James Lewis v Mark Franks - Showdown 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.

-Wahey!

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

I'm on the case.

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 spend some money.

-Get in there!

Prepare for a white-knuckle ride.

James Lewis and Mark Franks are about to face the most formidable challenge.

It's time for the Showdown.

Our remnant experts must toil at the limits of human endurance

in a ferocious fight to find prized purchases that produce premium profits.

Coming up, James gets up to monkey business...

MIMICS MONKEY SOUNDS

..Mark shows you how to push past personal taste...

Absolutely horrible!

..and one expert gets rumbled by a customer.

Look at that face!

Is this the haggling face?

This will be a colossal clash. It's time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

The Showdown pits our two purchasing powerhouses against each other

in a seismic struggle to earn enormous profits.

Only one can achieve immortality. For the other, it's abject defeat.

First into the ring, a delectable, devious dealer

whose irrepressible charm and winning smile makes mortal souls fall at his feet.

It's Mark "Franksy" Franks.

-# I'm in the money! #

-But he has a considerable contender, a bewitching, but brutal barterer

who shows not an ounce of mercy.

It's James "The Lionheart" Lewis.

I'm not going to be beaten.

There can be only one winner, so expect blood, sweat and tears

as these two wizened warriors use all their knowledge and skill

to triumph in the toughest test of their professional lives,

so let's see what's in store.

I want to have a word with the postman. These keep turning up. It's better than the gas bill.

-Let's have a look. Showdown time, I guess.

-Showdown!

-"Welcome to the mighty Showdown."

-Mighty!

"The rules are simple. You must each buy two items at every one of your regular Put Your Money challenges.

-"You have £1,000 to spend."

-That's quite a lot of money.

"You can sell up to four items wherever you want

"and the rest will have to be sold at an auction which is in Cheshire.

-"The winner is the dealer that makes the most amount of money." Shall we get on with it?

-Let's go.

-Hoe-down!

Yes, let the games begin.

Both our incredible experts must cover the cost of any restoration repairs and buying fees

from their £1,000 budgets.

Our heavyweight hagglers will be buying in their usual Put Your Money hunting grounds -

a foreign antiques market, a car boot sale,

an auction and a UK antiques fair.

So who can battle his way to the biggest profit?

They're ready for Round 1, The Foreign Market.

Our rummaging rivals beat their way to Belgium to the famous Waterloo Antiques Market

where James and Mark must each buy two items.

It shouldn't be a problem. The place is packed with tempting trinkets and captivating collectables.

Mark is the first to swoop. He's found a print by the Belgian artist Roger Hebbelinck.

From a distance,

if you go back a bit, it's nice.

I don't know the artist. It's only a print. 187 of 350 that were made. It's a limited edition.

Not a massive run, but not a small run. And he wants 50 euros for it.

I'm going to offer him 30 euros. I can hear him laughing in the background.

He's really laughing now! Le dernier prix, monsieur?

-45 for you.

-So, if I said 40, you'd say no?

-45.

OK. Vendu.

Mark launches himself straight into the game.

Converting euros into pounds, the picture cost him £38.46.

James is normally chomping at the bit to spend money, but not today. He must get his act together.

Franksy has locked eyes on his second potential purchase.

-Have a look.

-It's another print, this time a work by the Dutch artist Pieter Zwaanswijk.

Has it got any chance? That's the question.

It could really fly because it will be an auction piece.

Two people trying to buy it, it could fly.

Also, it could really fail. This could be unsold at five quid.

-That's the reality of it.

-Ten euros.

-Sold!

-That's what I paid for it, ten euros.

-I'll give you 15. How's that? Are you happy?

-I'm very happy.

-That's what I call a gentleman.

Mark is so taken by the artwork, he pays over the asking price.

He seals the deal for the equivalent of £12.82.

For the price I've paid, I'd be very unlucky not to make a profit.

It's 1977. The date's on it.

It's a limited edition print. I like it. Watch it fly!

So that's Mark's foreign foray sorted. Time for James to shift up a gear.

He targets one of his favourite genres when be buys a trio of modern African tribal masks

for 90 euros or £76.92.

These three are really great fun.

They're all Punu. They're probably from Gabon or Congo.

We've got one male hunter with the horns

and we've got two female, lady masks as well.

Probably 20 or 30 years old at the most, but they have a great look.

Our Lionheart is at home with African art, never able to resist,

but it's getting towards the end of the day and the stallholders are packing up.

He's running out of time, so returns to something he dismissed earlier.

Here we have a classic pair of 19th century, cast-iron garden urns,

but they are what we call a campana shape.

The whole design is taken directly from antiquity.

This was the sort of thing that was being dug up at Herculaneum and Pompeii around 1780 and 1820.

Now, the Victorians were the first people to start making these, but they were made all over Europe,

normally in cast iron. The first time I looked at these was first thing this morning.

They were 400 euros. It's the end of the day and they're heavy and he hasn't sold them.

I'm going to try my luck again.

You don't want to load them back into here. I know they're 400. Would you do a bit of a deal for me?

The best I can do is 250.

That's it. You've got it. Absolute deal. Brilliant.

Yes, the pair of urns plant a sizeable hole in James's budget of £213.68.

Our mighty merchants came and they conquered,

so let's see how they're positioned in our purchasing power struggle.

Both our gutsy gladiators started out with £1,000 to play with.

Fearless Mark Franks snapped up his two items quick-smart.

He spent £51.28, leaving £948.72 in his kitty.

Meanwhile, James "The Lionheart" Lewis took his time

and then splashed out £290.60,

leaving £709.40 for the three remaining rounds.

Our boys are back in Blighty for Round 2, the Car Boot Sale.

Messrs Franks and Lewis are at Marks Tey in Essex.

Amongst the items on offer, a mixture of all things ancient and modern

and once again, they each need to hunt down two purchases.

Even though it's a wet morning, Franksy is looking at something sunny, a garden table.

-Do you want a fiver for it?

-I'll take a tenner. It cost 15 quid.

-We'll toss a coin.

-Yeah?

-5 or 15, how does that sound?

Go on then. I'll go heads. 5 or 15... Yes!

And our Londoner's luck comes good. He gets the table for £5.

All right, it's not the nicest thing in the world.

It's made of metal. It's like some sort of cast aluminium alloy.

It's got a nice lattice pattern going through the top there, so it's interwoven.

It's quite sturdy. With a little bit of tidying up, this has got to be £25.

Mark's reputation for transforming trash into treasure precedes him, so all the signs are good.

However, James isn't hanging about this time.

He has spotted a glass jug, but it does have a tiny chip in the rim.

20, you say? 15 and you've got a deal.

And £15 seals the deal.

In the mid to late 19th century, glass like this was really popular.

It's known as cranberry glass due to its colour.

A good way of telling this glass is genuine is the fact it has a pontil mark on the bottom.

The glass is blown with a blowing tube.

It is then attached to the pontil iron underneath

and then removed and smoothed out on the top.

When the glass is knocked off the pontil iron, it leaves a little mark underneath.

That is a classic example of 19th century glass.

Without a chip, it's £50.

Hopefully, I can grind that down and it'll still be 30, 35. Fingers crossed.

Let's hope so. James heads off to trawl the stalls for his next purchase.

Mark beats him to it though. He buys a collection of dozens and dozens of dance music records.

At just £10 the lot, he could be waltzing off the winner.

And it's not long before James finds his other car boot bargain, but it's slightly unorthodox.

He spends the grand sum of 50 pence on a novelty monkey hat

and he suddenly and strangely goes ape.

# Hey, hey, we're The Monkees and people say we monkey around... #

It's a bit scary. Even the Put Your Money sound man isn't safe from Jungle James.

Enough, James! Time to explain yourself.

Quality, style...

price.

It's what it's all about.

And when you've got model looks like me, who couldn't buy this hat?

Well, Mark and Monkey Man are done and dusted with the car boot chaos

and it brings us to the midway point in our colossal clash,

so let's see where we stand.

Both our bargain busters each started with £1,000 of their own money.

Mark is still holding on to his cash.

Two rounds down and just £66.28 spent,

leaving a whopping £933.72 in his kitty.

James has spent much more -

£306.10,

so he moves on with £693.90 left.

And so to Round 3, The Auction.

Our antiques assassins are at the Diss Auction Rooms in Norfolk

which is rammed with over 1,700 luscious lots, but this is a tough location for our titans.

There's four separate auctions all running simultaneously,

so they must pick carefully and position themselves wisely.

I've got a funny feeling it's going to be a challenge today.

It will be a challenge and we have got our work cut out.

Unless you've spotted anything you want to point out, I'll crack on.

It's a nightmare putting something from an auction into an auction,

so whatever we buy today, I reckon we'll have to sell privately.

Yes, something to bear in mind because again they each need two purchases

and while Mark's rooting around indoors, our very own auctioneer is outside.

He fancies a bit of furniture, so he's analysing the armchairs on offer.

If you're coming to an auction looking for a chair to buy, the upholstery is not important.

It's all about the wood, it's about the shape and probably the most important thing is the leg.

But here we have the star.

The leg is big, it's bold, it's strong,

it's hand-carved, it's got a great patination

and it's original. That's the winner.

It's not long before the button-backed armchair goes under the hammer.

Any advance? We'll sell away at 130.

I love that chair.

Adding in the auction house's fees, the Victorian chair cost £149.50,

and before Mark even gets a look-in, James is primed again, ready to pounce on more furniture,

this time, a walnut cabinet.

Coming up is a Victorian walnut credenza.

It needs an awful lot of money spending on it, but done, it's quite a nice lot.

It's got these curved glass doors, but done up, it would look super and a really smart, glitzy interior.

180. 190. 200.

220. 240.

-240 bid. 240 bid. Take 60?

-50?

250 I've got. At 250 bid. At 250 bid.

Selling at 250... BANGS GAVEL

Hopefully, there's a profit. Hopefully.

James roars away with the credenza.

Including fees, he hands over more than a quarter of his entire budget.

It cost £287.50.

But with such a big investment, he may have some regrets.

The phrase "Oh, no, what have I done" springs to mind when I look at this.

A bit of Victorian walnut furniture made around 1860, 1870,

this needs a colossal amount of work.

The entire base needs restructuring.

If it was veneers on the top, it would be more tricky, but it's not.

The glass is all right, the mounts are there, it has a great look

and I've got faith that there's a profit left in it somewhere.

Quite where, I don't know!

You'd better put your thinking cap on then!

Mark, meanwhile, has taken his time to buy his first lot -

a silver card case and two silver vesta cases for £149.50, including fees.

If you open the top, you can see a good, strong hallmark where it's not been over-cleaned, which is good.

It looks like it's been made in Birmingham. The spring hinge works OK which is very important.

So, yeah, not a bad little thing.

What have we got here? A little, simple vesta.

A lot of the younger people watching this will go, "What's a vesta?"

When smoking was fashionable, dirty habit, people used to carry match books around with them

and a match book would fit in there.

You would open it up, strike your match, back in your pocket,

but as smoking is so unfashionable now,

smoking memorabilia is going up in value.

The next one is a bit more modern.

It looks more 1930s, 1940s, very geometric.

Made in Birmingham. Don't forget, silver will always have an intrinsic value,

so that is something you can think about, you can always cash it.

But that's the real gem of the lot. Not a bad little buy.

But you'll remember that Mark has masses of money left to spend, so he has a premium plan.

"Always believe in your soul - gold."

I'm going to buy a big lump of gold. I've got about five or six weeks to sell it.

I'm going to watch the price on a daily basis.

If the price goes up, I'm going to London to make the money.

# Gold

# Always believe in your soul... #

Mark bides his time, but when a rose gold double fob chain comes up, he makes sure he gets it.

550. 580. 600.

620. 640. 640 I have. 640...

And our antiques athlete gets gold, but it costs him big-time.

Add in the fees and the price hits £736.

Gold is traded as a commodity. The price fluctuates.

I used to be a commodities trader, so I know a bit about it.

It's an Albert chain and it was named after or by Prince Albert who used to wear one.

It would go in your pocket with your watch on one end and this would go round your waistcoat.

It's nine-carat gold and each link is hallmarked which is wonderful.

I bought it on the weight. I don't want to scrap it,

but I do want to raise money and I do want to beat James Lewis.

Yes, it's an enormous risk to take. He's invested a huge amount of money.

If the gold price goes down, it will take Franksy with it.

Or will he have a gold rush and leave James in his dust?

Both our boys have spent big at the auction, so let's see where they stand.

Our experts started this contest with £1,000.

Mark went all out in Norfolk.

He's now spent £951.78 in total,

leaving just £48.22 for the last round.

James, unusually, has spent quite a bit less than his opponent -

£743.10.

He has £256.90 for the final push.

Which brings us to Round 4, The Antiques Fair,

the last chance for our audacious experts to prove their buying bravery.

Our bartering beasts are at Lincolnshire Antiques and Home Show to complete their epic haul,

but Franksy doesn't have much to play with, so he must spend wisely.

He's straight into the fray when he pounces on a 1950s cabinet.

Go on, how much?

-50 quid.

-15 quid?

-£50!

-Sorry, I misheard him.

It's right up your street. It's unusual.

I'm in a blooming cul-de-sac if that's right up my street. It's horrible.

I'm going to offer you £28 and 22 pence. How does that grab you?

-Done.

-Done. Done deal.

It might sound like a random amount, but it leaves Mark with an even £20 in his kitty.

Screaming 1950s,

Formica top,

absolutely horrible!

And that's why it's going to make a profit.

Well, if you say so, Mark.

He's off and running and while The Lionheart stalks the stalls,

Franksy finds his final item, a wooden sign for a particular lady.

I need to find somebody called Sue who's a bit saucy.

Isn't it great? That was a fiver. It's got plenty of age. It's just a little wooden panel.

It's got to be a profit. Are you Sue? Please phone me now on 555 5555...

So, Mark's all bought up which gives plenty of time to find a lady called Sue

who will admit to being saucy.

So, once again, James is trailing. The pressure of the Showdown must be getting to him.

Eventually, he spots an Art Deco, marble clock.

It's marked up at £45, but James isn't convinced.

-20 quid?

-No, it's got to be 40, honestly.

Go on, take 25. I don't really want it, but...

-Go on then.

-Cheers.

He's not keen. Could that be a panic purchase? Time will tell.

But after a hint of hunting, he buys something he absolutely loves -

a 1930s chair for £95.

There are certain things in life that you see that you just have to have and this is one of them.

It's either a dentist's chair

or, I think more likely, a hairdresser's or a barber's chair.

And it raises...

And it also tilts.

It's also got a little baby chair as well. Look at that. Isn't it fantastic?

One thing is without doubt.

It's certainly a cut above the rest.

And a confident buy brings it all to an end -

eight items each bought and paid for.

James and Mark have battled ferociously in their bid for antiques immortality.

It's time to tot up their final tallies.

Our Grade One experts each started out with £1,000.

Madcap Mark spent almost everything on his eight items -

£985 all up.

Jaunty James has uncharacteristically spent less -

£863.10.

This may be the ultimate contest, but our two gallant gladiators call a truce to review their purchases.

-What's your favourite item you bought?

-A credenza.

-Very nice.

Absolutely lovely.

-It's quite grown-up stuff, proper antiques.

-Yeah.

My biggest risk, shall I say, is buying that big lump of gold.

-What did you pay for it?

-About 700 quid.

Oh!

-All about the gold.

-Yeah.

-Massive risk.

-Any regrets?

-Why on earth, in a rush of blood to the head, did I buy that monkey hat?

I reckon, percentage-wise, that will make more money than any of the other items.

-I've enjoyed your company.

-I've enjoyed your company. Good fun.

-It's been good fun.

Well, they might love each other now, but our hardened hagglers must toughen up

because here they turn their attention to the tricky task of finding buyers for their booty.

And because this is the ultimate, electrifying antiques challenge,

our heavyweight competitors must also prepare for the intimidating, awe-inspiring Showdown auction.

At Lionheart HQ in Derbyshire, James has realised the magnitude of the situation.

It's crunch time. It all boils down to this.

I've split my items up into two main categories -

those I'll take to the auction and those I'll sell privately. Privately, the cast-iron urns -

I have absolutely no idea.

My balloon-back chair. I had slight interest in it already,

but by far the most interest - my hairdresser's/dentist's chair.

There is a battle going on. Everybody wants it.

However, the thing that I'm most nervous about is my walnut credenza.

It's at the restorers, needs a lot of work.

That means he's sending to auction the modern African tribal masks,

the 1930s French marble clock garniture,

the 19th-century glass jug

and the monkey hat!

Franksy's not yet worked out which items he'll send to auction. For Mark, there's a single focus.

It's all about gold. Most of the money was spent on this one chain.

The price of gold needs to go up and then I make loads of money.

I bought other things - paintings, tables, loads of bits and bobs,

but it's all about...gold.

But Mark still has to sell all those other bits and bobs.

The 20th-century Belgian print. The 1970s Dutch print.

The vintage metal table. The collection of dance music records.

The selection of silverware.

The 1950s Formica cabinet. And the Saucy Sue sign.

Remember, at least four of those must be sent to auction.

Our profit pioneers pick up the phones and peruse their contacts

as they have only a limited time to secure private buyers before they meet again at the auction.

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

It's our South London smasher who crashes into action first.

He's headed to Mrs Smith's Tea and Gift Shop in Banstead

where he hopes friend Sue will be impressed by the sign he bought for £5.

-Hello, Sue. How are you doing?

-How are you?

-Not bad.

Listen, I was at an antique fair and I say something and it made me think of you.

-Right...

-I wondered if you wanted to buy it. Ready?

-Yeah, go on.

-It had your name written all over it.

-Better not be saucy.

-Isn't that smashing?

-I like that. You thought of me straight away?

Yeah. "Do I know anyone called Sue who's a bit saucy?" Yeah, you.

-Would you be interested?

-Go on.

-15 quid. How's that sound?

-Tenner.

-I knew she'd battle me down. 20.

-Tenner.

Go on, then. As it's for you.

-Saucy Sue.

-That's lovely.

So he pulls off the surprise and doubles his money and signposts a profit of £5,

but James is not far behind. He's arranged a potential buyer for his button-backed armchair

that cost almost £150. In the Lionheart saleroom he meets David, who he regularly sells to.

It needs a bit of polish and new upholstery.

-Yeah.

-But under there I don't think the horsehair will need redoing,

so it's not a full re-upholster. What I loved was that leg.

-The way that that sweeps all the way down.

-It is nice,

-but what are you looking for?

-How does 350 grab you?

-No.

-Under two.

-Under two won't buy it.

-220?

-How about 240?

-225?

-230 and you've got a deal.

-Deal.

And a very solid starting profit from the chair - £80.50.

And James is on a roll. He takes his 19th-century cast-iron urns to Steve

whose garden overlooks the impressive Derbyshire countryside and all goes well.

-395 and you've got yourself a deal.

-Go on, James.

-You've got a deal. Thank you.

The urns earn a hefty profit - £181.32.

And that puts Franksy a long way behind, but there's always the gold.

He's been checking the gold price every day so can his £736 investment make a winning profit?

Here I am in Hatton Garden, the epicentre of gold and jewellery in central London.

I've got the gold chain and I've been watching the gold price.

And it's done that - absolutely flatlined. I kept waiting for it to beep up or drop down.

It's done nothing. Unfortunately, it's time to get out of jail.

We'll see if I can make or lose, but there's not a lot in it. Come and see how I get on.

Mark's meeting Steve, a precious metals dealer he knows.

Well, listen, I bought this at auction, I paid commission.

-It's a nice thing.

-Nice Victorian Albert.

-Exactly. All ramped up, every link.

-Nine carat, yeah?

-Yeah. I paid through the nose.

-You can have mate's rates.

Right. We're paying 11.66.

You can have 11.86, so...

-I'll round it up as well.

-Go on.

-£714.

-That's me losing money.

-If you can hang on to it, it could go up.

-It cost me 736.

-Could you do any better?

-720.

-That's my best, best offer.

-It's a loss. What do I do?

-Take the money and run.

-Get the chequebook out, Steve.

So Mark's big plan backfired. That's a loss of £16.

Now over in Derbyshire, James is also in a spot of bother.

He asked his regular furniture restorer, Paul, to renovate his Victorian walnut credenza

using his leftover money, just under £137.

Paul initially thought he could do it for that sum, but now it seems there's a little bit of a problem.

-You've spent more money, haven't you?

-I have.

It took a lot longer to put right.

I said that I had this budget of about £135 or so.

-At that stage you said you thought you could get it done.

-I did.

Right. So what happened?

Very simply, it's had some time in the house, it's dried right out.

-Yeah.

-All the veneer was just falling away.

I've re-veneered the whole plinth, but there is no way I could let that leave my workshop

in the state it would have been in.

-So what should this have cost?

-250.

I've got a slight problem here. I don't have the rest of that to pay you out of what I had.

I quite like the piece, especially now.

If you want to come to an arrangement - I'm being serious -

I'll waive the entire restoration figure if you're prepared to accept an offer on the piece.

OK. All right.

The most I would pay, and I'm not prepared to haggle,

I'd pay £400 for it.

-And I won't charge any restoration. That's down to me.

-OK.

Do you want to take that on board, have a think?

And that's exactly what James does. Will he take Paul's offer or face our wrath for going over-budget,

however unwitting it may have been?

While James ponders, Franksy motors across to Lewes in East Sussex. He's re-sprayed the metal table

and taken it to a pub to meet barmaid Sara. And she's keen.

-Let's talk money. Gosh...

-Maybe about 15?

-Wow!

-Did you say 15 or 50?

-15.

-Cos my hearing.

-15.

-Oh, gosh.

Oh, gosh... You can do a bit better than that.

How about...20?

25 and we've got a deal. How's that?

Wow! You'd have got more. You shook my hand far too fast! I feel like I've been done.

But that's still a blinding result.

Mark sells the table for five times what he paid, a profit of £20.

And he also offloads the 1950s Formica cabinet. He sells it to a private buyer for £35,

making a profit of £6.78.

James moves on to the 1930s hairdresser's chair that cost £95.

It's had an awful lot of interest, but James has chosen to take it to Chelmsford

and celebrity hairstylist Lee Stafford. Lee is currently creating a hairdressing academy

and offers to meet James in the salon next door.

-I do like it.

-Good.

-I like the shape of it a lot. It looks like it's from Sweeney Todd.

-It does look a bit frightening.

-I love that bit. That looks great.

For kiddies, right? Brilliant.

I've never seen one of those before with a drop-down top.

-It weighs a ton!

-You have to really shuffle it to move it.

-And it works.

-Yeah. No, it's a lovely shape.

-I do like the shape.

-Good.

-You could make it look very modern, but very old at the same time.

Are you a hard haggler? I have to start really high to...

-I don't know. I mean... I don't know. We'll see.

-OK.

600.

Well, I've done a little bit of research, I must say. I was seeing them for 400 quid.

-I think 400... 400 shows me a very nice profit.

-But they were in good condition.

-At 400?

-Yeah. They were reasonably good condition.

Why don't we say 300 quid? That face!

That face!

Is this it? Is this the haggling phase?

300 quid. It ain't got a headrest on it. It needs a hell of a lot of work.

-I tell you what. 320.

-I was wanting over four. I'll take four. A flat four.

350. 350.

380 and it's below what I was hoping for and you've got a deal.

-In the middle. 360.

-70.

-365.

-Done!

Yes, that's an excellent return. The hairdresser's chair cuts a mighty profit of £270.

During his trip down south, James mulls over Paul's offer for the credenza.

He phones Paul with his decision.

-The credenza, do you still want it?

-I'd certainly be interested.

-OK, it's yours, then. 400. All right?

-That's absolutely fine.

Brilliant. Paul, it's yours.

Accepting Paul's offer means James doesn't have to pay restoration fees

and that means he makes a profit on the credenza of £112.50.

That rounds off the private sales. Before we witness the nerve-jangling terror of the showdown auction

let's see where they stand.

James "The Lionheart" Lewis has come up trumps on every sale so far,

building up a very healthy profit of £644.32.

Sadly, the same can't be said of Mark Franks.

In fact, his profit is rather meagre - just £15.78.

So the stunning showdown auction is make or break for Mark.

Our sharpshooters are squaring up at the Adam Partridge auctioneers in Macclesfield

and our southerner is out of his comfort zone.

-Mr Lewis, we are a long way from London.

-Good!

-Round the corner for you.

-Up north, can't quite cope?

It's exactly that!

So, not confident, then?

No, listen, it's an internet-based auction. There's buyers all over the world bidding for this stuff

and a room full of people. You've got phone bidders, the lot.

Exactly. I reckon this whole day, this finale, hangs on one lot.

-The monkey mask!

-It's got to be, hasn't it?

-You are a cheeky monkey!

Our pair of prizefighters have no control over what happens.

Before bidding begins, James and Mark check out each other's items.

Old Franksy and I probably have the eight worst lots here,

but the worst of the lot has got to be these!

A term that auctioneers quite often use is to wipe your mouth.

This basically means get your money back.

If James wipes his mouth with this, that's all it's going to do.

I'd forgotten this belonged to old Franksy.

I think my mind must have blanked out ever seeing it to protect my own brain because it's vile.

James, this reminds me of one of my old girlfriends. Good from far, but far from good.

Old Franksy's purchase of this cigarette case and two Vesta cases

could go either way. The bad news is in the last two weeks silver prices have plummeted.

I reckon he's in for a loss.

I see these masks all over the place. I've tried buying them before and I never make a profit.

Will James be lucky today? That is the question.

I would never have bought these.

That little print does nothing for me whatsoever.

Two words.

James...Lewis.

Yes, we'll come on to that,

but the auctioneer is in position and the sale is soon underway.

Our pair's first item is Franksy's collection of dance music vinyls that cost £10

and our boys bust a few moves of their own.

-£20? Let's see £20 for them.

-£20...

20 bid. At 20 online. I'll take 5. I'm not surprised!

At £20. Online at 20. Any advance?

It's online at 20. Any advance?

-Well done, Adam.

-What a good auctioneer!

So Mark is back in the game...just.

After paying seller's commission, he makes a profit of £4.

James' turn next. It's his French Art Deco marble clock garniture that he paid £25 for.

So, as Franksy predicted, will he wipe his mouth with it?

£40 for it? Surely. 20, then?

20 bid. Take 5. And 30? 35.

-40. 5.

-Go on.

-50.

-At £50. At 50.

-Oh, he did his best. That's fine.

-I'm happy with that.

-I'm surprised.

-Ye of little faith.

You older auctioneers have more knowledge than us young pup dealers.

How old are you?

27. Plus VAT.

And so James is away as well. After fees, the clock chimes in a profit of £17.50.

There's a slight turn for the worse with the next lot - the 19th-century cranberry glass jug.

It sells for £20, which delivers a £1 loss for James.

So will his next lot fare better? It's his big passion, the African masks.

Here we go. A bit of tribal art. Always goes well in Macclesfield.

You think Macclesfield, you think Congo.

-My feeling is you'll get 100 quid back. What did they cost you?

-I think about 70-something.

-They have got the chance of making a bit more, being online.

-At 55. Online, 60.

At £60. Where's 5? 65 bid. 70 next.

-70 bid.

-Go on.

-75 here.

80 online. 85 bid. Still going.

Any advance now for the masks?

At £85. Oh, dear. Sad face.

90, still going. 95.

95. £100.

-110.

-Go on, Adam!

-At £110.

-Finished?

-Go on.

Yes, James is back on track. That's another profit, this time £15.08.

And Mark doesn't get a look in as James' final item comes round

and this could take Macclesfield by storm.

It's my star lot. All my hopes are on this. The whole challenge rests on my monkey hat.

Sir, can he wear it in front of the rostrum?

-Yeah, fine.

-Adam, just say no!

Just to prove he's a serious auctioneer and valuer, here comes Mr James Lewis.

It looks quite convincing.

MONKEY NOISES Who'll bid me a fiver for the hat?

5 is bid. At £5. I'll take 8.

-Oo oo!

-10 is bid. At 10.

Come on, bid! Go on!

-I'll have a bit of your banana.

-Go on!

-That's a bid!

-He's feeding her a banana!

18? 18 in the room.

20 bid. 22.

25. 28.

It's only money. £28.

Selling at £28.

-Congratulations.

-Yes!

-Ladies and gentlemen,

esteemed antiques expert, auctioneer and valuer James Lewis impersonating a monkey.

And he has a little revenge for Mark Franks.

It's been on the floor.

-I'm hot.

-Fair play to you.

He'll do anything for money. Anything for money at all.

Well, it's paid off. The 50p hat gets a mark-up of 5,600%

and James makes a profit of £21.50.

Now it's time for Mark to take the limelight. His next lot is the print by Roger Hebbelinck.

He paid just over £38.

-Here we go.

-The funny thing about art, it's all a matter of opinion.

-I mean...

-That print's horrible.

£20? Give me a tenner. £10 for it?

You see? I told you.

-At £10 only. 10.

-So the etching makes a loss Franksy can ill afford.

He's £34.46 worse off.

And the Dutch print doesn't fare much better. That sells for £10 as well, but he spent less on it.

-Another loss of £8.82.

-I'm thinking about becoming a plumber.

I could move that pipe over there, but I can't do it for a week.

-You'll earn more money.

-Mark consoles himself with an ice cream as it's all or nothing

with his final lot, the silverware that cost him nearly £150.

-This is...really make or break and I'm really...

-It's not going to make.

-Hold that for a minute.

I need to concentrate, right, cos this is important.

James, don't eat it.

What are you doing?

At 55. 60. 5. 70. 5.

80. 5. 90?

85 bid. 85. At £85. Take 90 next.

Selling at £85. Middle of the estimate. 85. All done?

Oh, well. Thanks for holding it.

Oh, God. Smell that.

You wouldn't think that Mark had just lost £77.25

and that is a rather sad way to end this magnificent contest.

The boys have given it their all, but who's come out on top?

Both experts started with £1,000 of their own money.

James spent £863.10 and ended up not paying for the credenza restoration.

Mark, however, spent almost everything - £985, exactly.

All of the money that they have made will go to their chosen charities,

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

-Mr Lewis.

-How are you?

-Not bad.

-What a challenge.

-How did you get on?

It was tough, but for me the star lot was my hairdressing chair.

-It was also the heaviest thing I've ever moved in my life.

-All my eggs were in that gold basket.

Do you know what gold's done from the day I bought it?

-Gone down?

-Just levelled and done nothing.

-So let's have a look. Three.

-Two.

-One.

No!

I've never had red before! That's rubbish!

Yes, quite. Both experts have saved their profit over the week, so how much have they made in total?

On the week...

Red. I've never had red before.

Wow.

Oh, look.

-That's very good.

-I was pleased with that.

-I'm quite pleased with that.

-No wonder you're hiding it!

-What red one?!

-I think we need a pint, mate.

-Dear me.

So the Derbyshire dynamo wins, but where is that money going?

My chosen charity is Elephant Family, which works tirelessly to protect elephants in the wild.

My chosen charity is St Raphael's Hospice. It's in Surrey. They do some great work.

It's been a week of no holds barred combat and our experts really put their money where their mouths are

and showed they can make a convincing profit when their own money is on the line!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd