to do. Let's go.

Putting their own money, and their hard-earned reputations,

-on the line.

-Ha!

As they see who can make the most money

from buying and selling.

Get in there!

Ha-ha-ha-ha!

Today's fearsome face-off puts the brutal brains of Jonty Hearnden

against the cut-throat canniness of Catherine Southon.

Coming up,

Jonty experiences auction room ecstasy.

I just bought that for £30.

Catherine gears up for all-out war.

We started this competition as real pals,

and we've really fallen out now.

And someone will do absolutely anything

for a sale.

You have no idea just how desperate I am.

Well, that's good.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Hold onto your hats, it's an auction house bust up

between two of the most audacious antiques experts around.

They're bold, they're heroic,

and they've got degrees in derring-do.

Our first contender couldn't have more experience up his belt.

This antiques James Bond

has been shooting from the hip for well over 30 years,

and he can spot a target a mile away.

It's the famous fancier of furniture Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden.

I don't want small profits.

I want big profits.

His rival is a ruthless businesswoman

with a focus on cold, hard profit.

She's a tenacious trader, whose fearlessness and fortitude

have rocketed her to the top of her profession.

It's the awesome auctioneer herself,

"Cunning" Catherine Southon.

(Watch this space).

Our duelling duo are battling it with the gavel

at the Stroud Auction Rooms in Gloucestershire.

The auction will test them to the max.

It's a place they can't completely control.

They're not just up against a room full of bidders,

they're also competing with buyers on the internet,

all clamouring for a piece of the action.

Catherine and Jonty have each stocked up £1,000 of their own cash,

and every penny of profit goes to their chosen charities.

So, Jonty Hearnden

and Catherine Southon,

it's time to put your money where your mouth is.

Jonty, good to see you.

-How you doing?

-Very well, thank you.

-Auction day. Here we are in Stroud.

-I do love an auction, Jonty.

I know you've worked in auction rooms,

but have you bought a lot in auctions?

I have bought quite a few bits and pieces over the years,

so I shall be very excited to get in

and have a good look around.

I notice in the catalogue that we have got a two day sale.

So half the items in the room today, we can't even look at.

-I was actually quite happy about that, Jonty.

-Why's that?

Cos half of it is furniture, which is tomorrow.

You've spotted that, as well!

So, £1,000. Are you going to spend it all?

I have no idea, because furniture's out.

I've just got to look at absolutely everything.

-All those smaller items. What I call "twiddly bits".

-Right.

-What about you?

-There's a very nice collection of bits and pieces.

A private collection, which I'm going to examine very closely.

Oh, you mean purses?

I've spotted those, too.

You're really getting me worried!

-No, we'll be fine. Good luck, Jonty.

-Good luck. Enjoy.

And you. Thank you.

MUSIC: "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters

# I'm so excited and I just can't hide it. #

They're wishing each other luck, but it's through gritted teeth.

They're both raring for a right royal rumble.

Before the bidding begins,

Jonty and Catherine must race through the items on offer,

to sort the delights from the duffers.

Cunning Catherine knows her auctions inside out.

She made her name at Sotheby's,

so she should be in the driving seat.

And there's even more to harass The Hitman.

His forte is furniture,

but there's not a single piece of it in today's sale.

So, Jonty needs to buckle down,

and rummage through the small stuff.

And he starts with a collection of tortoise shell purses

that Catherine said she was keen on.

What a wonderful collection.

They're all estimated between £150 and £300.

So, the problem for me is,

even though they're really exquisite quality,

will I make a profit on them? I'm not so sure.

For my money, I'll probably not invest in them,

but I wonder if she's going to be tempted by them.

They're just so beautiful.

But there's a difference between beauty and profit.

Mm, sounds like The Hitman is bowing out,

but his cunning counterpart is still interested.

They're all absolutely exquisite

and all look to be in perfect condition.

The problem is they've all got really punchy estimates on

so I think the thing to do with these is

keep your eye on every single one that's selling and just see

if there's one that happens to go for less than the estimate.

She's always strategising but our lady must crack on.

There are hundreds of items up today

and like a sharp eyed magpie, Jonty is at the jewellery.

This is an aquamarine stone in a nine-carat gold setting.

Now, an object like this would be worn simply as a cocktail ring

as just a bit of flash.

Date is indeterminate but probably 1920s, 1930s

cos that's when cocktail rings like this

were very fashionable, very desirable.

While The Hitman sets his plan in stone,

cunning Catherine picks out some pictures.

Now these have caught my eye. It's a box of children's prints.

Mostly from AA Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh.

They're all prints of Shepard sketches.

There's a scene there of Eeyore floating in the river

with Winnie-the-Pooh looking over.

I think at £20, £20/30, I think that's definitely worth a go.

Yes, there's no doubt in Catherine's mind that she's going to win big

but across the room, Jonty's rooted out a box of goodies

including a piece that's really caught his eye.

We're got what looks to be a silver cigarette case

and if one opens it on the inside... There we go,

you can see that it's hallmarked

so this is a silver cigarette case so that's a nice object in itself.

Costume jewellery - an object like this, very fashionable today.

-(Don't tell Catherine!)

-(I don't think she's bothered!)

She's spotted her own little delight.

Little pepperette, so probably part of a cruet set.

You can see there the little holes for the pepper,

but in the form of a thistle.

I just think that is so lovely and it's Birmingham.

And it's...1816.

Definitely one for me.

Our sharp-eyed sharks keep cruising the cabinets.

With almost 700 lots today, there's a vastness of valuables to view.

-Found some goodies?

-A few bits and pieces, yes. What about you?

I think there's enough here for me to put my hand up on one or two things.

-You look worryingly happy!

-I don't know about that.

-I've had a look at the furniture.

-Yeah?

-Yes, and I've LOOKED at the furniture!

-And you can't touch.

-I can't touch.

Denied his usual hunting ground,

our furniture fancier is out of his comfort zone

but there's no time to dwell on it

because the bidding is about to begin.

And with two of the trade's most competitive dealers in the room,

it could all kick off.

The sale starts with the pictures.

Catherine is gearing up to strike for those children's prints.

The prints are going rather cheaply so with a bit of luck,

I might get this at a snip.

Lot 21, the box of prints. 8, I'm bid. At £8, £10 bid. 10? 12 there.

12 in the room, at 12. 14, net.

Ooh, there's competition from an internet bidder.

-The price quickly rises.

-25, 8?

25? At 28, bid. At £28, I have to hurry you on the net.

-Fair warning... 30, 30 I've got at 30. Two?

-One more.

-One more, 32 bid.

At £32 then, we'll sell it.

-£32...

-GAVEL BANGS

-32. 323, thank you.

I paid £32 for those, slightly more than I wanted. Damn internet got in.

I think otherwise I could've got those for about £10.

Catherine's first to get the gavel.

Including auction house commission, the prints cost £37.76.

I see she's bought some children's prints.

Now, if they had been original Shepard etchings,

they'd be worth a small fortune. But prints? I'm not so sure.

Well, it's no good putting her down, Hitman.

Cunning Catherine is off and she's not looking back.

The silverware section is up next, and Catherine is in her element.

# I got chills They're multiplyin'... #

I do like to buy nice quality silver.

That's why I've got my eye on this pepperette

cos it's something a little bit different.

# It's electrifying!

-# You're the one that I want... #

-She means business.

This is a woman who gets what she wants

but the nerves are starting to show.

I've got a horrible feeling that this is going to do very well.

-Lot 104, again interest in this. I have £40.

-Interest in this.

At £40, 42. At £42, bid at 42, where's the five? 45, net.

-At 45, 48.

-She bides her time.

-48.

-At 55?

And she's in.

60 in the room, thank you. At £60, 65.

Oh, it's the internet again.

79 bid. 79 bid, at 70, I think the screen's gone quiet.

At £70, are we done then at £70?

And she wins it.

Top estimate.

I didn't want to pay the top estimate but I wanted that so badly

and it got the better of me, so I got it for £70 plus commission.

That's quite a big price, but it's so sweet.

The fees do indeed add up.

The thistle pepperette sets our lady back £82.60.

That's the problem with auctions, you can get carried away,

especially when the auctioneer looks at you with a smile

and you just think, "I'll keep bidding."

While Cunning Catherine's already made two purchases

the Hitman and has yet to bid on a single thing.

He's just sitting back like patience personified, waiting to strike

and it's psychological torture for the cunning one.

He's not bidding on anything. What is he going to bid on?

Oh, the frustration!

Our smooth operator is a cool cat waiting for the perfect moment.

And for this...

When a lot comes up, I just see what's happening in the room

cos once you're committed, it's very difficult to hold back.

So, I wait till the very last moment

and then I enter in if I think it's the right thing to do.

He's so cool, it hurts.

But he can't hold back any longer -

the Hitman is ready to pounce on a silver wine tasting cup.

55, screen. £60 bid, £60 I'm bid. At £60, at 60?

They're hurrying. They think they're quiet. £60 takes it.

On this side then, at £60.

I'm quite pleased with that, £60, lower end of the estimate.

It's a wine tasting cup. It's really unusual, it's different.

And he's finally off the mark taking everyone by surprise.

The wine tasting cup cost him £70.80, after fees.

So, this is my silver wine tasting goblet.

The shape is oriental but this wasn't made in the Orient.

This has an assay mark with the anchor,

which means that this was made in the Birmingham area.

My market, well, who's it going to be?

Is it going to be the silver trade, people who love silver objects?

Or, of course, it could be somebody that loves their wine.

I've got different avenues to explore.

Jonty's picked up his first lot with a Hitman's precision,

going for maximum appeal.

Both our dealers need to be ready to react

because an undiscovered a gem could pop up at any second.

-Any more? At £35...

-I'm going to go for this, it's going really cheap.

She's bidding away again. What's she after?

Catherine jumps in on a glass decanter

and wins it with a bid of £38.

There's always a risk in buying things you haven't seen.

It's probably the worst thing you can possibly do,

especially with ceramics and glass, but for £38,

I think that's quite good, as long as it's in good condition!

You MUST view items before you bid on them.

Was that pure cunning or a huge gamble?

Including commission, Catherine forks out £44.84,

but has her daring paid off?

So, we've got a glass decanter, shaped decanter,

with these nice squeezed pieces of glass here

and then silver top and cap.

And quite a nice little heart-shaped label, nicely hallmarked, all silver.

And for £38, I actually think that's quite a nice piece.

I can definitely work my magic with this.

Big relief for Catherine

but that just shows what a tussle the auction can be.

Our competitors must be focused

and ready to take a risk when a good thing comes along.

As the auction moves on, it looks like the impulse bid is catching!

I'm going to have a go with this.

# Ain't no stopping us now... #

£50.

Cool as a cucumber, Jonty buys a bowl and jug

made of Indian white metal, she suspect is actually silver.

With all the costs included, he pays £59.

Date-wise, these two objects here would have been made

about 100 years ago and silver objects that came from India then

would have all been made from silver and nothing else.

If you look round the outside,

there's all sorts of things going on here - predominately hunting scenes,

but I can see tigers, I can see Indian elephants,

I can even see palm trees with the influence of southern India.

Hopefully, I'm going to sell these well in excess of £100.

I like these.

For a spontaneous purchase, that would be a tasty profit

but how does it affect the bigger picture?

Jonty and Catherine both arrived here with £1,000 of their own money.

The Hitman has had a very relaxed start

buying just two items for £129.80, leaving him over £870 to spend.

Cunning Catherine, however, has been working hard.

She's spent £165.20 on three purchases,

meaning there's nearly £835 left in her kitty.

As we forge forward into round two,

the pressure on our dealers only increases.

Jonty now needs to be more proactive

because Cunning Catherine is ahead

and she's watching for any opportunity to increase her lead.

It's times like this when the Hitman comes into his own.

163 it is...

He's perfectly poised now and it looks like he is going to bid.

It's the box containing the silver cigarette case

and costume jewellery.

At 22, I've got now, at 22, where's the five?

At £22, Jonty looks keen.

25 bid, 25, thank you. Any further bids?

Oh, 28 sitting. 28, 28, 30 bid.

£30 I've got here, a £30, at 30 we're selling, at £30, are you done?

At £30. £30, 125.

Actually, he's probably done quite well on that,

£30 is probably quite cheap.

I had £80 marked on my catalogue. I've just bought that for £30.

Just look at his delight.

Even with the commission, the lot only cost £35.40.

Our bargain bruisers are now level pegging -

three items apiece

but it looks like Jonty is gearing up for a major attack.

This is the aquamarine ring I really quite like.

I'm thinking about this one. I think Jonty is as well.

Are we about to see some head to head bidding?

-Jonty's in.

-£60, five, 70, five...

Catherine watches and waits.

-£85.

-He's bidding against commission.

He's gone for this ring at 85.

Oh, Catherine didn't enter the fray! It wasn't to be.

He's happy with that.

I think it's a beautiful ring, 85 quid,

so it stands me in roughly around £100 without doing my maths.

Perfect, I really like that.

Well, Jonty, your sums are almost bang on. £100.30.

I think that's quite a lot,

but knowing Jonty, he'll get something out of that.

Oh, come on Catherine, don't get despondent.

Your opponent's already off and bidding again.

He's just bagged himself two pairs of earrings

and they cost him £44.84.

Now, sometimes in auction sales, things are so cheap,

you just have to buy them.

A smidgen under £45, there HAS to be a margin there.

Jonty's landing his punches thick and fast

and our new king of bling's not stopping there.

This is my next lot. I love these.

Jonty's bidding on a pair of 19th-century gold cufflinks.

At £85, then, 85, 125.

Gent's cufflinks, good quality gold cufflinks,

you'll always find a market for those. Lovely things.

The pair of gold cufflinks set Jonty back another £100.30.

He's now way out in front with six items to Catherine's three.

He's on a bit of a roll there and he's looking so happy with himself.

She's getting riled and what do you not need when you're riled?

A gloating opponent, of course!

-Catherine, you're looking very serious.

-I know! I am, yes.

-I'm focused.

-Focused?

-Hm.

Well, I think I've bought enough to beat you already.

I don't think so, Jonty, but good luck.

Oh, our lady is seething. She's not going to stand for this!

The auctioneers changeover and Catherine retaliates straightaway

by bagging four barometers that set her back £21.24 with fees.

The tortoiseshell purses are up next and Cunning Catherine

has a canny plan to make sure she makes a bargain.

I've laid them all out here, so I've laid out the tortoiseshell purses.

What I'm going to do, as the lots go on,

I'm going to look at each one and see

and if there is one that's going cheap,

I'll have a quick look and I'll go for it.

17 of the purses go for big bucks, but then...

334, tortoiseshell...

This is absolutely beautiful, this one.

The strap-work across, really nice.

-Game for 150? 140 it is, do I see 150?

-Will you take 145?

I'll take 145, yeah. 145, I have. Do I see 150?

Selling then in the room for 145.

That is beautiful.

The lady is grappling her way back into the game

with the most expensive item purchased so far.

Catherine hands over £171.10 with fees

and because of the age of the piece, it predates the legislation

governing the buying and selling of tortoiseshell.

Really nice tortoiseshell here, a bit of blonde tortoiseshell.

Lovely strap-work, inlaid strap-work

and a central silver cartouche.

Inside, it's in lovely condition - it's got the silk lining.

So, happy with that. Just got to sell it now for a profit.

Before she heads back into the fray,

Catherine takes look at a Waterford crystal bowl

and two Victorian glass inkwells and she must like what she sees.

She bids on them and is victorious.

The collection of glassware costs £47.20 with fees.

Last of the big spenders!

He's so rude!

We started this competition as real pals and we've really fallen out now.

Well, there's no room for friendship in this game.

Catherine has her eye on one last item -

a box of railway books and DVDs and she's had to wait for it.

It's the final lot of the day.

I was hoping that the room would have cleared

but there's still a few stragglers,

so I might not get them, but we'll see.

Don't look now, but one of those stragglers is right behind you.

Somebody give me £10 to clear it up. £10 to clear it up, anybody want it?

-Oh, thank you very much.

-Hammer down!

£10, any advance on £10?

Selling then at 10 whole pounds. Who's that behind you there?

-£10...

-Go away! £10. Just ignore him.

-He's distracting me greatly. Selling at £10, yours.

-Yes, thank you.

The railway collection shunts our buying bonanza to its final stop.

Add in the fees and Catherine pays £11.80.

-Finished?

-Finished.

And now, it's all over, but how much of their £1,000 budgets

did our premium pair end up spending?

Jonty had a burst of buying and then it all went quiet.

The Hitman has bought six items for a total of £410.64.

Catherine was determined to get even and waited till the bitter end.

She made seven purchases and spent a tiny bit more -

£416.54 with fees.

The race is just too close to call but before the selling spree starts,

our auction hawks size up each other's wares.

Good day at the office?

Fantastic. It wasn't too bad at all. What about you?

I've really enjoyed today. I didn't realise that you're a train buff.

No, I'm not, but I have got someone in mind for them.

My best purchase,

I think is my gorgeous little thistle pepperette, isn't it nice?

Very nice indeed. I'm jealous that you bought that.

Are you actually jealous, do you mean that?

-I mean it sincerely. I think this is lovely.

-What's your best buy?

-I really love this little cup here, this wine tasting cup.

-Pretty.

-Isn't that nice?

-Very, very pretty.

-Just delicate.

-Yeah.

I like the applied grapes around the lip, really nice.

What about that at the end, the silver jug and bowl?

That's probably my least favourite purchase, I have to say.

I can see why. Why did you buy that?

Um... Pass.

Well, I wish you all the best of luck in selling you items,

especially your delightful white metal bowl.

I think I'm going to need it.

The auction was rough, but now, it's gets tough

because our hard-hitting hammer heads

must now plan their selling campaigns.

Every last lot needs a new home and our dealers must scour the land

seeking out deals to pump up their profit pots.

Our rivals must rifle through their contact books,

race through the search engines and reach for the phones

because there's no room for rest until there's a winner.

Jonty gets down to business at Hitman HQ

and our Oxfordshire ox is feeling bullish.

Here are the items that I've come back with.

I've bought a ring, really good quality antique ring.

And, I have a very large collection of costume jewellery.

The item that's worth the most money in here

is the silver cigarette case.

I think I could probably still sell that as one whole collection.

The Indian silver, I purchased because it was the right price.

The earrings, great investment.

If they are diamonds there, then they're worth a small fortune.

Everything I brought back with me I'm genuinely very pleased with.

And Jonty must also sell the silver wine tasting cup

and the gold cufflinks.

Catherine's holed-up in Cunning Castle in Kent

and she's loving her lots.

I'm really happy with everything that I bought at the auction.

I've got my railwayana collection there, set of barometers.

The only thing that I might have a problem with

is the tortoiseshell purse.

I love it, but...

£145 hammer I paid for it, plus commission

and I think I may struggle to sell that and make a profit on it.

The item which I think I will make a profit on

is this lovely silver pepperette.

All the other pieces, I paid relatively small amounts of money on,

so there's no problem there that I'm going to make myself decent profits.

Hm! No problem, she says.

Catherine's also got glassware galore -

the decanter, the glass inkwells and the crystal bowl

as well as the children's prints to sell.

Our maestros have some serious sales to set up.

They can plan for every eventuality but until they've shaken on it

and the money's changed hands, no deal is truly sealed.

It's the Hitman who wades in first

with a visit to one of his regular customers, Roxanne.

She's on the lookout for a gift for her husband

and Jonty is ready to tickle her fancy

with the gold cufflinks he bought for £100.

-They're very pretty, aren't they?

-Do you like those?

-I do, very much.

They're hallmarked and they are nine carat gold,

but they're coated in 22 carat gold.

What sort of age do you think, what sort of date are they?

You're looking at around the turn of the century,

so they're actually more 19th century than 20th century

and you can really tell that by the design work.

I like them, Jonty,

so now you're going to have to tell me what I've got to cough up.

Talk money! Well, I think these are really, really good quality.

£225 is my asking price.

-SHE GULPS

-I was thinking...

You were thinking? I'm waiting for it...

Because I've got four bits here, if I was to say £50 a bit.

-£50 a bit? Yeah, go on. That's fine, 200.

-Would that be OK?

-Absolutely.

-That would make you happy?

-Yes, absolutely.

-OK.

-Do a bit of dancing?

-I don't think so.

Dad dancing might be frowned upon but profit making certainly isn't

and Jonty waltzes off with a profit of £99.70.

Oh go on then, Hitman, treat yourself to a celebratory dance!

MEXICAN-STYLE MUSIC

That is quite extraordinary.

Our ballroom belle is also tripping the light fantastic.

She's brought her collection of railway items

to see train enthusiast, Roy.

She's already sold the DVDs for £30,

meaning she's well into profit on the lot,

but she can she boost her profits further?

Well, I can't quite come up to the chimney

but I have brought you a box of, are you ready...?

-Yes.

-Ta-dah!

-Oh, that's interesting.

So, we've got a nice selection here of books relating to...

well I think they're all steam trains.

Now, I know that you're mainly interested in Great Western.

Please don't tell me you have that book.

There's so many books on the Great Western Railway

-that I don't think I've got that one.

-Ding!

Then there's the model. This is a model of the Flying Scotsman.

-Yes, that's very nice.

-You like that? Maybe I have under-sold that.

-I should keep quiet, shouldn't I?

-You should!

You're learning, you're learning very well.

Price - I'd like about £60 for them.

I will certainly give you that.

-Would you?

-I will.

-I should have said more than that!

-I should have said a bit more.

-I think £60 is very good.

-Are you happy with that?

-I'm very happy.

Mind the closing doors!

The service from Little Purchase to Big Profit is now departing.

Including the money made from the sale of the DVDs,

the railwayana pulls in a total profit of £78.20.

I probably could have pushed him to about £80,

but it's a good sale, I'm on the right track

and it's full steam ahead.

And Catherine gauges the weather just right

for selling her barometers.

All four are bought by Alan,

a watch and barometer specialist in Kent.

He takes the pressure off by paying £50,

giving our lady a profit of £28.76.

Cunning Catherine has now edged ahead of the Hitman.

Jonty may have given up on the dad dancing

but hold onto your hats, he's moved on to dressing up.

# Where did you get that hat? Where did you get that tie?

What do you think?

# Isn't it a lovely one and just the proper style?

# I should like to have one just the same as that... #

Right, that's enough of that.

Jonty's come cap in hand to Reading to see Adrienne,

who's not only a milliner, she also deals in vintage accessories

which is exactly why he's here.

Here's my collection of costume jewellery and other items.

When I say other items,

I believe the real star item to be this cigarette case, here.

It does look splendid. I rather like this.

-That's probably Indian, actually.

-Is it?

Yeah, there we've got mother-of-pearl,

we've got a bit of ebony inlay in there as well.

-Do you like that?

-Yes, I do, I do.

-We've got all sorts of things here.

We've got a pair of compacts, three pairs of earrings,

two necklaces and we've also got this very showy-offy brooch as well,

so that actually looks a lot more glamorous on you

-than it does on the suitcase.

-It does. I think it's lovely

and it's the kind of thing I'm interested in, as you well know.

That's a huge relief, phew!

The price that I'm looking for is 100 quid.

As you know, I have to sell it on, so, 70?

-If we can tweak that up a bit, then I'm a happy man, so 80 quid?

-Yes.

-Happy?

-Definitely, as it's such a good lot.

Jonty's collection breaks in another chunky profit - £44.60.

Time for another celebration.

No, I think we've seen enough of that.

Cunning Catherine should be dancing in the aisle soon -

she's hoping to make big bucks

out of her much-loved tortoiseshell purse.

She's come to see Gerald, a dealer in West London.

-Here we are, hand it straight over.

-Oh, thank you.

-A sweet little thing, isn't it?

-Isn't it sweet?

Yes, lady's tortoiseshell evening purse with silver pique.

It's nicer than it looked in the picture.

-Nicer than it was in the picture?

-Yes, I think so.

Oh, good. That's music to my ears, Gerald.

Oh, sounds like she's onto a winner. The purse cost Catherine £171.

I'd like 200 for it, Gerald.

Oh, wow...

I had in mind to pay about £100.

Right...

I can tell you that I paid quite a bit more than that for it at auction.

130.

-I would make a significant loss.

-What have you got to get for it?

About 180.

-Oh...

-And that's giving me the tiniest tiny profit.

-Wow...

-160?

-Can we meet in the middle at 170?

I knew you were going to say that. Yes, 170, yes.

-Can we do 170?

-Yes.

Catherine, that's a loss!

The purse makes £1.10 than her lady paid for it.

Disappointment for the cunning one and it's Jonty's game again.

CHEERING

But don't get too cocky, Hitman, there's a long way to go yet.

Jonty's lined up a meeting with Ed, who sells wine

and he's come to show him the wine tasting cup that he bought for £70.

I was attracted to this because it was obvious that it was handmade.

If you can see round the outside here, it's all been hand beaten.

I can see that, yes.

-So a lot of work has gone into making this cup.

-OK.

Here, it's got a maker's mark,

so this was actually made in the 1990s.

It's not particularly old at all. What do you think?

It's a very nice piece of silver

and there's a wonderful link to the business I'm in,

which is what's attracting me to it.

The price - I'm looking for 180 quid for it.

I was thinking more along the lines of 130, perhaps.

-Can we meet somewhere in the middle?

-I'm sure there's a meeting point.

Erm... I really would be happy with 150.

150.

-Yes, I think that seems a fair compromise.

-You like that?

-I'll shake on that, yes.

-OK.

-Thank you very much, Jonty.

-Maybe we should drink to that.

-Let's do that.

Yes, that's another very tasty result.

Jonty more than doubles his money with a profit of £79.20.

We are now halfway through this battle for sales,

so let's count up the cash and see who's ahead.

Cunning Catherine has sold three items.

She had a minor hiccup with a tortoiseshell purse,

but she's on the up with a profit so far of £105.86.

The Hitman is going great guns.

Three sales as well

but twice as much profit as his opponent - £223.50.

Our king and queen of the auction

have no time to rest on their laurels.

They need to add to their riches or face life as an antiques pauper.

And there's plenty more to sell.

The Countess of Cunning needs to strike back,

and she's brought her thistle pepperette to her contact, Brian,

who happens to be a Scotsman.

-That is rather lovely.

-I'll tell you the reasons why I bought it.

Novelty silver is a good thing to buy,

it's always desirable and collectable.

This one is actually made by a rather important silversmith.

If you look at it closely,

you can see that it's got the initials JW in a little circle,

for Joseph Willmore.

Joseph Willmore was a significant silversmith.

He was born in the 1770s,

And he flourished around the early 1800's.

He is a well-known and important silversmith of his time.

We do see people collecting other items by him,

namely snuff boxes and other small pieces of silver.

I'm very impressed with what you're saying.

Number one,

the first thing is I have never seen anything like that before.

It's certainly a very, from my point of view, a unique piece.

-Is something you would be interested in?

-Yes, yes.

-Hmmm. OK.

-He said cautiously!

-I would like £150.

-150.

That's considerably beyond the mark.

Is it?

As far as I'm concerned, yes. I'd be looking at 100.

I would like to say 140.

You've dropped it 10, I'll up it 10. To 110.

Oh, come on, Brian, 140 is good, isn't it?

I'll push it up another five, 115.

Oh, Brian - come on!

Brian's making Catherine work for her money.

OK, well I'll jump significantly to 130.

-135, it's a deal.

-Done.

-Done.

That was easy!

It didn't look easy, Catherine.

The pepperette shakes up a Handsome profit, £52.40,

and brings Catherine right back into the game.

Jonty is facing tribulations of his own.

He's discovered that his two pairs of earrings,

which he thought were diamond, are actually not diamonds after all.

Which significantly reduces their value.

He's come to Berkshire to meet his contact, Gemma.

She is looking for a gift for her mother-in-law to be.

And Jonty is just looking to make a profit

on the £44.84 he paid for the lot.

The two ordinarily should be at least £60.

But I'm very prepared to offer you less than that.

You have no idea just how desperate I am.

OK, well that's good.

I do like these ones.

I'm not so keen on these ones

because I can't wear them myself, of course,

unless I go and get my ears pierced. Would you do them both for £30?

Can I squeeze you up a bit, because I'm now making a fat loss here.

Could you do 40, or...?

-I'm still making a loss.

-35 for the pair.

-That's probably the best I can do.

-35.

-OK. Let's call it 35.

-Thank you.

You have a sale.

And you, Jonty, have a loss of £9.84.

Feel like dancing now?

# I'm never gone a dance again

# Guilty feet have got no rhythm... #

Better clear the stage for Cunning Catherine then.

And our golden girl is really getting into the swing of things.

She shows her Winnie-the-Pooh prints to a variety of contacts,

including some of the parents she knows from her children's school.

She sells eight prints for a total of £110.

That's a profit of £72.24.

Thank you very much indeed.

And her hard work has paid off.

She's back out in front of The Hitman... But not for long.

Jonty heads to Hungerford,

where dealer Anne buys the matching pieces of Indian silver for £100.

That's a shiny profit of £41.

There's barely anything between our two selling soldiers,

and Jonty is down to one last item.

It's proving more than a little problematic.

I'm still left with my blue stone ring.

I've tried to find buyers for it but without success.

I'm going to offer it to Andy now, who's a jewellery dealer.

But will I even get my money back?

Catherine still has two items left in her bargain bag

so this meeting with Andy is make or break for The Hitman.

Ladies dress ring.

Blue stone.

-Nine carat gold band and setting.

-OK.

-I'm looking for £150 for it.

-Blue Topaz.

It looks like it should be a 1950s ring,

but actually it's a reproduction.

You think it's repro?

Yeah, because I can see casting marks on the underside.

Also, 375 is the modern European standard.

-Yeah.

-That was put on pieces of jewellery after 1973.

Prior to that you would have probably had nine carat stamped on there,

if that was a genuine '40s, '50s.

So, what does this mean?

Will the ring bring in a premium profit

or doesn't really belong in a Christmas cracker?

We'll find out in a few minutes.

Because Cunning Catherine is circling to sell her last two items.

I've come along to see my mate Tim,

who's got an antiques shop in Farnborough village.

I've come armed with a couple of items.

My decanter and my inkwells.

Although I've bought items from Tim before,

I've never actually sold him anything.

So this could be interesting.

Catherine opens with the decanter

she unexpectedly bought on impulse for £44.

Silver mounted, Silver stopper. Have a look, tell me what you think.

Well, I love it straightaway

because I've always been so fond of this shape.

It's the perfect shape for pouring whiskey.

You know, most of the things I see like this are damaged in some way

-and this one seems absolutely perfect.

-It is.

You have to be very careful with the top section here,

run your finger around and make sure there are no cracks there.

Lovely condition.

And not too much fogging on the inside, which is nice to see too.

-It just needs a little clean, I think.

-It does.

-So, yeah, right up my street.

-You like that?

It was actually sold together with this decanter label,

which I think you agree doesn't go with it at all.

I love this. I have a passion for small pieces of silver.

This one I like particularly

because it's so unusual to find in a heart-shape.

I know, isn't that lovely?

Engraved with brandy, it's absolutely charming.

How does 100 sound on the two?

Three figures. In my mind I was still in two figures.

I tell you what I'd be very happy to pay. I'd be happy to pay £70.

How does 80 sound?

-I tell you what, split it down the middle, make it £78.

-78?!

-We can definitely do a deal.

-I like it. 78 on that.

-Me too.

Wonderful!

That's a great start. The decanter makes a profit of £33.16.

Tim also goes on to buy the inkwells and crystal bowl,

but he's not nearly so keen.

All in all, they make a meagre profit of just £2.80.

And with that, all the sales are complete.

Both our bargain beauties arrived at the auction

with £1000 of their own cash to spend.

Jonty, The Hitman, bought six lots, costing a total of £410.64.

Cunning Catherine made seven purchases

but spent almost exactly the same. £416.54.

So, who had the cream of the contacts

and who was left crying into their dealer directory?

All of the money that Jonty and Catherine

have made 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.

-Jonty, good to see you.

-How are you doing?

-Good, thank you.

-Welcome to my house.

-What a beautiful house it is, too.

How did you get on at the auction?

The auction was pretty good for me.

Do you remember I waited right till the very end.

You did, for all those train items.

Yeah, and it was worth the wait, let me tell you that.

-It was one of my best profits, Jonty.

-Damn!

-Also, the decanter which I bought blind.

-Yes, what happened to that?

-Well, I sold that pretty well as well.

-Did you?

-I'm feeling quite confident.

-Looking confident, yes, you are.

-What about you? That jewellery.

-Yes, I bought lots of jewellery.

My best sales were my cufflinks. Pleased with those.

-Those were the highlight, I have to say.

-You're not giving much away.

-Shall we reveal, see how we've done?

-Yeah, let's go for it.

One, two, three!

-Oh!

-Oh, Jonty!

-That's close, that was very close.

-I thought I was going to beat you on that one.

-Really?

-Oh, well.

Let me console you. Massive meal on my dining room table.

Come on, let me show you. It's in the house.

Our Hitman reigns victorious, so just what happened with the ring?

Jonty asked Andy for £150.

-It's certainly a sellable item.

-Yeah.

It's quite commercial to us.

It's certainly my clientele's taste.

150 seems...

I'm not going to even argue with you because that's a good price.

-Are you happy?

-If you're happy with that.

-I'm very happy.

-Very good.

The ring rang in a profit of £49.70. Top man, Hitman!

I'm relieved and pleased

that I managed to win the auction challenge.

But that Cunning Catherine, she pushed me incredibly close indeed.

That's not the result I thought it was going to be.

I was actually really confident I'd won that one.

But well done, Jonty. Hats off to you.

Well, tomorrow is another day, Catherine, and what a day it is.

Our mighty maestros put their careers and their reputations on the line

when they face the ultimate antiques challenge.

It's the Put Your Money Showdown.

Keep going.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd