James Lewis v Mark Franks - Antiques Fair 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.

Heh-hay!

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

I'm on the case.

Whee-hee!

Each week, one pair of duelling dealers will face a different daily challenge.

I'm a cheeky chancer. Lovely.

Putting their reputations on the line, and giving YOU top tips

and savvy secrets

on how to make the most money from buying and selling.

Let's go and spend some money.

Get in there!

Today, the strong-armed auctioneer James Lewis takes

aim against Mark Franks, the wiliest wheeler-dealer around.

Coming up, Mark enjoys a return to childhood...

Whoa! Wo-ho! Wo-ho!

..James proves you should never chuck anything away...

I bet all of the schools up and down Britain are going, "No!

"We threw them in the skip!"

And we're shown the art of charm when it comes to sealing a deal...

-Because I love you!

-And I love you too.

-Your Majesty!

-Thou art welcome, Master James.

50 and a hot chocolate?

-Yeah, go on then.

-Yeah? Deal.

-Thank you.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Seat belts on. It's time to buckle up

for one of the biggest battles ever witnessed on television.

Two finely honed antiques athletes are limbering up to enter

the stadium and demonstrate their prowess.

First up, a man with a fierce focus

calmly preparing for the race of his life.

His stamina knows no bounds and his thirst for glory is never-ending.

It's the fighter in the flat cap, James "The Lionheart" Lewis.

If I wear those around my neck, that'll keep them away.

But this is no walk in the park.

His challenger is a muscleman known as a master tactician.

He consistently fires on all cylinders with

an irrepressible love of life.

It's the dynamo in the duffle coat, Mark "Franksy" Franks.

I can't be like James Lewis wandering around. I've got to get on.

Our two crowd-pleasers are showing off their skills at the Antiques and Home Show

at the Lincolnshire Showground and it's a mammoth event.

No less than 2,000 stalls, which means they need raw strength

and winning wits if they're to leave with a gold medal.

Our bargain busters have each got £750 of their own money to

spend and all their profits will go to their chosen charities.

So, James Lewis and Mark Franks,

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

-Hello, James. How you doing?

-Morning, mate.

-Cor, it's a bit chilly, isn't it?

-It is.

-I've got my thermals on, as ever.

-Have you got your passport?

I've got my passport. When I got to Watford, I showed it.

-And I've got 750 sterling to spend. Woo-hoo!

-Same as me.

-But I've got an advantage this time.

-Go on.

-This is my favourite fair in England. I love this place.

-Oh, no!

Lots of locals as well. I feel at home.

Hello, James. Oh, hello, mate. Yes, this is all I need, isn't it?

I want to buy lots and lots and lots of gear today.

-I want to buy as much as possible.

-# It's not unusual to be loved... #

Cor, that's not unusual, is it?

-How about you?

-Small, small, small, small, small.

-Five things.

Yes, it might sound like jokey banter,

but these two super-sportsmen are deadly serious, and as they

wait for the starting pistol, their minds are racing through strategies.

People often say there's masses of choice,

it's much easier to buy when there's a lot of things.

In a way, it's a lot harder.

It's just getting your mind round the total variety.

It's a long-distance event today and if anyone has marathon endurance, it's our Lionheart.

But Mark is bursting with energy as well,

in fact he's so confident, he's set himself an added challenge.

If you've not seen it before, I'm going to buy it.

I'm not buying anything you've seen ever before.

I'm going to buy weird, wonderful things,

because I'm going to beat James Lewis.

Yes, Mark Franks, a dealer who cannot be daunted, but his brimming

over-confidence could trip him up and see him fall flat on his face.

Anyway, the gun fires and our Supermen are off.

They dig, they trawl, they scour, and rummage,

and Franksy's the first to strike when he spies a fairground mirror,

charming the stallholder in his own individual way.

-Do you want to go out for a drink tonight?

-No, I'm too tired.

-Worth a try.

Worth a try, weren't it?

This is part of a showman's...like, traveller's fairground ride,

or it could have been a barrow, and what they've done is

they've got four bits of timber and they've planted little

bits across the joints to hide the joints. What's the best on that?

-The best on the mirror is 130.

-I'm going to offer you £100.

I can't go a penny more. There's me hand. There's me heart. Deal?

Deal.

She used to have a stone in that ring. I just bit it out!

So, Mark bounds off the starting line. First purchase - sorted.

The reason I bought this is it's completely different

from anything I've seen, and that is my strategy today.

James, you can go and buy all the boring bits that you always do.

If I find a buyer for this, they won't be able to get another one.

Therefore I should be able to make a profit.

Well, we'll see about that, but James is right on Mark's tail.

At exactly the same moment, he spots two sets of weights, one iron,

the other brass, which date to the early part of the 20th century.

How much are your weights?

-I'm doing them for 12 quid to you.

-12 quid.

-Will you take eight quid for them?

-Tenner.

-Got a deal. £10.

At this early stage, our boys are running neck-and-neck.

But James is clearly feeling vulnerable.

He's even considering some body armour.

-How much is it?

-60 quid.

-Is 40 quid any good to you?

-55.

-45 and you've got a deal.

-50 quid.

-Go on, make it 45.

-Go on, make it 50.

-I'll take it.

50 quid.

Ooh! He relented.

The usually hard-haggling James doesn't even get a penny off

but despite that bruising encounter he's feeling philosophical.

It's a complete and utter fake.

And it's just a bit of fun, but find somebody with a great,

big medieval-style house that needs it furnishing fairly cheaply -

50 quid isn't a lot of money.

So the Lionheart roars into the lead leaving Franksy on the back foot,

but Mark soon finds something to tickle his fancy.

It just... It just sort of looks like James, doesn't it?

He's all sort of hairy. Makes you think of James.

Ooh, he's getting personal. He must be feeling the pressure.

But the Lionheart is going from strength to strength.

At one stall, a couple of items catch his eye.

Ooh, a large green aircraft fuel tank, and a motorcycle sign.

-£85.

-Oh, it's not?

-It is.

It's only made of fibreglass.

Yes, but it's antique fibreglass!

JAMES LAUGHS

-What could it be?

-It's got to be 85.

-Oh, has it?

-Yes.

What would be your best on that?

We'll do the two for an offer of 205.

I'll give you 150 quid, the two.

160.

No? Aw, it's...

It's too much.

James walks away from the deal,

but he can't go far without having one last go.

Go on, you've got to do it. Move a bit. 180, and I'll take them.

Go on, put your money where your mouth is, then!

JAMES LAUGHS

-Oh, you're a hard man!

-Cheers.

-What on earth...? What...!

James, you'll make a bomb out of that.

Yes, it certainly looks explosive.

This may be James's favourite fair,

but the stallholders are flexing their muscles

and our long-distance runner is finding it hard to overpower them.

That has to be one of the weirdest deals I have ever done.

I think I'm losing it.

Well, he's miles ahead of his contender with four items to Franksy's one.

But Mark has found something familiar.

Remember that mirror that was different to anything else you'd seen?

Well, he's just found another one.

How much is that as it is?

-That?

-Yes, go on.

-120.

-Oooooooooh!

I just bought one with the glass, more or less identical,

for 80 quid from the bloke over there. Excuse me, am I telling the truth?

On my budgie's life, I swear!

£80? Well, let's just remind ourselves.

I'm going to offer you £100. I can't go a penny more.

-There's my hand, there's my heart - deal?

-Deal.

Yes, let's put that down to memory loss.

-I'd give you 60, cash pound notes, take it away.

-70.

-I'll toss a coin 60-70, if you've got a coin?

-I don't do coins.

-We'll arm-wrestle for it. 60-70.

-Easy.

-Deal?

-Yeah.

-Love it!

The deal is, when he beats me with my bad shoulder...

-I must be mad doing this!

-My God.

-This is true.

When he beats me, I give him 70 quid.

If I beat him, I give him 60 quid. Go!

-Come on!

-I've got such a bad shoulder!

So the strong-arm approach sees forgetful Franksy

get his comeuppance and he pays £70.

But Mark's not finished with this stall yet as he spots

a collection of artworks made from pieces of classic board games.

So what he's got is an old Monopoly game.

He's put it in a frame. He's turned rubbish into art.

Give us a price on them three. A nice friendly price.

You can't afford another arm wrestle, so let's say 40 quid.

-I can't, honestly. I can't.

-40 quid. And get out of me hair..

HE LAUGHS

I can have a cuddle. £40 quid. You're a good man.

Irrepressible Franksy takes another chance,

and gets a purchase for his community chest.

But when it comes to making a profit,

will he land on Mayfair or the Old Kent Road?

Across the fair James's buying momentum remaining unstoppable.

He's interested in a pair of candle holders with glass lustres,

priced up at £180.

But he's noticed that at some point they've been drilled through.

The stallholder is only available on the phone.

I was offering 135, and that gives me a chance.

Stop being so tight!

I'm trying. OK.

It's just, because the lustres are broken...

..and they're not the right lustres,

£140 and you've got a deal. That's it.

That's a discount of more than 20%, so what exactly has he bought?

Really pleased with these.

They're a pair of post-Regency, or just slightly after 1830,

candle lustres.

The idea is that they would have gone on the mantelpiece

of a really smart town house.

They're cast in bronze,

and they're known as lustres because of these glass-faceted droppers,

that are suspended from these stylised stiff leaves.

For £140, even with drilling, they're still cheap.

As James races off to hunt down his next formidable find,

let's catch up with those all-important numbers.

Both our veterans at the antiques track started the day

with £750 of their own money to spend.

Mark Franks has kept a steady pace, spending £210 on three purchases,

leaving him with £540,

while James Lewis has sprinted to five items for £380,

meaning he has £370 left to spend.

So, at this stage Mark has an uphill struggle ahead,

but as our bargain busters break for a breather,

Mr Franks appears relaxed, and in fine fettle.

Oh, yeah. Ideas above your station, have you?

Well, the way I see it is, if I'm the king of the castle,

you are the dirty old rascal.

Oh, no. No. You've got it the wrong way round.

-How you done?

-Getting there. Not bought much.

-No.

-How about you?

I don't believe you. What have you bought?

You really want to know?

No, I don't want to know, actually. I want to carry on buying.

See you later.

Oh, it's starting to get tetchy.

Our trading trackmongers stride out once again,

and they're soon up to full pace.

Franksy's chasing, but the man's unflappable.

That's nice, I just don't think I've got enough dough.

Yes, very amusing.

Now get down to it, because James has already found his rhythm again.

He's spied a censer from the Far East.

Would you take a fiver for that? It's got a tenner on it.

-Yes, that's all right.

-You will? Thank you.

Well, it's not a lot of money, but there's a profit in it,

and that's what counts.

This is a little 19th-century, probably Chinese, censer.

It's made from bronze.

We've got a temple lion or Dog of Fo on the cover,

and the idea is they fill that with a bit of sand,

they put little incense sticks in there, put the cover on it,

and the smell comes out of the four pierced holes in the cover.

So James powers on, and leaves Franksy further adrift

when he picks up more armour - a breastplate - for £50.

It's not genuine 17th-century steel, it's 20th-century,

but at least it's handmade.

If this was real 17th-century cavalry armour,

we'd be looking at £1,000

but for £50, together with my helmet that also cost 50,

it should, in theory, make a decent sale, and hopefully a decent profit.

James has got himself well defended, but he should watch out,

because Franksy's just secured a deal.

He's agreed £250 for a signal lamp.

So tell me about what I've just bought.

OK, probably about 1940s. It's been totally renovated.

Sorry, explain for people who don't understand what a signal lamp is.

Signal lamp, Morse code.

Morse code, basically not used nowadays.

So it's been converted to take standard light bulbs.

Yeah, and this bit is?

That is to sight your ship in the distance.

Yeah, angle for your signalling.

Basically, there's the button.

This doesn't work now, because it's been converted.

You've been a gentleman with the price.

Now, the big question is, will I be firing SOS or win, win, win?

Time will tell.

Indeed it will, Mark!

And a little bonus -

the seller had the electrics tested and has the certificate to prove it,

so that's one less job for Franksy.

Both our antiques athletes are quickening their pace.

James continues to stalk the stalls,

but Mark's confidence is driving him on.

Not long ago, it looked like the writing was on the wall for Franksy,

but now it's on the table,

the bench

and the floor.

Cool, man, cool.

He buys a whole load of letters.

I've tried to work out every potential, possible person that

might want to buy something, and I've got lots of little things here.

Helen. I know a few Helens.

Shop. Lots of people have shops.

Tea room. The Sun pub.

I think this is hot property.

125 the lot.

That's a fair wedge of Mark's money, so will his purchase spell success?

James is stuck on seven items, but our ace auctioneer is a spender,

and with £300 of remaining budget burning a hole in his pocket,

he's putting in the legwork.

But Franksy's fast catching up with powerhouse Lewis,

and for some extra acceleration, our cheeky chappie's found

an ingenious way of getting around.

Stop, stop, stop! Stop, stop, stop!

Thank you, driver.

Takes you back, doesn't it?

To when I was 15.

Come on then, give me your worst price.

I will do you, the worst price, £10.

£10. Have that tenner. Smashing. Thanks very much.

You want to get ahead, get a skateboard.

Yes, always a child at heart.

Our skater boy can't resist burning some rubber.

# He was a skater boy She said see you later, boy

# He wasn't good enough for her

# He was a skater boy She said see you later, boy. #

Whoa! Whoa!

I ain't lost it!

Yeah, whatever you say, Franksy!

And James's inner athlete is coming out as well.

He's spotted a vaulting horse.

£450 for one of these.

I bet all of the schools up and down Britain are going "No!

"We threw them in the skip!"

-Well, look and learn, because

-I

-certainly am.

£450 each. Gosh.

No triple somersaults from Mr Lewis,

just a gentle acceleration back onto the racetrack.

Mark, however, is powering his way around the showground,

but he slows for a pit stop when he spies a vintage petrol can.

If I offer you a fiver, you're going to say no, aren't you?

You can have it for eight.

-I'll toss you, five or ten.

-OK then.

Yeah? You got a coin?

-Call.

-Heads.

He said heads, it's tails.

Sorry, mate.

Yes, the old coin toss trick works a treat.

Lovely brass top, BP.

If that's missing, these aren't really worth very much at all.

This is what makes it.

As the stall holders begin to pack up for the day,

the bell tolls for the last lap,

and as they hit the final stretch,

both our runners are chasing that one last item.

I want to buy something fabulous. Something small.

Something exquisite.

Something that will make me a profit.

Yes. Still on the hunt, James races indoors

to look at the more delicate items,

but for HIS last purchase, it seems that Franksy has travelled

to a far distant planet.

I said I wanted to buy unusual stuff that you can't buy just anywhere,

and then I've gone and bought something really run-of-the-mill.

Take a look at these two.

They're made of fibreglass.

Apparently they came from the Blackpool Illuminations.

Goodness knows what I'm going to do with them.

I've just laid out £150 from my hard-earned cash,

but I think these are going to be an absolute winner.

Indoors, James's local connections have finally paid off.

He's bumped into Robert, who he's bought from before,

and the Lionheart is just in time.

Robert was about to leave, but he unpacks a case of rings.

You've got some whoppers!

That one you can have for 240.

James chooses his three favourites, but he can't make up his mind,

so he looks for ladies to help.

# Diamonds are a girl's best friend. #

I need advice. Which do you like?

That one. OK. Thank you.

Of those three rings, which would you like?

Mmm - that one.

That one. Right, OK. Thank you.

Excuse me.

If you were buying a ring, which would you go for, of those three?

Ummm... That one, I think.

Oh, no, that's one each!

That's not helping me.

Right, the next one seals the deal.

I know, where is she?

-That one.

-That one, thank you.

Brilliant. You've been a great help.

The first one James picked, the diamond crossover ring,

is the winner, but it costs him almost a third of his budget.

Well, at last, my final purchase of the day.

I'm hoping the weary eyes and legs haven't led me to a bad decision.

But I don't normally buy jewellery.

But I just thought for a change, why not?

So James's final push brings this buying battle to a close.

Our sprinters cross the finish line and while they go for

a well-earned shakedown, it's time to tot up some numbers.

Our two medal winners both started the day with £750 of their own

money spurring them on.

Mark "Franksy" Franks has collected eight purchases on his travels

and spent every last penny of his budget.

James "The Lionheart" Lewis has also racked up eight items,

but spent less, £675.

And so, our antiques chasers take a vantage point over the arena

and compare their kit.

-I thought I'd bought some rubbish!

-I do like that.

-Do you?

I didn't know it was for sale or I'd have bought it.

Do you know what it is?

Yes, it's a fuel tank for an aeroplane that mainly was

-flown over Korea.

-Somebody's told you that.

-Yes.

-How do you know that?

-Well, you know.

-Those heads, they are brilliant.

-Aren't they?

-And they're as mad as that.

-Yeah, yeah.

-They would go together well.

-They would.

I paid a lot of money for this,

but I can't see anything expensive there at all.

There was...somewhere

a ring.

There's one there, is that it?

JAMES LAUGHS

That was all right.

I mean, I don't buy jewellery, it's not my thing really.

No, and there's nothing wrong with buying cubic zirconia. I think it's a good way forward.

-What about this? What's going on here?

-Try it.

-Now, hang on a minute. Make sure... Hang on.

-Let's get me ears in!

-Get your ears inside.

-OK.

-Are your ears in?

-Just about. Gently!

-Argh, that's my chin!

-Go on!

Oh!

-What's this?

-That's my...

That's my chin!

I can't even...

-JAMES LAUGHS

-See you.

-Oh, thanks, James(!)

Our awesome knights of all things antique may have set a mean

pace during the buying,

but that was just the first leg in this race for Put Your Money Gold.

Now, as they return to their respective bases,

both our battle-hardened hagglers have only two things on their minds,

selling their items for as much money as possible

and making sure that they're the one who finishes the day standing

proud on the winner's podium.

Back at the Lionheart's lair,

James reflects on his unusual antiques fair haul.

I've gone for the quirky and I've gone for the unusual.

Let's start with my wonderful armour.

It isn't old, but it looks the part.

And I've got just the person in mind.

The weights at the front, well, I've already found somebody a set of scales in the past

and I promised them I'd find them some weights to go with it.

Of all of the things that I've found at the antiques fair, my cut-glass

and bronze candle lustres are without question the most in demand.

Everybody loves them

and the final two lots are my Korean War extended flight fuel tank that

has been used as an antiques shop sign

and my International Motorcycle Club Tour map.

They're both bonkers, but they're both going to be great fun.

James also needs to find buyers for the 19th-century Chinese censer

and the gold diamond crossover ring.

While the Lionheart appears to be the picture of confidence,

down in his London lock-up,

wheeler-dealer Franksy is less at ease, as he surveys his stash.

Right, what have we actually bought? A beautiful lamp. Isn't it nice?

The letters? Not a problem, they'll sell themselves.

These are pretty, recycling, love it!

The heads? Mmm, anyway, let's just gloss over the heads.

The petrol can, that should be great.

Now, I've got a couple of different colours that I'm going to spray it.

I'm going to go for blue. A mate of mine's got a blue car.

If I can spray that blue, they'll be very saleable.

£750?

The lad looks daunted. Mark will also need to sell the skateboard

and the fairground mirrors.

Well, this looks set to be an almighty clash of differing styles,

the ducking and diving of dealer Mark versus the knowledge

and determination of auctioneer James.

They'll both need to dig deep into their contacts books to

secure the best buyers for the biggest profit.

Remember, until they've shaken on it

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

It's Mark who is first to get into his selling stride,

as he dashes over to Battersea, south-west London,

with some of the letters he paid a total of £125 for.

He's hoping the personal touch will do the trick

when he shows them to dealer and long-time friend Helen.

-They're lovely, Mark. Where are they from? Can I have a look?

-Yeah, sure.

Oh, they're wood. No9, it's not wood. It's MDF-y stuff.

-Is it?

-They've got to be of age though. They're not brand-new.

OK, darling. Well, as usual, how much?

-Would £100 be wrong?

-Yes!

Is it too cheap?

-So wrong!

-Shucks!

I was doing sums in my head. Can you get a tenner a letter?

If you get a tenner each, I want to pay you half that. I think 40 quid.

45.

Because I love you.

I love you too!

Sealed with a kiss. Charmer Mark pockets £45.

He's not in profit yet,

but he's still got over two-thirds of the letters left to go.

He's quick to line up another potential

deal for more of the letters and he heads over to a cafe in his local town of Wallington, in Surrey.

He's hoping that Natasha, who works there, will be

interested in buying the letters to use as wall art.

-What do you think of that?

-Yeah, love it.

-Is it something you'd be interested in?

-Yeah.

-I've got the perfect space for it up on the wall.

-You've got the room. And it's a showstopper.

So how much is that then?

-Why don't you make me an offer that I can't refuse?

-40?

50 and a hot chocolate.

-Yeah, go on then.

-Yeah? Deal!

-Thank you.

Yes, it's another kiss, another £50 in the pot and a hot chocolate.

And when Franksy finds two more buyers for the remaining

letters, it spells out a final overall profit of £40.

But James has no intention of letting Mark run away with victory.

He's hoping to redress the balance,

as he takes the weights he bought for £10 to show Paul Harrison,

a client to whom he's previously sold a set of scales.

-Are they something you'd be prepared to have a go for?

-Um...depends what you want for them.

-Obviously.

-Yeah. I don't want a fortune. What would you have in mind?

I'd probably say round about the 20 mark.

-Could I budge you a couple of quid?

-25?

-Deal.

-OK.

-Brilliant. Thank you.

James weighs in with an opening profit of £15.

Next, he focuses attention on the diamond ring he bought for £240.

Aiming to maximise his profit, James has decided to raffle the ring

and has invested in a raffle licence and tickets.

At £10 a ticket, he's hoping to sell enough to far exceed what

he might have earned if he'd merely sold on.

-There's a lump in my throat to say this is my last ten-pound note.

-Oh!

Thank you!

That's fantastic. Thank you very much.

-There we go.

-Thank you.

-Have one of those.

-£10 each, there you go.

-I want two.

-There we are. Thank you very much.

-And for me.

-Brilliant. Thank you very much.

Fill out your details on there for me. Thank you.

-I'll have one.

-Brilliant.

There we go. There's one. I'll let you know. Fingers crossed.

Well done, guys. Thanks very much. Cheers, bye!

It's a radical strategy,

but will James's raffle deliver victory or disappointment?

Time will tell.

Back in London, Franksy's looking to race away with his next profit.

He's meeting friend Mark Coughlin, the owner of a classic 1926

Delage car, to show him the vintage petrol can which he paid £5 for.

And in a bid to secure the best deal, Franksy has repainted

the can with old spray paint to try and match the colour of the car.

What about that for a nice colour match? Not bad, is it?

-Is it a Second World War one?

-I think it's pre-Second World War.

No, it's been through the Second World War!

Look, it's a nice thing. Are you interested in buying it, Mark?

Depends how much it is.

We'll talk money, but I do need a lift home.

I've been standing out here in the damp.

20 quid and I'll give you a lift home.

Go on, then. Deal. Start driving!

Franksy manages to fuel a profit of £15 on the petrol can

and get a lift home to boot.

-Mark, would you mind if I called you James, rather than Mark?

-James?

James! Home, James! And don't spare the horses!

Cheeky boy!

This selling race is now starting to heat up with Mark leading

James by two sales to one.

But the Lionheart is looking to strike back,

as he travels to Uttoxeter to see John,

a regular client of his and owner of a museum of everyday items.

James is hoping his pair of candle holders that cost him

£140 will prove a desirable addition to John's collection.

Of all the things I've bought from the antiques fair,

if I was going to live with and own any of it, it'd be these.

So I think they're probably 1850,

with these candle lustre droppers.

Yes, very nice. Very ornate. So what are you looking for?

You're going to knock me down, so I'll start higher.

-500.

-500?

-Yeah.

And do you know? Actually, to be fair,

I could see those with a price tag of more than 500 in a smart shop.

I'm going to be cheeky. I like the idea of 285.

-300.

-Thank you very much.

-300, there you go.

Extraordinary. James lights up a profit of £160 on the candleholders.

And whilst he's there, quick-thinking Mr Lewis also tries his luck

selling some raffle tickets.

It's a tenner to win something that's probably worth,

if you were to buy it from a shop, 500-700.

Well, the wife does love a bit of bling.

-Does she?

-Mm.

-JAMES LAUGHS

-She does. I'll have five.

Fantastic! You're a good man. Thank you very much.

Yes, Mark's quick to retaliate though, as he heads up to Stotfold

in Hertfordshire with his mirror and mirror frame,

which cost a combined £170.

He's arranged to see fairground and steam enthusiast John,

who has expressed an interest in them,

which Franksy's hoping will be reflected in a tidy profit.

John, I bought these at an antique fair. What do you think of those?

I think they are very good.

A nice piece of original fairground memorabilia.

It's been sculptured, the woodwork,

because fairground people were very much artists as well,

not just the decorative work,

but the gold leaf and the way they got it all together.

Are these something that would be of any interest to you at all?

-They'd be well worth having, yes.

-Good stuff.

-Well, I don't know.

I would have thought probably somewhere about £85 apiece.

Why don't we round it up and call it 200 quid and then make life a lot easier?

You're a hard man to deal with, I think!

But if you say you want 200, the thing you've got to remember,

-we can't go and buy any more new ones.

-You won't get them new and these have got age.

It's craftsmanship and I agree. I'm taking the words out of your mouth.

-Yeah.

-Can I shake your hand?

-You're a good salesman, I think.

Mark pockets a profit of £30 for the mirror and frame.

So, as we reach the halfway point in this selling battle,

it's time to see who is looking at victory

and who just needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror.

Mark was first to hit the track and has made four sales so far,

sprinting ahead with an £85 profit.

James has only sold two items, but has a profit of £175, as well

as the money from the diamond ring raffle tickets he's sold so far.

So, James has taken an imposing lead in this selling race and he shows

no signs of slowing down, as he heads to Tutbury Castle,

near Burton on Trent, with the replica breastplate

and helmet that cost a combined £100.

He's hoping they'll be interested in buying them,

but he's going up against a formidable potential buyer.

By Royal Appointment, it's Queen Elizabeth I herself.

Well, Lesley actually - the castle curator,

to give her her proper title.

Hello there!

-Or should I say - Your Majesty!

-Thou art welcome, Master James.

-Lovely to see you.

-And you.

Well, I was thinking in terms of some things to decorate

Tutbury Castle, but in such garb,

maybe it's more appropriate to fight the Spanish with them!

Of course. Well, this looks fabulous.

And in my other job as a curator,

as well as being Queen of England, I'm delighted to see some

things that could be interesting and we want people to be engaged

-with history here, as long as it's the right price!

-Yes. Yes.

-Then I could get a bit queenie again!

-OK.

-Tell me all about it then.

-Neither of them are period.

They're not real. They are good-quality props.

-That has more age than that.

-And what would this be used for?

To decorate some great Victorian's home? Or is it later still than that?

-I think it's 20th century.

-Oh, is it?

-Yeah.

I think it's probably a prop from a film studio, something like that.

In style, it's early, it's probably 14th century, something like that.

I'd much rather have the real thing, but often it's important for people to get a chance to handle

these things, which they wouldn't normally have. So this is great for the schoolchildren

-and the public to get a sense of the weight of these things. This does feel like the real weight.

-Yes.

What time do you think this dates from?

-19th century.

-So, let's talk about the price.

-What were you thinking?

-150? 175 would be the top, I think.

-I was hoping for nearer 250.

-Let's just have a look at things here.

And this of course, as you can see, is the real thing.

Now then, we've got some notes here.

I should probably ask you who that woman is on the front!

-I'm going to put 200 in front of you and see how you feel about it.

-Go on, then.

20, 40, 60, 80, 100.

-20, 40, 60, 80, 100.

-Oh, you've got more left! But I'm not going to go down that line.

-You've got a deal.

-200?

-Brilliant.

-Fantastic! That's great!

Yes, thankfully, James is more Blackadder than Baldrick,

as he haggles his way to a double-your-money profit of £100.

But Mark won't go down without a fight

and he's putting in the hard graft.

He's travelled north to Blackpool in Lancashire with the alien

heads that cost him £150. He knows they were originally part of the city's world-famous

Illuminations and he's hoping they can be repatriated for a profit

when he shows them to Mark Yates, a collector of Blackpool memorabilia.

Mark, I've e-mailed you pictures of these but they're quite a size.

-Are they bigger than you imagined them to be?

-They're a lot bigger, yeah. They are brilliant though.

-It's not often you get to see the Illuminations up this close.

-Yeah.

-So it is a good thing to see them.

-Now, you've done a bit of homework. You believe they were in...

-In the flying saucers, yeah.

They used to have a sign at the start of the Illuminations that said "Welcome Earthlings".

And they were either there or on one of the roundabout features.

-Brilliant.

-As you go through them. So they're a piece of history, really.

Where are you going to put them? Have you any ideas?

I think first of all, we might put them in the window of the shop

-downstairs and actually light them up for people to see them.

-Fantastic. I'm so glad I bought them.

The ball's in your court, we're in Blackpool, you know what these things cost and what their value is.

Make me an offer and we'll shake hands.

-I was thinking around the 200 quid mark.

-Are you happy with that?

-Over the moon.

-We've got a deal. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Stick of rock thrown in, obviously.

-We'll sort you out with some rock.

-Brilliant!

So the alien heads head home and Mark heads back to London with a £50 profit.

Both our battling bruisers have been banking impressive profits

and the frenetic pace of selling shows no signs of abating,

as James targets more profit with a fuel tanker that cost him £110.

He's travelled to Newark Air Museum, a place he knows well,

having spent many a day there as a boy.

I have to say, it's 26 years ago that I was last here.

I think you had about five planes then, something like that.

That's right, that's when we first started. And now we have over 80.

So we've grown quite a bit since then.

-Gosh! And what are we leaning on?

-This is a Meteor.

A night fighter Meteor. Hence the rather large nose.

And it would be used in interception roles.

-And the relevance of this is that.

-It's the fuel tank, that's right.

When I first saw this, I had no idea what it was.

I thought it could be a torpedo. It could be a missile.

The guy who sold it to me actually knew. I thought, one place for that.

Well, it's fabulous. Most of the later ones were aluminium.

This is a fibreglass one.

And obviously designed to mount on the wing tips.

We can see the connections here for the fuel, which was for being

pumped out, and the refilling would be on the side there.

-But it normally would not be this green.

-No!

-It makes it stand out more.

-Would it be silver or grey, like that?

-Something like that, a silver grey.

-Yes.

-How about 350?

Ooh, that's a little bit too much, that is.

-If you said half that, I'd have...

-Half? Oh, how about 250?

225?

-We've got a deal.

-Thank you very much, James. Thank you.

So, James fills up with another £115 of profit fuel.

The pressure's really on Mark now to turn his last three

items into big profits.

But things don't go well when two of his items he's

put into auction in Tooting, south London, make a loss.

Firstly, the Monopoly and Scrabble pictures fail to prove bankers,

leaving Mark with a loss of £32.64 after selling fees.

Then, the skateboard which cost Mark £10 skates away for exactly the same

amount he paid for it, meaning that after fees, Franksy's down by £2.64.

That wasn't very good, was it?

Franksy's quest for profit may be floundering

but there's no such problem for James.

He's made profits on all his items so far and that continues,

as he offloads the censer to a dealer who is

a client of his for a profit of £20.

And with the finishing line in sight, and the raffle draw for

the diamond crossover ring imminent, James sells his last few tickets.

But as well as the ring raffle,

the Lionheart also has one other item to find a buyer for,

the motorcycle sign that cost £70.

Aiming for a clean sweep of profits, he's travelled to meet

Bill at the London Motorcycle Museum in Greenford, north London.

Bill, I have to say, I've never been

so sure that I've brought the right thing to the right place.

This is what I've brought along for you.

-Is it something you're familiar with?

-I've heard about it.

There's quite a few biker clubs across Europe, of course.

-If it was a vitreous enamel, it would be very collectible.

-Yeah.

But being fibreglass, it's not so interesting,

but the actual sign is good and it would look good.

-So what sort of price are you looking for it?

-How about 150?

I think it would be nearer the price at 50.

Would 75 do it?

65.

That's fine by me. It's the right place for it.

Thanks very much.

Oh, James's hopes of a clean sweep of profits are dashed

as he makes a £5 loss on the sign.

So, with James all sold up, it all comes down to Franksy's last item,

the signal lamp, which cost him £250.

Looking for that deal to seal victory,

Mark has taken his lamp all the way to the Lanes in Brighton to

meet Alice, who owns a retro antiques shop.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-Yeah.

What's the story behind it? Do you know?

Well, I bought it from a guy, he makes them,

so he's bought an old signal lamp and if you look on the handle,

there's a button you can press in which would do like the Morse code.

It's got a lovely old wooden tripod and it's just really nice.

So I can see by your shop that you've got taste cos it's rammo-jammo

full of nice stuff.

-So it just fits in nicely.

-Yeah, it goes with the concept very well.

-I do like it. So what kind of money do you want for it?

-It cost me 250.

If you can give me a profit, I'll be over the moon.

Cos it is nice and I do think, to the right person,

you could put it in the window and you'll make a profit on it.

I reckon...bottom line would probably be 290,

I could give you for that.

-We've got a deal. Lovely.

-Great.

Yes, it's a £40 profit for Mark, but is it enough for victory?

James and Mark both started this contest with £750 of their own

money to spend at the antiques fair.

Mark Franks picked up eight purchases,

spending all £750 of his budget.

James Lewis also bought eight items, but spent less, £675.

But who has made the most profit? All the money that James

and Mark have made from today's challenge will go to

charities of their choice, so without further ado, let's

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

-Have you bought me a present?

-I have. This is all about my ring.

Would you do me the honour of drawing my raffle?

-I won't look. I'm not going to look.

-I'm not going to look either.

If it says Mark Franks, we're all onto a winner.

This is the ticket that I've drawn. His name is Alan Whelan.

-What was that ring worth, a few hundred quid, yeah?

-It was worth probably 300-500 at auction, yeah.

So his ten pound has done very well for himself.

-Righty-ho.

-Come on, then. This is scary.

-Three...

-I don't want to look.

-..two, one.

-Well, I'm pleased with what I made. I'm not looking at yours.

Cos you've wiped the floor with me, no doubt, by selling the ring for...

Wow! You have wiped the floor with me!

-You're my hero, James Lewis!

-Aw, thanks, Mark!

Can I keep the fishbowl? Yeah, why not?

So, James dishes out an almighty thrashing.

Having got Mark to do the draw, James arranges to see Alan,

the winning ticket holder, to tell him the good news.

-You...have won that.

-The raffle! I've won it!

-Well done, you.

Thank you very much.

But the story doesn't end there.

James has an admission to make about the prize ring.

I have got a confession to make. That is not the original ring.

The original one has gone missing. I've no idea where it's gone.

We've searched high and low for it,

-but I think this might be a bit prettier.

-It's a nice ring.

Cost me the same though, that came straight out of my pocket.

-Thank you very much.

-It's a pleasure.

It's jolly pretty and I hope whoever ends up with it enjoys it.

-Thank you very much, James.

-Pleasure.

-Cheers.

Luckily for James, the Put Your Money gamesmasters ruled that he could

pay for a replacement ring of the same value

and style out of his own money and not from his profits.

So, the raffle makes James a total profit of £433.54 after the

cost of the raffle licence and tickets are taken off.

I made a good profit, but I couldn't quite keep up with James.

Well, what a whopping profit from the antiques fair.

I'm thrilled with that.

James may have prevailed today, but tomorrow is another day

and our experts get the chance to battle it out at an auction.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd