David v James - Auction Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

which 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, pairs 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, as they see who can make the most money

from buying and selling.

Get in there!

Today, irrepressible master of the martyr, David Harper,

takes on the unstoppable auctioneering giant, James Lewis.

Coming up, David's top tips for auction success.

You've got to be mercenary and ruthless, it's all by the seat of your pants.

James reaches for the skies in the search for a bargain buy.

That really is the look, absolute perfection.

And both our brave boys meet their match

when they push for maximum profits.

We can't be happy at that.

That is the hardest deal I've had in a long time.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Yes! Get in there.

Welcome to an epic tale of dealing derring-do

set in a magical world where the noble knights of the antiques trade

travel the land in a never-ending duel for the crown

of king of the collectables.

Behold, "Devilish" David Harper, brave knight of the North.

He's dogged, he's determined and he'll stop at nothing to crush his rival.

Get the hammer down!

Mark, it's James "The Lionheart" Lewis, Lord of Derbyshire,

a powerhouse of a warrior with a staggering knowledge of antiques

and a lust for victory.

Well, I'm celebrating, I've actually bought something. That is a miracle.

These two antiques' aristocrats will be risking their own money

as they joust for the greatest profit.

Just stick your hand up and have a go at it.

Today's field of battle is an auction house in Leicestershire

where our knights' quest is to hunt down the trusty treasures that

they can sell on for the most money.

There's got to be a profit in that.

They've each got £1,000 to spend

and all the profits go to their chosen charities.

David Harper and James Lewis,

it's time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is.

James. David, how are you?

Very good, great to see you.

Are you raring to go? No, this is going to be the hardest day for me.

Oh, come on! We've got £1,000, we're going into an auction room

full of jollies and bargains and wonderful items.

Yeah, but my problem is, as soon as I end up in an auction room,

I want to be selling it, not buying it. Of course you do.

I find that very difficult.

What about tactics, what are you going to do with your money? For me, this sale is online.

I think a lot of the smaller things will actually go on the Internet.

I'm going to concentrate on a bit of furniture.

Fingers crossed, they won't want to be going

and picking that up from Australia or New Zealand. A very good tactic.

My tactic was going to be for smaller items that I can put in my pocket,

high-value and go, but in actual fact, I like your tactic

and I'm going to adopt it. Come on!

Typical!

These savvy soldiers of the showroom may have cracking chemistry, but as the race begins

to rifle through the lots, the competitive spirit takes over.

Follow me. That's what you've been doing. James, it's what I've been doing all my life.

Auctioneer, James, might think he's the king of this castle,

but our David has a plan to dethrone him.

Right, so tactic for buying in an auction.

In honesty, there is no tactic because how on earth can you

lay out a tactical plan in a place where you have absolutely no control?

The best tip is, buy only on price,

because you've got to be mercenary and ruthless and it's all

by the seat of your pants and doesn't that make life exciting?

THUNDER CLAP

Mmm... The Devilish One is in his element when it comes to a good tussle

and James is already realising that this isn't going to be as easy as he thought.

Well, my plan was to try and buy as much furniture as possible.

My problem is that all the furniture is at the end of the sale,

so, if I don't get the furniture, I've burned my bridges.

I'm going to have to look at some of these other things.

It's nearly time for our duelling duo to cross swords,

but first, they need to assess the field of battle

and pick their bidding targets.

A bit of contemporary art there.

I think there might be a bit of profit in this.

Good old coffer.

Ah, now, good pieces of contemporary art.

I'm getting really into contemporary art these days

but good pieces, and I emphasise the word, "good".

Take this mermaid... Wow, she's heavy.

She's so well done, you can see where the chisel marks are,

no machinery here. This is an absolute one-piece carving,

probably made in the last ten years, but it doesn't matter.

Quality is quality, skill is skill and it's so nice to see.

These contemporary pieces look so good.

Look at that, 633, she could be coming home with me.

It rhymes!

Now, David's archrival has landed on a vintage leather flying helmet.

Tally-ho, Wing Commander!

You never know what you're going to find in an auction room

and just look at that.

What a great lot. Well, I'm not proud.

If you're going to go into battle with someone like David Harper,

you really have to be dressed for the occasion.

For me, I don't know anyone who flies a plane.

I don't know anyone who would want this hat. Apart from me!

And, look, if you're going out in Derby on a Saturday night

that really is the look. Absolute perfection.

Yes, well, if you say so, Mr Lewis! As an expectant hush descends upon the room,

the auctioneer takes to the podium

and our lords of the lots take to their posts, ready for close combat.

I've got a position right at the back of the saleroom.

The best part about that is

that I can see exactly what David Harper's bidding on

but he can't see, at all, what I'm bidding on.

Selling to the room at £180.

Tactical positioning from the Lionheart

but will this crafty move go unnoticed by the opposition?

I think I've chosen the wrong location right in front of the room,

in front of everybody.

I can see the auctioneer well, but look where James Lewis is,

right in the corner. He can see exactly what I'm doing,

what I'm bidding on, but I can't see what he's doing.

He's naughty, he's cheeky and he's playing tactically,

because I'm worried I'm going to bid on something

and cheeky, old James Lewis is going to start bumping the price up.

But I can't do it to him! Fundamental mistake there.

Oh, David, how did you let that happen?

With the auctioneer racing away, the items are selling thick and fast.

It's 55 in the room. 55.

Our boys must scan their catalogues to pick out

the potential profit makers they haven't had time to view,

desperate to strike that first, early blow.

He's getting me worried that Lewis, he really is.

David's devilish eye is caught by three Japanese cloisonne vases.

Japanese are the best in the world at making cloisonne.

These pieces are lovely quality.

I'll just keep an eye, at the right money, I'll have a go.

61, a pair of Japanese cloisonne vases and another pair similar.

But, unbeknown to David, James starts bidding.

Straight away, the Lionheart's perfect positioning is giving him the advantage.

Come on, stop bidding I'll have a go at this.

..40, 42...

The bids are too high for our boys,

so neither comes out on top in their first clash.

Devilish David is deeply unnerved,

knowing the laughing Lionheart's watching his every move.

He's got his eye right on me.

He fancies his chances on a pair

of early 20th-century Japanese Satsuma vases,

but he knows he has to hide his interest from James.

Completely rigid, not bidding, not bidding.

And 72, a pair of Satsuma double-gourd-shaped vases.

I'm not bidding. ..22, 25, 28, 30, £32...

I'm bidding. ..32, 35, 38, 40?

He doesn't know. Standing at £40, anyone else? 42, 45.

Oh, there it is, blink and you'd miss it. James clearly has!

I'm rigid, I don't want to smile.

..I'm bid at 60 and selling at £60.

Got it and Lewis doesn't know.

I don't think.

He doesn't know! Get in there.

Oh, strike one to David and his arch enemy hasn't a clue.

With fees, the pair of Satsuma vases cost him £70.80

Satsuma sounds all very rich and very flamboyant and very expensive,

but, you know what, it just means

that this particular kind of decoration, that ivory background,

that raised, painted decoration on the top comes from

the region of Satsuma in Japan. And don't you think that they would make

just the most delectable pair of lamps?

What's wrong with recycling these things and getting them

into more modern, contemporary, younger homes?

So David's the first to bag a buy

but James isn't about to let him run away with an early lead.

75?

He buys a selection of enamelled signs for a total of £106.20

including fees.

A solid first purchase rather than a stellar one.

What a funny lot of signs.

I mean, really...

Goodness knows who's going to want these.

When it comes to age, they really do span the entire 20th century.

The "private" sign, I think, is probably the earliest.

Maybe Edwardian or 1920s, along with some of the brass ones.

But they'll still have a market.

Devilish David may have spotted a golden opportunity

to get one over on James.

He's clocked a vintage watch he likes the look of, but he's worried that he won't be alone.

They'll be bids on this one, for sure. At £150...

I'm going to go straight in. ..160, 170...

180, 190, 200, 220, 240, 260.

280, 300, 320, 340, 360.

I'm going to say 400? The price is rocketing!

And our David's now risking a huge chunk of his budget.

450.

..460 bid now. 460... It's getting tight.

460 bid, at 460. Fair warning... Come on, get that hammer down.

GAVEL BANGS

He's got it, but what a gamble!

The Devilish One spent over half his cash on the watch.

£542.80, including costs.

Is it a golden ticket to glory, or a ticking time bomb to defeat?

Gee, over £500 for the Rolex.

There's no way it's worth anything like nine or 1,000.

Golly.

Well, his rival may not approve,

but this flash find has delighted our baron of bling.

It's good.

Oh, yeah, who's the antiques daddy?

So here's the big money spend - £460 plus commission

but it is a solid gold nine carat Rolex gentleman's watch

and those words send shivers up the back of my spine.

Let's just get to grips with it.

Ivory face, Swiss made with the Rolex crown at the top there.

If that was a matching gold strap, it would more than double the £460

because an original Rolex strap, together with the watch, is just fantastic.

Let's just give it a bit of a test run.

Oh, look at that.

It's beautiful. What a gorgeous, gorgeous watch.

The Devilish One's heart may be aflutter,

but he's comfortably ahead of James.

The Lionheart really needs to get cracking

and he's got some Masonic glassware in his sights.

Going at £75.

Which he wins for £88.50 with fees.

I bought them out of desperation, rather than a great need or want.

I've got no idea who I'm going to sell them to,

but there are collectors for Masonic glass.

I'm just hoping somebody might like them.

With the bit between his teeth,

the Lionheart lets rip with a torrent of purchases.

He wins six gilt metal buttons,

with a fox head design for £59, including costs.

Probably around 1910, 1920, not gold, they're gilt metal.

But still, for me, they're worth £100 of anybody's money.

Then he sweeps away with that vintage leather flying helmet...

That's mad.

..for £106.20 with fees.

And cements his new-found lead with an assortment of wooden bowls,

also for £106.20, including costs.

Yes!

I have to say, when I bid £90 for this lot, I thought,

"I've paid too much". They looked rough, they looked nothing special at all.

But now, having looked at them again, I know a great shape.

That's a great colour.

They're by a chap called Albert Pountney,

who was head of art and sculpture at the Leicester College of Art.

For £90 for the lot, really,

that's got to be worth £80 to £100, that one bowl.

I think, of everything that I've bought in this sale today,

this has got to be the best bargain.

Well, what a turnaround in that hard-fought first round.

With our nifty knights locked in combat,

let's see who's got the upper hand in this fight to the death.

David and James each started the day with £1,000 of their own money.

Devilish David Harper launched the first attacks,

spending £613.60 on two items.

This leaves him with £386.40 still to spend.

James "The Lionheart" Lewis has fought back hard

spending £466.10 on five items,

leaving him with £533.90 to play with.

It's time for our noble knights to redouble their efforts

in their bid for victory. Who's going to laugh in the face of danger

and who's going to be sent into antiques exile?

Only time will tell.

We find the Lionheart is in a state of agitation.

His battle plan has gone out of the window

and he can't make up his mind whether to bid on a large

19th-century oil painting.

Hmm...no.

Oh, he's bidding. £130, I'm bid. At 130.

£130, I'm bid. At 130. 40, will you quickly? Away at £130.

712, thank you.

The Lionheart wins the oil painting for £153.40, including costs.

But has he bagged himself a masterpiece?

Well, that is an absolutely shocking oil painting.

I think my cat could paint better than that.

But it's a big wall filler.

And at 120 quid, it's cheaper than wallpaper.

So, if you got a big hole in the wall,

and you don't want to spend a lot of money getting the builders in,

just cover it up with a big picture like that.

Yes, not entirely convincing, James.

David has also set his sights on an oil painting,

and he is a lot more excited about his.

That's Venus, the goddess of love.

And pictured there lying recumbent on a bed with her son Cupid

who's holding a mirror so Venus can look at herself in the mirror.

But at the same time, you can see her face, so she can see you.

It's just a bit cheeky. A lovely picture.

The original is in the National Gallery.

Originally painted in, I think, 1651,

certainly the mid-17th century by Velazquez.

Now, the real reason why I adore that painting is because it's also known as the Rokeby Venus.

Rokeby Hall is about four miles away from me

and that painting, the original, was once owned

by the Morritt family, who live at Rokeby Hall. Isn't she great?

Ah, now David is smitten.

Well, here we go for the Rokeby Venus.

911. Come on.

I want her. I want her.

Good-looking girl from behind, £35? £30 bid.

£30, I'm bid. £30, at 30.

At 32, 32, 35, 35. At 38 in the room.

Commission the loss.

At £38, I'm bid, are you all done, finished and sold at £38?

£40, 42, 42 in the room.

I've got to have her, I just have to have her.

Put it down to me, £40.

GAVEL BANGS Yes! 42 in the room - 805. 42?

£42. How magnificent is that?

She is coming home with me.

# She's got it

# Yeah, baby, she's got it

# I'm your Venus, I'm your fire At your desire... #

Easy, tiger! David strides off into the sunset with his lady love

for £49.56 including fees.

But the Lionheart is preparing to retaliate on a massive scale,

because the furniture he talked about at the start of the day

is about to go under the hammer.

This is the part of the auction where James is hoping to knock his opponent for six.

First up, the Lionheart snatches a Victorian piano stool for £25.96, including fees.

Then he buys a Georgian mahogany drop-leaf dining table

for £37.76, including costs. And he can't believe his luck.

I think the world must have gone mad,

because it's solid wood, it's wonderful quality

and if anyone's got a small house and not a separate dining room,

this is perfect. Super thing. I'm really happy.

There's got to be a profit in that.

The Lionheart is on the rise, and now he's got his eye on

an oak side table with turned legs.

£10.

712, thank you.

It's a hefty purchase at £247.80, including costs

but James is hoping the table's great age will make it a winner.

That has survived 300 or 400 years of history.

That's worth £500 of anybody's money.

It's got a wonderful curved top, that over-sailing top is typical of the period.

Nicely turned legs. Great. Very pleased with that.

With the auction now reaching its final stages,

our two knights of the barter have thrown everything they can at each other.

But here's a turn-up, David's still enough of a gentleman

to point out a furniture piece that James has missed.

Look at that, it's a 19th-century gate-leg table.

22 in the room. How much? 22, 22.

Oh! 25?

25, 28?

30. 32, 35.

Standing forward at £35... He's doing eyebrow bidding.

That was eyebrow bidding, well done, James.

I didn't want you to know that I was bidding.

The Lionheart wins the gate-leg table for £41.30,

including costs and is all spent up.

Wasn't he lucky to have good old David there to make sure he didn't miss out?

If there was a prime example of why you should view before you buy, that's it.

Well, yes, it's an oak gate-leg, but it's not 19th century,

its 20th century and it is marked, it is scuffed.

It's awful. Oh, disaster!

Royally hoodwinked by the Devilish One.

With James spent up and out of the fight,

David got his eye on those carved wooden sculptures that he fell for earlier in the day.

I just going to have to wipe me out.

Carvings...

65, 75, 85, 95, 100?

10. He's going for it! 130, 140... Go on, David!

You can do it, keep going. ..70, 80, 90...

..200, 210...

At 10? 210?

It's close. £210, all finished.

805, thank you.

Oh, the strain's all too much, but he's done it.

No chance. I just paid a fortune for those in desperation. God!

The sculptures end up costing David £247.80, including fees.

What a late charge by David Harper.

And there's one last item he WHEELLY WHEELLY wants.

It's this vintage wheel.

This is described as a wagon wheel, but it's not a wagon wheel.

Haven't really seen it, but I'll have a go.

Five in the room?

Get the hammer down! Get the hammer down.

Get the hammer down. £55.

GAVEL BANGS Yes!

He rolls away with the wheel for £64.90, including fees

and, with that final purchase, it's all over.

Our gallant challengers each started the day

with £1,000 of their own money.

"Devilish" David Harper is hoping quality wins over quantity.

He finished with just five items after spending £975.86.

James "The Lionheart" Lewis is playing the numbers game

and ends the day with ten items, costing him £972.32.

But now, it's all about who will make the most profit.

Action over in the auction room,

our chaps can now size up their opponent's wares.

Wow! A long, long day, but exciting.

Very long day, but I have to say,

I think, quite clearly, I win through quantity.

No doubt about it! But where's that Rolex watch?

Oh! My favourite buy! It is an absolute stonker.

I'll take the back off, I'll enjoy researching it,

looking at the numbers. I'll be able to date it within a year

but I think it's 1950s, 1960s.

I'll change the strap, but it's so super stylish.

That's my favourite object. What's your favourite?

I have to say, the thing I'm most pleased with are all these bowls!

They good! I looked at them from a distance and I thought they looked terrible

but you start to spread them out, they've got real quality. They have, all handmade.

They're very ethnic looking, although they're obviously English.

They're English, by the same person that carved your figures. No way! Are they really? They are.

Finally, that thing. I mean, what is it? I've no idea.

Part of some kind of contraption, maybe to do with wool or cotton...

Yeah. It's a good architectural thing. Yes... Just call it a thing. I do quite like it actually.

It's a thing, James, and you'll never see another thing like that. No, you won't.

The first skirmish between the Lionheart and the Devilish One is now over.

But there's an almighty war gathering beyond the horizon.

Bidding for the buys was as nothing

compared to the Herculean efforts required in getting them sold.

This is what sorts the selling superstars from the dealing deadbeats.

And at Devilish HQ, David is taking stock.

Buying in auction is not the easiest place in the world.

Um, hello, what on earth is that?

The pair of Satsumas, good staple antique dealing stock.

The watch, vastly improved with a new strap.

Looks so much better, makes it much more contemporary.

And my favourite item, the Rokeby Venus,

lovely to see her where she belongs, back here at home in Barnard Castle.

Now, onto the Pountneys. I love those things.

Contemporary, fantastic quality,

struggling to get any interest in those.

But there's the challenge.

I love to sell.

Yes, David has a real fire in his belly as he hits the phones...

Really? ..which is just as well as his opponent has exactly

double the number of purchases to offload.

Well, what did I buy? A bit of a mixed bag, really,

but there are these wonderful gold-plated fox-head buttons.

Ideally, suited to master of the hunt,

but, you never know, Leicester City Football Club might like them.

Also, these two 19th-century

Masonic glasses.

There's a Victorian walnut piano stool.

There was the massive bowls, all different shapes and sizes.

The enamel signs. Again, some brass, some enamel.

The George III mahogany table

would seat two for a nice little breakfast on the terrace somewhere.

There was the 18th-century oak sidetable.

What else was there?

There was... Oh. The painting.

Why did I buy that painting?

It's so huge and not well done. But, hey, fingers crossed.

Ooh, and the worst thing?

The worst thing of the lot was that reproduction gateleg.

Wish I hadn't bought that.

What else? Ah!

The flying helmet. The best of all.

Well, if I don't sell it, at least I can wear it.

Well, if you say so, James.

Either way, it's time to put aside the sartorial suggestions

and turn all that talk into cold, hard sales

because no deal is truly sealed until the money is in your hand.

James is first off the starting blocks gunning for a sale

of the oak sidetable he bought for £247.80.

He takes it along to his friend, Robert, who's building a house

and is on the look out for antique furniture.

I guess this might be your first bit of furniture, then, Robert?

Yes, the first bit we've got other than bathroom suites and kitchen.

You said you wanted oak furniture. I do. You wanted period oak. Yep.

This one is about 1700, around the reign of Queen Anne, George I. Yep.

And a classic sort of bit of oak furniture

that you would have found in a Derbyshire cottage.

It's ready to go, as you say. I like it. I like it. Yup.

It's fabulous for what we want and, yep. We need to sort the price out.

Is it sort of £300, maybe £400?

I would say that table is worth...

..around £450, something like that. Shall we say 420?

Is that all right? Yes, fantastic. You've got a deal. Brilliant.

Shall we see where it'll look good? Yes, fantastic.

Go on, you grab that end. We'll just wander off around.

The Lionheart roars away with a beast of a profit, £172.20.

The Lionheart is off to an almighty start, but what of the Devilish One?

He's opening his campaign by trying to sell

the oil painting that cost him £49.56.

Now, I did say I was going to try and keep the wonderful Rokeby Venus

in her hometown of Barnard Castle.

Now, where better to bring her than my local pub

and meet my local landlord, Peter. But I must warn you -

Peter does like his theme nights,

so we've no idea quite who we're going to meet. Come on.

Luckily, a man of David's calibre is prepared for any eventuality.

Ah, Peter. Good to see you. David.

Looking absolutely fan-tastic. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Really, really good. Love that outfit.

That is cool. Now, listen, the reason I'm here, you know.

You haven't seen this yet. I've described her to you.

This is a copy of the original Rokeby Venus.

This original was in Rokeby Hall one mile away from here for generations.

This is the nearest thing we're going to get to having

the Rokeby Venus back in town.

Will it cost me a king's ransom?

No. It'll cost you a prince's ransom, Peter.

How about 140 quid?

What about 120?

Make it 130. I'll go to 130... OK.

What about you singing a song with me? And I'll give you 130,

if you do a duet. It... That...

Peter, this is where it all could possibly go wrong

because I am... You know, I don't mind being in the spotlight,

but singing is not my forte.

So, will David give us a taste of Elvis if it seals the deal at £130?

# But that's all right now... #

Sadly, he will.

That's a £80.44 profit. Thank you very much.

# It's all right now, mama

# Any way you do. #

Thank you very much.

And now, we join Wing Commander Lewis

on a mission of the utmost importance.

He is hoping to sell the vintage flying helmet for more than

the £106.20 that he paid for it.

He's headed east

to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre

where he's rendezvousing with owner Fred. Chocks away!

Fred, what an amazing place you've got here. It is, yes.

How many of these bombers are still around? There's 15 in the world.

There's one flying in Canada.

Yup. Then there's the Battle of Britain flying.

There's this one, Just Jane, with a full engine running,

so those are the only three Lancasters with engines running.

It's obviously a passion for you cos you've got cabinets and cabinets.

Oh, yeah, there is. A lot of stuff.

Well, this is what I've... I've brought to show you. Yes.

Second World War type period, or maybe earlier or slightly later.

You're the expert. Oh, no, it's the real McCoy. It's a bomber one.

It is a bomber one? Yes. Brilliant! It's an early one.

So it's likely that would have been worn

by somebody in the Second World War? It would, yeah, it would.

Is it the sort of thing you'd be interested in? It is. Brilliant.

What would you be asking for this, then?

Around £200, how would that sound? 150?

They're very rare. Oh, they are?

Well, how about 250? I've got to be...

I've got to be truthful with you. 180? Yeah,

I'll go to 180. You sure? Yes, oh, yes. I will.

You've got a deal, then. Fantastic. Thank you. That is super.

James soars away with a £73.80 profit. Mission accomplished!

But the Lionheart's victory may be short lived as the Devilish One

is about to bring out the big guns in the shape of his vintage watch.

It cost David a whopping £542.80 at auction

so the stakes couldn't be higher. A good deal here

could annihilate his rival. A bad deal and it's game over.

He's taken his premium ticker to a friend and fellow dealer, Anthony.

Anthony has already seen the watch, but David's now replaced the strap

with a spare one that he had at home.

Now, feast your eyes on that piece of sophisticated kit.

Oh, that's much better.

That is very, very nice, David.

Isn't that a good-looking watch? Yes.

Now, can you tell me about it?

Let me just show you something. You know it is a vintage watch.

Ooh.

OK, first of all, is it solid gold? Is it?

Oh, very good, David.

Just look at that. Wonderful hallmarks. The case is marked Rolex.

They've got a date stamp there of 1952.

They've also got the Rolex reference number down here,

which I've checked against the Rolex register. Very good.

And that equates also to 1952. So this is a very special watch.

David may have done his research, but can he do a deal?

I think we need to get the watch around about £350.

You are a killer, aren't you? Let's be reckless. £550.

Look at that. Honestly. He's so good. I can't do it.

£650 and let's be happy.

We can't be happy at that. All right, listen, I'll tell you what.

£700 and we've got a deal going. We can't do it. What?

Honestly, we can't do it. £775.

Give me your hand, take the Rolex.

I'll take your hand at 750 and not a pound more. That's it. We're done.

Come on.

Go on. Well done. Good, thank you very much.

He stuck to his guns and he's done it.

The Devilish One clocked a profit of £207.20.

It's two sales each now and our dealers really need to ramp things up a gear.

James is taking a trip to Leicester City Football Club

with the gilt buttons with the fox-head design.

He's noticed they bear a remarkable resemblance to the team's emblem.

The Foxes may have lost on the pitch,

but the Lionheart wins big when he sells the gilt buttons to a fan...

They're yours.

LAUGHTER

..making a profit of £111. Goal!

And, once again, the Lionheart has hit his stride.

He sells the Georgian mahogany dining table for a profit of £7.24.

The oil painting of a river scene for a profit of £46.60

And the piano stool for a profit of £44.04.

What a hat-trick!

It's now half-time in this selling game,

so let's find out how our plucky players are faring.

Devilish David Harper

has so far sold two items making a profit of £287.64.

But James "The Lionheart" Lewis has racked up six deals

and turned a corking profit of £454.88.

The Lionheart now has a comfortable lead on his opponent

and he's determined to keep it that way.

Without question, the best lot that I bought from the auction

is that massive lot of treen bowls,

balls, acorns, stands, a wonderful lot.

Everybody I've shown them to loves them,

so instead of hawking them down to London

and showing them to lots of dealers,

I've simply put a pile of them on my table in the garden

and invited lots of friends and local people round to have a look.

Some of them have already seen some and loved them.

Others, I'm just hoping to twist their arm. Fingers crossed.

Yes, it's an unusual tactic from James - and not without risk.

The wooden Bowls cost him £106.20

and he's got a limited pool from which to drum up interest.

OK, guys, come on, then, who's first?

Buy a few and we can have a deal.

I'll give you £40 for it. You've got a deal. First one's gone.

There we go. OK, who's next?

50 for the two. Oh, go on, then.

Yep, deal, brilliant, there you go. OK, who's next?

Yours, thank you very much.

Deal. There you go, that's yours.

I'm sad to see it go, but there we go.

35. Deal.

OK, anybody want an acorn? £15. Go on, then.

Thank you very much. There you go. Done? I think we're done.

Thank you very much, everybody, thank you.

James also sold some of the bowls to a couple of dealers

and, in total, he tots up a very tasty profit of £718.80.

The Devilish One is falling further behind in the profit stakes

and decides to switch strategy in his bid to beat the Lionheart.

My first thought, my first instinct, was to get them to my mate

and turn them into a pair of funky modern lamps.

However, a change of heart. So what have I done?

Well, I've brought them back to another auction,

my local auction, and giving them a chance to a big, wide audience.

So it's all exciting. Here we go.

Hmm, a risky move from the Devilish One.

He'll have to pay the standard auction fees on the vases,

which will eat into any profit he makes.

AUCTIONEER: A pair of Japanese Satsuma pottery vases,

about 1900 in date, of a double gourd form. Very good.

Some interest, book starts at £50. £50, I'm in the book to see five.

£50, five on the net. 60. Come on. £60, 65 the net. 70.

70, come on. 75, the net.

80. £80. 85, the net. That's about my money back. Can I see 90? Come on.

90 bid. £90 in the room... A couple of pounds' profit. 95 on the net.

A bit more profit. On the internet, then, at £95.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

GAVEL BANGS

Oh, my gosh.

At least it's not a loss, but it's a tiny...tiny profit.

After costs,

David squeezed a modest profit of £5.38 from the Satsuma vases.

And then, bad news.

He doesn't manage to sell the wheel, leaving him with a loss of £64.90.

In these final straits, James is also struggling.

He sells the reproduction gate leg table for £20,

but it's less than he paid for it, leaving him with a loss of £21.30.

With losses on lots, items not selling and time ticking away,

our boys have got to pull off some spectacular last-minute deals.

James is first to strike. He sells his vintage enamel signs to a tram museum

for a profit of £93.80.

Great, that's fantastic. Thank you very much. Brilliant.

This leaves the Lionheart with one more lot left to sell -

the Masonic glasses, which he paid £88.50 for.

James has done his research and uncovered that they originally came

from the St John's Masonic Lodge in Tamworth,

and he's brought them along to show the Deputy Grand Master, Gary.

I would say that that was made somewhere between 1850 and 1900.

Well, our consecration of this lodge was in 1865.

Perhaps they could have been presented to all those

that were there at that consecration.

So there would have been 80 or 90 around at that time.

I can't think of another time that this would've been...

that glasses would've been presented.

I was hoping for around £200, for the two together.

We wouldn't go to £200, no, no. How about 170 for the two?

100? Oooh. No?

How about 150? I haven't got a lot of room to move.

OK, we'll take the two for 150. You've got a deal.

My goodness, you're a hard man!

That is the hardest deal I've had in a long time. All I can say is, sold.

Well done.

It's no secret, James has made a clear profit of £61.50.

The Lionheart is all sold up, but the Devilish One

has got the two sculptures which cost him £247.80 left to sell.

He takes one of them, the mermaid, to his old friend Bill,

who runs a restaurant in Durham.

It is remarkable. It's quite different from what I thought

when I saw it on the web. I saw some pictures on the web of it.

A twin-tailed mermaid, do you know the significance?

That I don't understand.

OK, the twin-tailed mermaid represents earth and water,

the balance between the two, and body and soul.

She's a lovely thing.

Yes, do you know, it's better than I expected, I must admit.

What are you looking for?

I would like to see 250 apiece. So 250 for her, 250 for my other.

That's what I would like to see.

Hmm, will David swim away with the deal on the mermaid sculpture?

Can he rival the phenomenal performance of the Lionheart

in the dying moments of this contest?

All will be revealed.

Our duelling duo each started with £1,000 of their own money.

Devilish David Harper bagged five items and spent £975.86.

James "The Lionheart" Lewis bought ten items, spending £972.32.

Now the only thing that matters is who has made the most profit.

All the money that David and James have made

will go to the charities of their choice, so now let's find out

who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

David. Good to see you. Good to see you.

How did the auction selling go? Yeah, really well.

In particular for one lot. Which one? My bowls. The Pountney bowls.

The Pountney bowls. Purely because I got a lot more than I was expecting.

I had the Pountney figures, I sold them well. I got a good market price.

Did you get loads of money on some of your...?

Well, it was just there were so many of them.

I didn't sell any of them at huge money, but it was very good.

How about the Rolex? Loved the Rolex.

Of all the items, I would've taken that home.

It was gold, hallmarked, 1952. What a lovely thing.

It was hard to see it go, but I did well. Well, you had to see it go.

Are you ready? One, two, three.

Oh, no! Well, the thing is, it was the bowls, really.

Oh! You see, they...

Yeah, get on with it, that's absolutely...

So James stands triumphant today and why?

Because although David sold the mermaid sculpture for £190...

Make it 190 and you've got a deal. Go on, do it. Thank you very much.

..and sold the other sculpture for the same price to a dealer,

the combined profit of £132.20 still wasn't enough to beat the big man.

Great, fun experience, that.

The Pountney pieces were marvellous, but what about James Lewis?

That is truly unbelievable and well done to him. Completely thrashed.

Well, I don't know whether to be embarrassed or just chuffed,

because that was a great result.

And at the end of the day, it does prove

that my bowls are far more commercial than his figures.

Tomorrow, David has a chance of redeeming himself...

There's got to be something good here.

..as our duelling dealers go head-to-head at a car-boot sale.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd