Mark Stacey v Mark Franks - 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

-will 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's all-out battle for profit

pitches maestro of memorabilia, Mark Stacey,

against that likeliest of lads, Mark Franks.

Coming up,

Mark Franks goes in hard and heavy.

I went straight to my limit, just to blow him out the water.

Cheeky man!

-Has Mark Stacey made a costly mistake?

-I'm completely mad, aren't I?

And Franksy risks it all on a challenging restoration.

Can we keep it cheap?

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Oh, getting all carried away!

Today, two heavyweights of the antiques world

remind us that giants still walk the earth.

Take your ringside seats

and watch them slug it out

in a desperate battle for profit.

In the red corner, it's the belter from Brighton.

He floats like a butterfly and stings like a wasp.

Oo-hoo!

It's going to be a right royal battle today in this saleroom.

In the blue corner, it's London's lean, mean, dealing machine.

He's a streetwise scrapper and he packs a hefty punch.

I'm just having a walk in the park.

Our courageous contenders are battling it out today

at Charterhouse Auctions in Dorset.

It's got the nice, clear mark underneath, Mintons.

Their goal is to find the knockout pieces

that they can sell on for the biggest possible profit.

You CAN sell these for big bucks.

They've each got £1,000 of their own money to spend,

and all the profit goes to their chosen charities.

Please, please, let me buy it!

Mark Stacey and Mark Franks,

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

-Hello, Mark. How are you?

-Good morning, Mr Stacey. How are we?

I'm very well. I'm itching to get into the saleroom in sunny Dorset.

-Listen, I've got a confession to make.

-Oh, yes?

-I've already been in,

had a look round, and marked a few locks.

-I'm sorry, mate. I couldn't wait.

-Did you find all the bargains?

There's a few quirky things that I'm really interested in.

-And to be honest, we've got £1,000 to spend...

-Less commission, of course.

That knocks a bit off.

-Because you're more experienced and knowledgeable than me...

-WHISPERS: Oh, gosh, here we go!

..I wanted to make sure that I got in there, stole a march, and had the heads-up already.

Well, I'm very pleased I'm putting you under pressure, Mark. But I've only got one thing to say.

-What's that?

-I need to get in there and have a rummage.

-Come on, then.

BELL RINGING

Ring that bell!

As our heavyweight contenders enter the ring,

it's clear they're poles apart in style and strategy.

As an ex-auctioneer,

it's The Maverick who should be right at home here.

But it's Franksy who reckons he's got the upper hand on the old timer.

I'm a very happy bunny today.

Grinning all over the place.

And do you know why? Because I got here early,

and I beat Mark to it.

I viewed the sale already.

My trusty auction catalogue has all the information I need.

Every single item in this place I've looked at twice.

I'm so confident, you can't believe.

Mark Stacey's panicking like mad out there, but I'm not.

I know what's in this sale.

I don't want big, ugly wardrobes.

I don't want boring tables and chairs.

I want the more unusual items that people aren't looking to buy

cos you'll buy them cheaper and you'll make more money.

And what's it all about? Money!

Bosh!

The lad is on fire.

Our ball of energy has a rock-solid plan to target the unusual.

From the very get-go, The Maverick is on the back foot.

I'm really rushed, actually,

cos I've only got about an hour to view the sale.

So, it's a bit of a panic because a lot of the things I want to look at are in the cabinet.

I'm going to have to ask people to bring them out, which takes up a lot of time.

I have marked a few bits of furniture.

Those are a bit trickier cos they're later on,

so do you leave a lot of money left for those?

Then, of course, they might not be in your budget, anyway.

They're scary times, really.

Breathe, Mark. Breathe.

Our Brighton boy knows he's at a disadvantage here

as Franksy's already scoped all the wares

and knows EXACTLY what he's going to be bidding on.

Glass, glass, china, china.

Glass, glass, china, china.

Not interested at all.

Doesn't do it for me.

Mark Stacey, you can have it.

What I DO want to have a look at...

..is this.

Now, I know absolutely nothing...

about sport.

But what I DO know is this

is a signed cricket bat.

And there are people on here that I've never heard of,

but it's the England team and the Australia team of 1972.

I do fancy having a go at this. The estimate's very low.

It's sort of 30 quid.

This can actually hit a six.

Our irrepressible cheeky chappie

is all over this showroom and loving it,

while our poor old Maverick

is wading his way through an endless sea.

If that's broken, my name's Mark Franks.

With time pressing, it's best to stick to what you know,

and The Maverick soon spies some pretty porcelain ladies.

I do like that as a lot. It's quite interesting.

I don't know what the estimate is.

£50-£60.

And they call them "Art Deco style".

Well, a couple of them might be Art Deco style,

but there are a couple in there that are period ones.

Of course, I live by the sea,

and we have lots of bathing beauties in Brighton,

even in the winter, allegedly.

But that's quite a nice little lot and I might bid on that.

And now, gentlemen, it's time to step out from the comfort

of your corners and follow the bright lights

and the roar of the crowd,

for round one is about to begin.

It's going to be a right royal battle today in this saleroom.

It all comes down to this.

Time for our boys to make the right moves,

pick off the right pieces and get in the ring.

First up, now, lot number 800.

Hang on a minute! Only one of them's made it!

At 90. At £90 away.

Ooh! Franksy's already pinpointed the exact lots he wants to bid on,

and until they're up, it seems our south London slugger

isn't even leaving his dressing room.

An unusual bit of troika. Troika pottery...

I'm feeling extremely lonely here.

There's no Mark Franks.

Does he know the auction's started?

580. 600.

Mmm. The Maverick's unnerved, but already,

he's spotted a lot in the catalogue, consisting of three Creel plates.

680 and away now. 680.

£20 I have here with me in the bidding. At 20, at 20, at 20.

And five. 25 standing right at the back at 25.

9733.

Oh, and he's got them!

The Maverick walks away with the Creel plates for £30.86,

including fees.

Now, what have I bought here?

Because I didn't really look at them when I was looking at the stand.

But I've bought three French plates.

There's one here of a chateau.

I love these borders here with the grapevine borders.

But we're looking at sort of, I suppose,

early 19th century.

But maybe a French restaurant or something would like them,

you know, for their intimate wall.

Put three of them up together,

encourage people to drink lots of white wine

or red wine with the grapevines.

Oh, I'm getting all carried away!

Stop me before I start eating frogs' legs!

Mark needs to hop it, as there's another lot in the catalogue.

He fancies having a go at a Victorian stoneware mug

and a Staffordshire-style figurine of a boy shining shoes.

£60 and away now. 60. 70. 80.

At £80 I have now.

At 80. At 80. 90.

Standing at the back at £90. At £90 I have now.

Standing right at the back at 90. Away selling this time at 90, at 90.

He wins the mug and the figurine for £111.06,

including costs.

The Maverick's years of experience as an auctioneer

are serving him well,

and he's stolen an early lead on the absent Franksy

with two lots to nil.

I think he looks rather jolly, don't you?

I know it's not to everyone's cup of tea,

but I could live with him.

And it's got Staffordshire style.

I think it's going to date a sort of 1900 or so.

So, going over 100 years old.

But I just think it's got a lot of character,

a lot of charm.

It's just really, really lovely.

Who on earth I'm going to sell it to, I don't know.

But maybe it will look nice in an old-fashioned cobbler shop.

On the other hand, of course, I could just be talking a load of cobblers.

Despite the initial nerves,

The Maverick is on a roll.

Next up, under the hammer, are the bathing beauties

that our Brighton boy took a fancy to first thing.

I've got Deco style porcelain ladies here.

And straight in here at £35.

Higher for 35. 45.

50. 60.

70. Standing at £70 I have. At £70 and away.

I suppose it'll be at 70.

Well, I'm quite pleased with those, actually.

I think they're quite nice.

And more importantly -

how can I put this delicately? -

they're showy enough.

Mmm. They sure are!

Mark's backed his saucy swimmers for £86.38,

including costs.

Franksy is now playing serious catch-up,

but you can never second-guess the London lad, and you just never know

when he might suddenly pop up.

-What did you get up to?

-Nothing.

Like a Praying Mantis,

Franksy's been biding his time,

waiting for one of the items on his strike list to come up.

And now the cricket bat is about to go under the hammer.

60. 70. 80. 90...

-God, I feel so confident! Why IS that?

-I don't know.

-Is it that strong coffee you had this morning?

-It was!

And I'm straight in here at £25. I have now 25.

35.

45.

At £45 I have now. Done. Going. Selling away. 50.

With the hand at £50. And away now.

At £50 standing far away.

Selling going away at 50. At 50.

50 is 8899.

Mark Franks has made a purchase.

Would that be a six?

Or would he be run out on that one?

It's got to have a chance. 50 quid plus commission.

Should be all right.

Franksy wins the cricket bat for £61.70, including fees.

He knocks the place for six, and then he's gone.

He's disappeared.

He's gone for a lie-down!

How much did he pay for that?

50 quid?

Biding his time between bidding on his targets,

our cheeky chappie is free to engage

in some psychological warfare

with the opposition.

Mark, chocolate? Do you think you should?

Cheeky man!

Damage done, our mover and shaker's ready to bid again

on a lot consisting of two big bottles of whiskey.

£40 and away, please. 40 to get them going. 40.

20 to start them. £20 and away now.

£20 is bid. 20.

£20 I have for the whiskey. At 20.

At 25. 30.

Standing at £30 now.

Standing right there at 30. Done. Going.

Selling away at 30.

30 quid!

That's four litres of whiskey!

Mark Franks is showing a lot of bottle in this bout

and wins the whiskey for £37.02, including fees.

-Get ready for the celebration.

-A lot less than the £50-80 estimate.

Now, I think that four litres for £37 sounds cheap.

My plan of action is to go to a public house

and I know just the one

and try and sell him this.

And I'll drink to that.

Well, not while working, I won't.

Well, he'd better keep a clear head,

as this fight for bargains is only just beginning.

It's been a tough first round,

and it's time to see how the scoreboard is looking.

Mark Stacey and Mark Franks each had up to £1,000 of their own cash

to spend at auction.

Experienced auctioneer Mark Stacey

struck the first blows in this contest.

He spent £228.30 on three items,

leaving him with £771.70 to play with.

Mark Franks is making up for the lack of experience

by being ultra-clever in his strategy.

He's won two lots, spending £98.72,

and leaving him with £901.28 in his kitty.

MUSIC: "I Need A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler

Enter the heroes.

It's round two,

and our heavy hitters now need to go all-out

in their bid to pack a punchy profit.

London's likeliest lad has spied some snazzy seating

he likes the look of.

By far the nicest things in the auction room,

in my humble opinion,

are these lovely, lovely chairs.

You love them or you hate them. I LOVE them!

If I can buy these,

I can sell these at a huge profit.

They're Victorian button back.

This is like a brush velvet.

The patterns are awesome.

Very Deco in style.

This will be a centrepiece of a room.

If you're young and funky,

you're probably going, "They're wicked!"

If you're like the rest of the room,

you're probably going, "They're horrible!"

Time will tell.

Is there a profit or not?

I think so.

The young-ish pretender sounds confident,

but it's the more experienced Mr Stacey

who's in the lead.

He knows exactly what to look for and stay one step ahead.

There's a real mixed lot of rubbish here, you know.

Why am I looking at it, then? Well, I'll tell you why.

Because these glass fish, they're quite fashionable,

and being by the seaside, there might be people who want fishy-type vases.

So, if I can get them at a reasonable price...

we might be frying tonight.

Yes, that's if you're not "battered" by rival bidders, eh, Mark?

Anyway, up next, under the hammer are the patterned armchairs.

Franksy thinks they'll make him plenty of profit,

but can he get them for the right price?

100.50 to start it.

50 bid. Thank you.

At 50. At £50 I have now.

50. 60. 70.

Standing at £70. I won't take you twice. At 70.

At £70 I have it away now. At 70. Standing bid.

Selling going away here at £70.

At 70. 80.

-New bidder. 90.

-Uh-oh!

He's got competition.

110.

Don't let him have it!

120. That's it. 130.

He's standing his ground.

140. 150.

At 150. At £150. Standing bid at 150.

At 150.

8899.

150 quid?!

Did he REALLY pay £150 for that?!

Well, look at them!

Mmm. The Maverick might not approve of his rival's taste,

but Franksy walks away with the chairs for £185.10,

including fees.

I'm so happy!

It's now three items apiece,

but a reproduction court cupboard

offers Mark Franks the opportunity to take the lead

for the first time.

30 to start in. £30 and away. Bidder.

-£30.

-At £30 I have an away now.

5 to oblige where?

At £30 I have now.

At £30. At 30.

8899.

Lot number 1,400.

30 quid?!

He's done it. The London lad takes the lead.

He gets the cupboard for £37 and tuppence, including fees,

and he reckons he's onto a winner.

It's solid.

When I'm dead and gone, this'll still be going strong.

It's what's called a court cupboard.

And guess who wanted to buy it?

Absolutely no-one.

Apart from moi. And the reason being,

I know just the person who wants to buy this.

It's going to make a great profit.

Kerr-ching!

Franksy's strategy is really working.

He's being ultra-selective,

sticking to the unusual and the unwanted,

and buying with people in mind.

The Maverick must now call upon all his years of experience.

He fancies his chances on a mixed lot,

including a dragon lampstand,

and this green armchair.

£20 and away the lot there.

20 bid. Thank you, sir. At 20 I have now.

Oh, Mark's bidding on that.

That's cheap, that.

£20. Useful little lot here. I have five. At 25. 30.

Mark versus Mark.

And five. At 35.

-50, sir.

-50 bid?

Sir.

-50 bid. At 50. 60.

-No, no. I don't want it.

No, no. He can have it for 50.

That's well over-the-top!

Sorry, it's the waving of the arm. It generally confuses me.

£50. It's on the far left-hand side.

Bigger of the two Marks gets in at 50.

8899.

Excellent buy!

I went straight to my limit,

just to blow him out the water.

It unnerved him.

Well, that's just extraordinary!

What a turn-up!

Mark Franks butts his way in

and snatches the lot right out of Mark Stacey's clutches.

Franksy's scored the lot for £61.70,

including costs.

What I've got...

is this carved dragon thing.

No interest.

This stool, which I'm going to leave up there.

But this chair is a smasher.

Now, let's see what it is.

It's heavy.

That's a starter.

Now, underneath, what we've got...

is it's been covered in this velvet.

Horrible!

But underneath THAT,

you've got the original horsehair.

So, this tells me this is about 120 years old.

Porcelain casters, which is great.

Bottom's all good.

All in all...

..50 quid very, very well spent.

Well, you've got to admire his chutzpah.

Having picked off all his targets, Franksy thinks it's in the bag.

MUSIC: "Easy" by Lionel Richie

I'm just having a walk in the park.

Yes, well. We'll see.

The Brighton bruiser's not going down without a fight.

His next target is the lot containing the glass fish

he saw earlier.

This lot also includes some decorative shields

and a leather armchair

and stool.

I do quite like the fish. Where I'm going to sell them, I don't know.

But they're very Brighton.

Cos retro stuff is quite fashionable. I hope.

Leather upholstered swivel armchair and matching assorted sundries here.

And £25 is bid, at 25. At 25, 30,

5, 40, 5, 50, 60...

-Oh, no!

-Lady's bid at £60.

It's at £60 already!

£60 there at 60, at 60...

743.

MARK SIGHS HEAVILY

Well, I've not got a lot of options left now.

I'm just going to have to

try and buy a couple of other things.

60 quid for that!

Oh, The Maverick's been outbid and outmanoeuvred.

It's not really been his day.

But our Brighton boy's a bright spark and he decides to have a word

with the winning bidder, to see if he can do a deal on the mixed box

of items containing the shields and the glass fish.

You wanted the leather chair and stool,

-is that right?

-Yes.

And you didn't want the box of bric-a-brac that went with it?

Not until now.

Are you going to tell me there's a Lalique vase at the bottom?

I can assure you there's no Lalique vase at the bottom.

The reason I like it, I live in Brighton, by the sea,

and of course, all those hideous '60s and '70s fish in there,

which I thought I could have fun with on the seafront, or something.

I was wondering if we could come to a deal on me buying the fish

off you and the box of bric-a-brac?

What were you, sort of, offering?

What about if I give you 20 quid for the rest?

-25?

-25.

Ooh, you are a hard woman!

All right, go on then, 25 quid.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you, Mark. Right.

I'm thrilled with that, I'm thrilled. I've got my fish!

And Franks will be furious when he knows what I paid for them!

Just look at the delight!

The Maverick swims away with the box containing the fish

for £25 with no auction fees to pay.

The gavel has fallen for the final time.

The auction is over

and the bidders are winging away with their winning lots.

So, at the final bell,

how do our purchasing prize-fighters stack up?

They both started the day with £1,000 of their own money to spend.

Mark "The Maverick" Stacey started so well

but was on the ropes in the latter stages.

He ends the day with four purchases,

having just spent just £253.30.

Mark "Franksy" Franks

was the precocious young pretender from the get-go.

He walks away with five lots, having spent £382.54.

Our brave boys have played a tight game, spending as little

as possible, but which of them will go on to make the most profit?

-Are you happy?

-No, I'm not happy because I've spent so little money.

Are you happy with what you've bought, though?

Well, surprisingly, looking at it now, no!

I tell you what I am happy with,

is my little deal on the fishes and the mixed lot here. 25 quid.

Do you drink whiskey?

Funny enough, I don't. I don't like whiskey or brandy.

No, I can stand it, it burns.

But I bought four litres for 37 quid, roughly. That is cheap.

They're lovely. Design icons.

-But my favourite items?

-Yes?

-Underneath you.

These are pretty jazzy, aren't they?

Yeah, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think they're super-duper.

-The rope's hanging off it.

-Just needs a stitch.

We've both got our work cut out a bit, haven't we,

because we've got a mixed bag. We've got to find buyers for these.

Yeah, but I've got people in mind for

those, that, that,

these and that. So, yeah.

-So, that's all of it, then?

-Yeah, I've been buying with people in mind.

Oh!

Oh! Do we detect a note of competitiveness between these two?

Mmm. Well, Franksy and his Maverick rival must now hang up their gloves

and use their brains rather than their brawn,

because this is where the going gets really tough.

Buying the lots was just the start of today's spectacular.

Now the two Marks must get out there

and sell their items for as much as possible.

On the south coast,

Mark "The Maverick" Stacey is taking stock of his position.

The auction, I have to tell you,

I was very frustrated in.

And I really didn't get all the things I wanted,

but what I've got is what I got,

and I got three nice 19th-century plates, which hopefully will return

a profit, and I got this collection of Art Deco ladies and I'm sure

there's a Brighton belle or two that might be interested in those.

But my saving grace was the lady who bought the job lot I wanted

and I managed to negotiate the glass fish and the shields out of her.

I only paid 25 quid for the lot.

Hopefully, I can tickle some profit out of this,

but I need help, you know.

Please, shout down the screen if you want me to win.

We believe in you, Mark.

You've got to sell the stoneware mug

and the shoeshine boy figurine.

On the outskirts of London, however,

there's one wheeler-dealer who'll do all he can

to beat you in the profit stakes - it's Mark Franks!

Hot chocolate. A lot safer than four litres of whiskey.

But what a good buy,

because it has an intrinsic value as a minimum price.

So this should do very nicely. Now, the court cupboard.

What a lovely buy. 30 quid.

If I can't make a profit out of that,

I might as well drink this and call it a day.

The pair of chairs are my favourite item by far.

You either love 'em or you hate them and I love them.

And the cricket bat from the 1970s, again, an absolute winner.

All I've got to do is sell this stuff and make a profit.

Franksy has also got to sell the small Victorian armchair

and the dragon lamp stand that he snatched from the Maverick's clutches.

It's time for the two Marks to hit the streets and hunt down

those buyers, knowing that no deal is done

until they get that final handshake.

The London lad is first off the blocks.

He's taking the oak court cupboard, which cost just over £37,

to show his old friend and fellow dealer Helen in Tadworth.

Let's just say the lad is confident.

Is it as wonderful as I said it was? Look at it, beautiful. What do you think?

It's a lovely piece of furniture. What sort of age is it?

I would say it's probably from the 1940s.

The original design is, I think, from the 1760s. This is a reproduction.

The reason I know its age is if you pull a drawer out,

you can see these beautiful dovetails are machine made. They're so precise.

That started happening about 1900.

Before then, handmade.

It's oak, it's very heavy and it's really well made. Do you like it?

Yeah, I do like it.

SHE LAUGHS

-How would £200 grab you?

-That's not quite the £20 I was thinking!

-Oh!

Listen, I'm not being funny, it cost me a lot more than £20.

What about 150?

N-n-n-n...

Oh!

I love Helen! A-ha!

What a start!

Franksy's kicked off with an almighty profit of £112.98

and he knows he's set a mean pace.

Come on, Mark, try and catch up.

Our savvy salesman is as merciless as he is unstoppable.

He's taking the fight to Brighton

and to the very doorstep of his opponent.

He's brought along his armchairs, which cost him £185.10,

with the aim of trying to sell them to the Maverick's friends -

dealers Maggie and Helen.

For sheer audacity, this is vintage Mark Franks.

Two beautiful examples

and the chairs are nice, too!

-Oh, God, you're full of it, aren't you?

-I love these chairs.

The condition is fantastic. They're over 100 years old.

-Excuse me, excuse me. Condition fantastic?

-No, the material.

That's just a squidge underneath. That can be adjusted.

But they're lovely. There are no buttons missing.

-It looks like Deco coverings. Are we talking 1930s?

-Spot on.

It's a good pair of chairs.

The only problem for me is it's a Deco covering with a Victorian chair.

So it's going to limit the market a little bit.

Are we talk being £100 for the pair?

HE LAUGHS

Have I amused you?

Oh, dear. They cost me a lot of money.

They weren't cheap.

I really am looking for £300 the pair.

I do like them and I would like to buy them.

But we're going to have to come somewhere in between,

if not the lower end of in between.

Why don't I say to you 220?

-Wow.

-And I'm pushing it. Would you agree?

Is that loss or a profit?

-Or is that getting money back time?

-250?

-280. I'm coming down.

-I've dropped 20 quid.

-You can't do it.

-Final offer.

-Final offer.

-260.

-Go on, Mark.

-Go on, then, OK.

-And a kiss.

-Can I have one?

-Not half.

Cor, he never stops. Franksy settles for a profit of £74.90.

Well, those girls, they definitely knew what they were looking at,

there was no pulling the wool over their eyes.

I made a small profit, but a profit's a profit.

I'm going for a little dip. You coming?

And off he goes.

Thankfully, our Mr S is unaware of the antics of London's finest.

He's hoping to do a deal on the shields

which came in the £25 box containing the glass fish

and he's arranged an appointment with pub landlord, Terry.

I thought of you because of this wood panelling.

-It's a traditional interior.

-It is.

-I thought they'd look great.

-They're colourful.

-How old do you think they are?

-I don't think they're terribly old.

I think they're made in the last 20 years. What do you think now you've seen them in the flesh?

-I think they're much, much better.

-Oh, really?

But that doesn't mean that you are going to be able to charge me a great deal more.

Oh. Now that's disappointing.

I did think a fiver each.

There are 15. So it should be 75.

I'd like to get them for slightly less.

How about 74?

Well, it's worth a try, Mark.

-£60. I'd be very happy at £60.

-I think we can do a deal on £60.

The Maverick's already in profit on the purchase

after selling the shields and he's still got the glass fish to go.

They've gone to a good home. I think they are going to look stunning in there.

Mr Franks is also hoping that a pub might be just the place

to sell one of his lots.

A-ha, me hearties! Roger, how are you?

He's come to try to sell one of the two big bottles of whiskey

he bought for just over £37 to co-owner, Roger.

A lovely bottle of whiskey. Got a bit of age.

-OK, where did you get it from?

-I bought it at auction.

-It's completely above aboard.

-The old story!

And the auction sticker is on there.

Make me your best offer. I don't know the price of alcohol.

When it comes to whiskey, I haven't got a clue.

-Well, I'll give you £38 for it.

-£38.

-Mmm... Couldn't make it 40?

-Go on, then.

-Deal?

-Deal.

-You're a gentleman. And a pirate.

-A-har!

-A-har!

Lovely.

40 quid. Small profit. One bottle to go. No time for beer.

Mark Stacey, finish your cocoa. I've got work to do.

And our streetwise wonder plunders more profit on bottle number two.

-85's good.

-Is that all right? Are you happy with that?

-I'm happy with that.

Both bottles give Mark a total profit of £87.98.

But Franksy can't toast victory just yet.

The Maverick is on the march and his mission is to sell

the bathing belles which cost him £86.38.

He's come to his friend Maggie, the very same dealer who has

already bought the armchairs from none other than Mark Franks.

I feel a little bit like a marked woman.

I've had Mark Franks visit.

With your permission, of course.

Well, permission, I didn't even know about it, Maggie.

I was furious. I was livid.

He lied to me, Mark. I wouldn't have bought off him if I'd known.

You heard it here first.

Come on, Maverick, don't worry about that Mark Franks.

Put your energy into selling those bathing beauties.

-Maggie, I had a very tough time.

-I can see. Can I look at them?

-Please do that.

-This one is around, I would say,

2010, same as her sister.

Oh, poor Mark.

Could this be a bad case of buy in haste, repent at leisure?

This one might have a little bit of age. Not too much I don't think, do you?

This one is a little bit better.

This one has got a number on it, as well.

So I would say this one has a little bit of age.

-I think we can discount these two for the moment.

-Oh, yes, Maggie.

-Did you have your glasses on that day?

-Yeah, rose-tinted.

Absolutely.

You must have been under some pressure,

-that's all I can say, Mark.

-Tell me.

-There is not a lot of money in this.

-No, I know.

£10, Mark. Don't cry.

Maggie, please. Shall I tell you what I paid for these?

-£87.

-Oh, my God!

-I'm completely mad, aren't I?

-You are. I think you had a moment of madness.

I think it's a damage limitation exercise, Maggie.

-OK, for old time's sake.

-Yes, Maggie.

-I won't be making no profit on this.

45.

-Maggie.

-Are you sweating?

-I'm sweating.

-I feel bad for you!

Do you...?

Do you think we could go to 50?

For you, Mark, yes.

Ooh, it looks like Mark was sensible to target Maggie the merciful.

Even so, he makes a loss of £36.38 on his porcelain ladies.

I think on that not happy note, I shall be retiring from the antiques trade!

Oh, poor Mark.

It goes to show what a white knuckle ride the life of the dealer can be.

With the Maverick reeling from that almighty blow, it's time to find out

where our two dealers are at on the long, hard road to victory.

So far, Mark Stacey has done just two deals.

He's still got the fish to sell from the mixed lot

and he suffered a loss on the bathing belles.

So he's currently down by £36.38. Mark Franks is a different story.

He has done deals on three of his lots and made a profit of £275.86.

Franksy is storming ahead in the profit stakes

and has come up with a plan to bat away any chance the Maverick

might have of catching up with him.

Armed with a signed cricket bat which cost him £61.70,

he's making his own unique Franksy way over to Wallington

to see cricket coach Donovan,

who works with disadvantaged young people.

I've got this cricket bat. I bought it at auction. I need to sell it.

It's got "Australia 1972."

I suppose that's the team on that side.

And on that side, "England '72", I suppose that's the team.

Oh, Knott, I've heard of him. I don't know anything about cricket,

so is that of any interest to you at all?

-Is that Lillee? Whoo!

-Looks likely it. You've got Chappell up there.

-Chappell there, as well.

-There are a few famous names in there.

I would like to make you an offer.

Um, £120 for it.

Why don't we do a little bit of fun.

-If you bowl me out, you have it for 100.

-I tell you what, make it a better deal.

-If I don't get you out, I pay you 120.

-Yes.

-If I get you out, I pay you 110.

-That's a deal.

How does he get into these scrapes, our Franksy?

If he can survive an over, he'll get £120.

If he can't, Donovan gets the bat for £110.

MUSIC: "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads

-Now, do we fancy his chances?

-# Das ist gut

# C'est fantastique Hit me, hit me, hit me... #

Donovan's done it.

# Hit me, hit me, hit me. #

You got there, Franksy, but you're already out.

At least you got yourself a profit of £48.30.

I've never been so scared in all my life!

Our Brighton boy is now in real trouble.

He's still in the red by over £36.

So he heads straight to a place he knows well,

the Arcade in Hungerford.

His first stop is with dealer Ann and he's hoping she'll take a shine

to the shoeshine boy, which he paid just over £111 for,

in a lot with a stoneware mug.

I know this sort of thing is not to everyone's taste, but there is

a collector's market for everything and I think it is very of its time.

I would have thought, I don't know if you agree, towards the end of the 19th century.

-I would say, yes.

-But he has a cheeky face. The subject is good.

-He's quite substantial in size.

-Yes. I mean, he's different.

I like different. I do like him. It will depend on price, of course.

It will, Ann. What I was hoping for is something around the £140 mark.

-Am I completely out of the ballpark at that figure?

-Not at all. No.

I'd be extremely happy with that.

-Thank you, I'm happy with that.

-It's a pleasure.

Now, that's a result. Our boy has come to the right place.

He's already in profit on the lot, but he takes

the other part of it to another dealer in the arcade

and sells it for £45,

giving him a total profit of £73.94.

It's the way you do it. It's so simple in life, isn't it?

Now, put the kettle on!

There's no time for a cuppa, Maverick.

Mr Franks is hard at it and has yet more profit plans up his sleeve.

What do you think of that little baby?

Let's have this off and let's have a look and see what's going on.

Franksy hopes upholsterer Pete will be able to restore

the small armchair ready for sale.

That's obviously broken, so we'll replace that and rebuild that.

Can we keep it cheap? Cheap as pommes frites?

OK, boys.

Franksy can't afford to have the chair fully reupholstered

but does a deal to get it recovered for £100.

He's already spent £61.70 buying the lot, so it's a risky strategy

spending more money on the chair to try to turn a profit.

We'll find out later if this great gamble pays off.

On the south coast, Mr Stacey is hoping the glass fish will help him

even the score with his opponent.

They were in the mixed box, which cost a total of £25

and the Maverick knows he's got to maximise any potential profit.

I've decided to split up my glass fish.

I've got four different potential buyers, all related.

First off, let's have a bit of a laugh

and hopefully tickle a profit out of them.

Angling for several sales,

he's targeted establishments with names relating to fish.

First up, he's meeting landlord Andy.

I've chosen three fish which I think look as if

-they're having a jolly good laugh.

-OK.

-He looks to me as if he's having a belly laugh.

-He does.

With his mouth wide open. This one is having a bit of a chuckle.

I think they're rather fun. They were made, I suppose, in the '60s or '70s.

We are talking about a poor, beleaguered publican,

with not a lot of cash to spend, you see.

So here you go. Let's have a look.

How about if I were to offer you £25 for the three?

Do you know what, I think they belong here

-and I'd be very happy to take £25.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much, Andy.

-It's a pleasure.

That's the first catch landed.

And the maverick wastes no time reeling in more buyers.

MUSIC: "Rock Lobster" by the B52s

It is rather beautiful.

The Maverick sold all the glass fish and, combined with the shields

they came with, he's netted a total profit on the lot of £145.

Mark is now fishing for a sale on his last lot

and lands a profit of £19.14 on the French plates that cost £30.86.

Tres bien, Mr Stacey, you're all sold out.

Thank you so much.

But Franksy is not done yet. He's still got one lot left to sell.

Remember the chair I bought?

The little green one which was a bit ugly?

I took it to Peter Sargeant and he ripped it apart.

Look at it now. Woo-hoo! Wow.

See what happens if you spend money on a chair? I've transformed it.

You'd like that in your bedroom, wouldn't you?

Let's hope I can sell it for some money.

Mr Franks spent £100 on the transformation of the chair

and he's now brought it to Dorking to see if he can sell it

to fellow dealer, Christine.

What do you think? I've had it reupholstered

and I think he's done a smashing job. What do you think of it?

I agree with you.

It's beautifully upholstered, and what a pretty piece.

-Victorian?

-Yeah. Spot on.

-Lovely choice of fabric.

It's got a kind of lustre to it.

-A little sheen, a bit silky.

-A boudoir chair, I think.

Feminine. Yes. Lovely.

-Just have a look underneath.

-I've not had a look.

-He's finished that off nicely.

-That is nice, isn't it?

-Yes.

That's very good. Good attention to detail, there.

-The fringing just finishes it off.

-Doesn't it? It's smart, isn't it?

So is it of your fancy and would you like to buy it?

Well, I would, but it depends on how much you're looking for.

-Say 300 quid, how does that grab you?

-Are you open to offers?

-I am.

Rather than go backwards and forwards,

I'll go straight in with my very best offer, shall I?

Oh, can Christine's best offer give Franksy victory today?

Will his gamble getting the chair recovered pay off?

All will soon be revealed.

Mark and Mark each started this contest

with £1,000 of their own money to spend.

Mark Stacey bought four lots, spending £253.30.

Mark Franks went home with five lots

and, with the restoration costs on the chair, has spent £482.54.

But what matters now is who's made the most profit.

-Hello, Mark.

-You're looking well.

-So are you.

That auction, it's made me smile. Has it made you smile?

No, it has not made me smile. I found it really, really tough.

The fish were a very clever buy, I think.

-Talking of fish, you live in Brighton, don't you?

-I do.

Well, I went to Brighton and sold those lovely chairs that no-one

seemed to understand apart from me, and one of your friends bought them.

-I know, Mark.

-She's lovely.

-I know. Well, she's not(!) I'm not going there any more.

Because I made a loss on the things I sold her.

It's my favourite shop now. I'm going to go all the time.

No, you're not. I've already banned you from there.

Come on, how did we get on?

-I don't want to do this, Mark.

-Yes, you do. Come on.

-Oh, Mark!

Wow! That's a good profit.

That's a convincing victory. Well done.

That's a lot of money to be making. You must be pleased.

I'm quite pleased, but not as pleased as you are.

-Come on, buy me some lunch.

-I'll buy you lunch, of course I will.

-So Franksy's today's victor and how did he do it?

-250.

-Deal.

Great. Thanks so much.

Well, he sold the armchair to Christine for £250,

and made a further £5 selling the dragon lamp stand to another dealer,

giving him £93.30 profit and a decisive victory.

Those chairs that Mark said, "Oh, I don't like those!"

I sold 'em to Mark's best customer in his own town for a profit

and then I thrashed him!

The antiques auction was a tough day for me.

I didn't really bid on the things I should have bid on. Mark did.

I think he got a just reward.

Tomorrow, Mark Stacey has a chance to fight back against Franksy...

Come on, bargains.

..as our duelling dealers battle it out at an antiques market in Paris.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd