Jonty Hearnden and John Cameron - 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.

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

I'm on the case.

Wahey!

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's auction room clash for cash pitches the leading

man of the loop, Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden,

against the superstar of the stash, John "The Hammer" Cameron.

Coming up - our experts show you the importance of being vigilant.

-Pay attention when you're at the auction.

-I've just missed a lot.

John plays dirty.

I've run him up a bit there. He doesn't realise that.

And The Hammer tries some extreme training in preparation for battle.

You call yourself The Hammer, you area a toffee hammer!

Get down and push ten press ups right now, go on!

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

The scene is set. Our two leading men are standing in the wings.

Both have been nominated for the prestigious award of

Best Antiques Dealer In A Leading Role.

Oh! Wow.

Introducing our first nominee.

He's suave, he's sophisticated, and he's here to win,

it's Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden.

He's got one of those faces, you see it once and you never forget it.

Those striking, Oxfordshire good looks.

You know, the Roger Moore of the antiques trade.

Also vying for the accolade is the debonair duke of the deal,

the guru of the gavel, John "The Hammer" Cameron.

He's a bit like a swan.

Graceful on the top, frantically paddling down below.

Our dashing, dealing dynamos need to get into character and find

their motivation to outperform each other at today's auction.

-It's not just about antiques, it's about profit.

-Indeed!

And all of that profit will be going to charities of their choice.

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

so, quiet on set, it's lights, camera, action!

I'm not getting nervous...yet.

Only one virtuoso can be victorious.

Jonty Hearnden and John Cameron,

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

-John, how are you doing?

-Good morning, Hitman. I'm good, and good.

-So here we are, in Sherborne.

-I know.

And I've had a look through the catalogue,

and I've circled quite a bit. What about you?

I've had a sneak preview, as well,

but my problem is always that everybody else wants what I want,

so either I don't get it, or end up paying far too much.

But I've looked at a few items of militaria etc, but do you have £1,000?

I've got my £1,000 in my pocket.

And I've circled a few things, including some furniture, for a change.

-Ha-ha! Well, spend wisely, Jonty.

-Good luck.

-Good luck to you.

Our antique superstars are at Charterhouse Auctions in Dorset

and both know they will need to search high and low to find their

profit-busters as this sale has 900 lots spread over three rooms.

These sophisticated scene-stealers of the showroom have

cast their scripts aside

and are adopting their own foolproof tactics to take home the title.

My plan of action today is to go for the things that I really want,

the things I think I have buyers for.

I've set my limits to my bidding

and I'm going to be fairly strict with myself today.

So, John is ready to perform, and not one to rest on his theatrical

tush, Jonty knows the secret to separating the gems from the junk.

I always advise, if you want to come and have a look at an auction

room yourself, do it the day before the auction.

Come back and buy those items you really, really want.

Wise words from the tactical trader.

As this is a general sale, even the furniture fancier himself

will need to turn his hand to as many items as he can.

And The Hitman's just spotted his first possible money-maker.

In the catalogue, I've seen a chess set.

Now, these are very commercial, for obvious reasons,

because people like to play chess.

And they also like to have chess pieces of good quality.

Now, these are bone, not ivory.

Date-wise, we're looking at a chess set that has to

be about 100 to 150 years old, but really commercial.

The Hitman's formulating his plans to become

the grand master of the auction room, but the guru of the gavel

always has victory in his sights and a glint in his eye.

We've got so much glass and ceramics, and lots of job lots,

but nestled amongst it you'll find a real nice classic piece like this,

an 18th century English wine glass.

It has a wonderful double series, opaque twist stem.

A nice thing, in good condition.

Hot on The Hammer's heels,

Jonty has found his way to his natural habitat.

And whilst frolicking around in the furniture,

he makes a beeline for a chair with an estimate of £100-£200.

This is a classic Georgian style wing chair.

But what I love about it is the actual cover.

It's a really neutral fabric, and it's also in very good

condition, so it's recently been re-covered.

See the carving on the legs here? Really superb.

Just really nice detail. So, I've marked it off in my catalogue.

This is one I really want.

They've both tee'd up possible treasures for the taking,

so, without further ado, it's showtime!

Take your seats for what the critics are calling the selling

spectacle of the season.

Both of our experts know that one fluff blind means that

victory could slip through their hands.

It's standing room only.

People are bidding away, they're bidding on the internet,

they're bidding in the room, it's fierce competition.

Yes, it may be hotting up, but Jonty is cool, calm,

and collected and ready for the opening act.

Can the same be said for John?

I have to confess that I find it much easier

being on the rostrum on auction day.

Being here, having to buy and make a profit, is quite nerve-wracking.

I don't mind saying it's something that's starting to build up.

And that's when all your plans go out the window.

Opening night nerves, John?

Well, he's hoping the next lot could spin him a pretty penny.

That wine glass is just coming up. I'm going to have a look.

-The guide price is high. £200-£250.

-18th century wine glass here

-and I'm straight in, lots of bids, £150 I have now.

-He's waiting.

-170, at £170 now, 170 and away now, 170.

-Is he going to bid?

That one stays with us.

Adding the commission there is £200. Profit's gone.

John stands firm on his strict strategy and lets the glass go.

But, the show must go on,

and The Hammer has spotted his next potential purchase.

This is a lot I'm interested in.

Five blue and white porcelain dishes that were salvaged from a famous wreck.

The 19th century dishes have a guide price of £50-£80,

but will they sink or float John's profit boat?

£80 is bid on this lot, at £80 I have the Tek Sing,

on the book at 90, 100, and 10, 20, 130, 140, standing at 140...

I've got my first lot, I'm off the mark, and I feel good.

MUSIC: "I Feel Good" by James Brown

So, John's ship has come in and the Chinese dishes

are John's for £172.76 including fees.

I bought five porcelain plates.

They're Chinese, and they came from the wreck of the Tek Sing.

It's regarded as China's Titanic.

It went down in 1822, off the

Belvidere Reef in the South China Sea, with the loss of around 1,500 lives.

It wasn't discovered again until around 1993.

Lots and lots of china and porcelain was brought up.

They all carry the little sticker on the bottom, the official

sticker, and I think that's the great thing about this lot.

It has history and provenance.

I think there's a profit in there.

It might not be all the tea in China, but I reckon I'll be in the black.

With John off the starting blocks, Jonty needs to catch up.

And he's got his sights set on an 18th century stoneware pot

with an estimate of £30-£40.

-£20 and away now, 20, 20, 25, 30, 30 and away...

-Well now, what's this?

John is putting a serious spanner in the works.

-£50 and away now, on the right and £50...

-I've run him up a bit there.

-He doesn't realise that.

-You sneaky devil!

I don't know if he knows that I was bidding against him.

No, he knows all right.

The crafty so-and-so. He was bidding on my lot.

I genuinely like that lot. What can I say?

Yes, there is no love lost between these two

masters of the auction room as they battle it out for supremacy.

With no thanks to John, Jonty wins the stoneware pot for £61.70, including fees.

This little beauty is almost 200 years old.

It's absolutely charming.

Salt-glazed, so you get this lovely sheen to the glaze.

The actual silver is dated 1823, which is quite extraordinary.

It was obviously designed to store some preserve of some description.

As it stands, our two lieutenants of loot have captured one lot each.

But John has seen an unusual tea set made from Second World War

shell cases with a guide price of £30-£40 and he's going into battle.

And quite a bit of interest here, I'm straight in here at £60, 70, 80, 90...

100, 110, 120, 130.

At £130, now selling, far left, 130...

And mission accomplished!

John buys the tea set for £160.42, including costs.

But, he's not finished there and heads straight

back into combat for a Victorian army officer's swagger stick.

20 bid, thank you, 20, 25, here with me at £30, in the corner,

and 40 on the internet,

and the internet bid coming in, £45 in the room, our last chance at 45...

-Yes, he's done it!

-Yes!

-He's just bought a swagger stick.

Just up his street, because he swaggers quite well, don't you think?

Is that sour grapes, Jonty?

It's a big haul for our daring dealer.

He's notched up his third item to Jonty's one,

paying £55.54, including fees, and he's delighted.

Now, here are two lots that I'm really pleased I bought.

This is a swagger stick,

the sort of thing that would have been carried by an army officer.

It has a little silver mounted top, with the emblem

and crest of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

A regiment steeped in history.

In the First World War, during the landings at Gallipoli,

they famously won six Victoria Cross medals before breakfast.

A nice thing there, hoping to find a military historian that will like that.

But this, I absolutely love.

It's a silver-plated tea set that has been made from artillery shells.

I think that's superbly stylish, it has cross-over appeal to a silver collector,

a Deco collector, and a militaria collector.

And there may be some interest in the swagger stick sooner than

John thinks, because while the auction room is a hub of activity,

one of our soldiers has abandoned his position.

This is John's swagger stick.

Attention! Left, left, right, left right.

It's been a tough first round, and it's time to see who

is in line for a medal and who's stuck in the trenches.

Both our boys started the day with £1,000 of their own money.

John is in the lead, bagging three lots costing £388.72,

leaving him with £611.28 for the rest of the day.

Jonty is lagging behind on just one purchase, spending £61.70,

leaving £938.30 in his kitty.

MUSIC: "There's No Business Like Show Business" by Ethel Merman

After the interval, our dashing duo return to the theatre of dreams and

take their positions for the second act in our auction room drama.

He's looking nervous.

They both need to give the performance of a lifetime

in this money-making melodrama.

The heat is on, and time stands still for no man, not even Jonty Hearnden.

So, this next lot is a little carriage clock,

estimate of £70-£100.

If I can't get it for 70, I'm out.

Timepiece here...

At £50 and away, 50, 30, 30 bid, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80,

£80 on my right now, selling, going away at 80...

I really wanted to pay 70, but £80? That's OK.

Actually, Jonty paid £98.72 including fees,

but will the big hand point to profit?

Early 20th century, not 19th century,

late 19th century ones are a little bit more desirable.

We've got the Arabic numerals here.

More often than not, these are French, but that is commercial.

Jonty is nipping at his rival's heel's, but John has caught the whiff

of potential profit and pays a total of £74.04 for this scent bottle.

I'm hoping to sell this French perfume bottle to a collector.

How do we know it's French?

Well, because it has silver mounts, solid silver mounts,

that carry the French equivalent of a hallmark there.

It's the head of Minerva.

It'll date from the turn of the last century, I think

that's probably early 20th century.

The decoration is quite subtle.

It's just simple band panels with little circles engraved into them.

But I think I smell profit.

Ooh-la-la! John is hoping for a sweet-scented success story,

but Jonty hits back with an immediate retaliation, bagging

this silver Art Deco cigarette box for £135.74, including costs.

And the reason why I liked it so much is, of course originally,

it was a cigarette box, not such a fashionable idea as a gift any more.

But just what a lovely trinket box would that

be as a gift for someone somewhere down the line?

We have an Assay mark, which is

a stamp to prove that it is silver, of 1928.

I think that's a bargain.

£100 I have, £100 away now...

The auction room is awash with dosh, and the bids are coming in

so quick that even our experts are finding it hard to keep up.

The auction is going at such a fast

and furious pace that I've just missed a lot, my lovely chess set.

It's gone!

There's a lesson. Pay attention when you're at the auction,

because you might not get what you're looking for.

Yes, wise words from our awesome auctioneer there,

but you can't keep a good man down and eagle-eyed Jonty

has tracked down an item that he knows failed to sell earlier.

Now, I noticed that there was a clock that was unsold.

It was estimated at £300-£400,

so what I've done is I've been to the office to make a bid.

I've made a bid of £250 and they are going to phone up the vendor

to check to see whether that's OK.

And that is a completely legitimate thing to do.

There are many items that don't sell at auctions, and sometimes, you can

make a bid after the sale or during the sale and sometimes

those bids are accepted.

And Jonty doesn't have long to wait.

I've got some very exciting news.

My offer has been accepted! £250. That clock is mine.

All's fair in this antiques war, and Jonty pays £308.50,

including fees, for the 19th century clock.

Now, you're going to say to yourself,

is it really worth that amount of money?

Well, the reason why it is is because it is a London maker,

that's a tick in the box. And it also has a fusee movement.

Now, a fusee movement is a conical shape which appears in the

workings, which is all about giving accuracy to the winding mechanism.

And that is another tick in the box.

Our brave boys are now neck and neck,

and with the furniture lots on the horizon, it's game on.

-The furniture section is coming up. We may be bidding on the same lots.

-Beware, be warned.

I think we should do this back-to-back, Jonty, so we can't see each other.

We can bid this way, what about bidding this way?

Yeah, I think that's probably it, actually.

Yes, don't be fooled by their bonhomie.

Underneath the banter, these two are deadly serious.

With the Georgian style chair Jonty spotted earlier up next,

with an estimate of £100-£200, it's time for him to take centre stage.

And we're straight in here at £100, a bid of £100, 100...

The panther is waiting to pounce.

..140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190...

And he'd bidding. But he's got competition from an internet bidder.

-..260, on the internet.

-270.

-270 now. At 270, 280...

£280, Jonty's backed out.

Selling at 280, 280...

I think he was banking on getting that for a couple of hundred quid.

Wretched internet!

It's a big blow for Hitman, but our furniture aficionado isn't

daunted and moves on to his next target.

I'm quite interested in lot 837, which is the French chair

and matching stool.

Estimate £150-£200.

180, 190, 200...

-He's in at 200.

-£240, 260.

-270.

-270, 280, 280 bid...

Jonty's been outbid on some chairs again.

Now, I suspect he's probably panicking,

because he has been waiting for the furniture section.

It's another calamity for our crusading chair hunter.

His two profit-pulling chair lots have gone.

It's all going to pot at the moment.

With the clock ticking,

both of our experts are feeling the pressure to buy.

I'm starting to panic.

I need some lots.

I'm getting desperate now.

There's a little table just in front of me here

that I might have little go at, see what it makes.

And with an estimate of much of £180, the bidding gets under way.

£50 and away for it, good, clean little tripod table,

30 then, £30 and away,

35, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70, 80 standing at 80,

my very far right at £80, they're at 80...

Result!

Jonty seals the deal on the tripod table for £98.72 including costs. Phew.

Now, I'm just inspecting this little occasional table

which I've just purchased. It's perfectly formed.

Date-wise, this is mid-Victorian and it's clean as a whistle,

so if you have a look at the top it's a nice oval top but very,

very clean and what I mean by clean is that it's a

piece of furniture that I don't have to take through the workshop.

I can buy it here in the auction room which is great,

and then I can sell it on to someone.

Retail, it has to be a good couple of hundred pounds.

So, my margin should be there.

But of course, I've got to find that buyer.

With Jonty edging ahead,

John brings out the big guns for this pair of 18th century style cannons.

With an estimate of £100-£150, will the bidding go stratospheric?

200, 220, 240, 260, 280, at 280...

300, and 20.

340, 360, 380, 400, £400...

John bows out at £400

and the cannons go on to sell for more than five times their estimate.

£800. Plus commission. That's £1,000.

While John reassesses the rest of his budget, Jonty forges ahead

and nabs a cast iron umbrella stand for £98.72 including fees.

These were very popular in the late 19th century, this design.

So, there was garden furniture and there was also interior

furniture, cast from iron and painted, just like this beastie here.

I can see me selling it for about £150, 175.

Worth every penny, a lovely little thing.

And with that, The Hitman's work is done.

But, as we rapidly approach the auction finish line,

John's not happy with his haul.

I'm short of a few items.

What I'm going to probably do is approach the auctioneer

afterwards to have a look at the unsold lot list,

and that's quite a common practice with dealers after auctions.

I may be able to buy one or two things. We'll have to see.

Well, I don't have a choice.

With the auction over, John scans the unsold list.

If he spots something he wants,

he'll need to ask the auction house to approach the seller.

He makes offers on two final items and is successful, taking home

a 1980s gentleman's watch for £160.42, including fees,

and a Royal Doulton ornament for £104.90, including costs.

So, after a short encore from John,

the curtain has fallen on today's auction action.

And as our protagonists prepare to take their final bow, let's see who

will be enjoying rapturous applause and who's heading for the hecklers.

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

John is hoping he's seen off the competition with his six

lots at a total cost of £728.08.

Jonty fought hard and also bought six lots, spending £802.10.

But the only thing that matters now is profit.

Our auction room acrobats have survived a real royal rumble,

so, which items do they think are the jewels in their crowns?

My favourite item, if I'm honest, has to be the plated tea set.

-I like that, a lot.

-And I think it should do quite well.

It's good quality, it's good quality.

And I also love my Tek Sing salvaged Chinese plates,

I really do love anything with a story.

So, how about you? Come on, what's your favourite purchase?

I have to say that my favourite item was an item

which I bought as an unsold. It's this clock.

It needs a bit of restoration, but it's a London maker

and it's got a fusee movement so I should be able to sell it on.

Well, I think we've ended up with some really nice lots here.

It was tough buying,

but can you imagine how tough it's going to be selling?

Yes, there's no time to rest for our two bravehearts of the bargain,

because the real fight for the spotlight is just around the corner.

The auction room tussle for treasure was nothing

compared to the punishing regime required to sell their wares.

This next encounter will separate the men from the mice

and selling superstars from the selling sauerkraut.

At Cameron Command HQ in Portsmouth,

our leading man of the loot is taking stock.

My favourite item has to be this silver-plated tea set.

Beautifully converted from World War Two artillery shells.

I think that is absolutely fabulous,

and will appeal to two different types of collector.

Then, I've got my five Oriental porcelain

plates from the wreck of the Tek Sing.

But this, my swagger stick from the Lancashire Fusiliers,

a regiment steeped in military history.

There's got to be a collector out there for this.

So, whatever happens now, I'm going to have to use all of my dealing

acumen if I'm to be victorious on the dealing battlefield.

Private Hearndon, I'll make you sorry you ever met me, boy.

Fighting talk from The Hammer!

He must also sell the 20th century flowers-sellers children ornament,

the 1980s gentleman's watch,

and the early 20th century French scent bottle.

Over at The Hitman's homestead in Oxfordshire,

our superstar of the stash is rather pleased with his haul.

My first object is this lovely stoneware pot with the silver lid.

Now, I paid a bit too much for that, but I think somebody was

running me up, not mentioning any names, John Cameron.

Now, my table. It's in perfect order, so this table can go straight into somebody's

home and I just think it's wonderful. Mid-19th century, walnut.

We've got this lovely, tapering,

turn support down at the bottom here. At £98, what an investment.

I should be able to double my money on that.

And while I'm here, this stick stand is really very good quality.

The casting on this was so crisp, the quality is superb,

1880 to 1890, what a wonderful investment.

So, all in all, I'm very pleased.

Jonty also needs to sell the 19th century wall clock,

the early 20th century carriage clock, and the 1928 silver box.

Our bidding behemoths must now transform into selling

supremos and turn their talk into tactics,

as it's time to turn their purchases into profit.

But remember, until they've shaken on it

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

The Hammer wastes no time in opening his campaign.

He's brought the dishes from the 1822 Tek Sing shipwreck to show

Peter, a local Chinese restaurant owner,

and is hoping to drop anchor beyond the £172.76 cost price.

-What you think of them?

-Well, it's certainly interesting.

I mean, they're classic Chinese ceramic colours, the blue.

That sort of thing.

My only concern is the fact that I'm very superstitious, you see.

And generally, I don't like to own things that are connected to

tragedy, which obviously these artefacts are.

However, we can reach a price, OK, or agree a price, that will

-finish with the eights.

-With the eights?

-Eight means wealth.

Basically, so it always ends in well-being, such as 888,

so you always end with that.

Now, a dealer of John's calibre should be able to handle any

situation, lucky numbers and superstitions included.

OK, so you want it to end in three eights.

So how about, and I think these are quite collectable,

-how about we say, £288.88?

-Ha-ha-ha! That's four eights!

-That's what I said, you said four eights!

-But mate, mate, that's it.

Let's stick with three eights.

-So, what do you reckon?

-I probably would say £100 under that.

-Would you?

-Yeah, £188.88.

-That's going to give me nothing of a profit.

OK. Let's go with £218.88.

What about we meet in the middle there, at 228.88?

-228.88...

-It gives me a little bit of a respectable profit.

I'm up against Jonty Hearndon here, you know!

I never have any luck at auctions. Be my lucky auction buyer, Peter.

-Have pity on me!

-You don't need pity, I need pity!

-I'm the one who's parting with the money!

-Come on, come on.

You've got something tangible for your money here.

These are charming pieces. I love them.

I think they're worth more than that, actually,

but I know I'm not going to get more than that from you.

-OK. Let's deal, then. £288.88.

-Thank you.

So, John's lucky numbers have come up

and he sails away with a profit of £56.12.

MUSIC: "I Should Be So Lucky" by Kylie Minogue

Hoping for some luck of his own in Buckinghamshire, Jonty is wasting

no time in attempting to sell two items to the same specialist buyer.

Now, between you and me, I took a bit of a gamble in the auction

when I bought those two clocks.

They cost me an awful lot of money.

Now, I have got them here,

and going to show them to Nigel who runs this antiques business.

The question is,

will he want to buy two clocks that need an awful lot of restoration?

We'll soon find out.

Nigel already has a large collection of clocks,

but does he have room for two more?

First up for inspection is the wall clock that set Jonty back just over £300.

So, nice mahogany case, there's a little bit damage though,

is that restorable?

Yes, yes, I think we can preserve the original finish.

There's a lot of cleaning up to be done, it's had a few...

They generally have had a hard life, but I think in essence, it's a nice clock.

I've done a little bit of research on John Cook.

-And his dates were 1869 to 1881.

-Sounds about right.

-So, so we have a clock that's 1870.

-I would say that is spot on.

I'm hoping to get £600 for this clock.

Right. Ha-ha!

So, I'm asking £600. Where are we? How warm am I?

Well, I think you'd be warm if it was in good condition.

I think we've got to factor in the restoration,

so, I would like to pay about £350 for it.

-Oh! Right.

-Ha-ha!

-So, we're way off.

-How about 400?

-No, I can't do 400, no way.

-I'll come down from my 600. What about 500?

-No, no, no.

-What about 450?

-Um...

How about splitting it, 425?

-All right then.

-Got a deal?

-We've got a deal.

Nigel is a tough haggler,

but Jonty still clocked up a profit of £116.50.

And The Hitman doesn't stop there.

He also sells Nigel the carriage clock for £150,

with a timely profit of £51.28.

Back in Portsmouth, Jonty's nemesis John is at the historic

naval dockyard, with his World War Two artillery shell tea set

that cost him just over £160.

He's targeted antiques dealer Andrew,

who has a special interest in militaria.

-So, there it is. What do you think?

-It's wonderful, what is it?

Apart from a big tea set.

-Look, I thought this would really appeal to you. These are all...

-Oh!

-Shell cases!

-..World War II shell cases.

-Yeah.

-It's a wonderful piece.

-They're beautifully turned out.

I'd never seen one, Andrew, and you've handled lots and lots, have you seen one?

-Not at all. It sort of utilities-Deco, isn't it?

-It is.

Listen, Andrew, I thought of you when I saw this,

but obviously I know you're going to be thinking about price.

-Kind of.

-Do you want to make me an offer?

-Um...

-I go two on it, 200.

-Two? Really?

-I was thinking about adding another hundred.

-225.

I'll tell you what, if you go 250, you can have it.

I definitely think it's worth it. Do you know what I paid...

-I can't refuse it. You know I can't, I just love it.

-Can we do 250?

250 is divine.

Our lieutenant of loot pulls in a profit of £89.58.

He fell in love with the piece,

so much so that I managed to get him to shell out £250. Get it? Shell out?

-Boom-boom.

-Yes, we get it, John.

The Hammer's hit his stride, but that may be short lived, as Jonty

is in London to meet Tony, who runs a swanky private members club.

Jonty hopes he'll be interested in the Victorian table

he acquired for just under £100.

There we go.

-That's rather nice.

-D'you like that?

-Yeah. Victorian?

Yes, I suppose. It's sort of mid-Victorian rather than late.

-Is it?

-Yes.

-Unusual, though, isn't it?

-I think...

I'm a big fan of this sort of Victorian table.

Many Victorian tables can just look a bit too OTT, a bit too heavy.

So, are you looking for furniture like this?

Yeah, we're always on the lookout,

but that really rather depends on price, as ever.

I'm sure it does. I'm sure it does.

-A bargain at £275.

-275?

-Yes.

-Wow.

It's very nice, but I wonder if it's...£275 worth.

I would have thought more in the order of about 180.

Well, how about if I discounted by a whole £50, to 225?

-Yeah, I could live with that. I think that would be... Yes.

-You like that?

Yes, absolutely.

That's a plush profit of £126.28.

Now after that sale, Mr Cameron, the tables are turning in my favour.

Not so fast, Hitman.

John retaliates straight back, selling the flower-seller's

children ornament to florists Jane and Paul, adding £30.10 to his profit pot.

-But, has that sale done enough to put The Hammer in the lead?

-What?!

Let's see how our selling supremos are faring.

John the money maestro has sold three items

and earn a profit of £175.80, while selling superman Jonty has

also sold three items and notched up £294.06 worth of profit.

The Hitman may be in the lead for now, but while he's

at home scouring his contacts list, his rival is preparing for fierce combat.

Yes, when the going gets tough, The Hammer pulls out all the stops.

John is bringing the Victorian Lancashire Fusiliers swagger

stick to the Fusilier Museum in Bury.

But before he gets down to business,

Private Hammer is put through his paces by Sergeant Monaghan.

Private Hammer, get up, parade!

Halt!

You scruffy individual. You walk in here, strutting your stuff like a peacock.

You call yourself a hammer, you are a toffee hammer!

I'm going to put you on the floor, make you into a pool of sweat!

Get down and push ten press ups now, go!

One, two, weak individual! Four, five, six. Antiques?

I'll give you antiques!

Yes, he's survived the initiation from the drill sergeant

and all that stands between him

and his precious profit are ex-Lancashire

Fusiliers Colonel Brian Gorski and Colonel Mike Glover.

And John hopes they'll offer more than the £55.54 he paid for it.

How impressive is this here?

Is this something you think you could acquire for the collection?

I think so. This is fundamental to what the museum is about.

It belonged to a soldier,

it belonged to a real person who served in this regiment.

I'm looking for around £140 for it.

I would think that's probably a little bit excessive.

We're probably looking in the region of £100 or so.

How much more do you think we could do? 120?

I think 120 would be fair.

No, no, no, I think we could just split the difference at 115.

-115, yeah, I'll go with that.

-The man said 120!

-No, no, no.

-He's junior to me.

-Ha-ha! 115, OK, you've got yourself a deal.

John's repatriated the swagger stick to its regimental home

and fought his way to a profit of £59.46.

And battle-ready John marches straight onto his fifth deal,

selling his early 20th century French perfume bottle to

collector Helen, making a sweet-smelling profit of £50.96.

Our eminent expert Jonty is not to be outdone.

He's brought the cast-iron umbrella stand, costing just under £100,

to family friend Ali and is hoping she can find room for it.

What are your first impressions?

Well, I rather like it.

They come in different shapes and sizes, but also different qualities.

Really, it's down to the quality of the casting.

And I think the quality of the mask in particular is very good.

And also just down here, do you see, we've got

a pair of griffins or dragons on either side.

D'you know where it would have originated from, where it was made?

-Is it an English piece?

-This is wonderful English.

-Really?

-Absolutely. This can only be English.

-This is a late Victorian stick stand.

-Victorian, OK.

So date-wise, we're looking at 1870 to 1890.

That would retail for quite a lot of money,

but I'm a generous kind of bloke. I'm looking for £200.

-Would I be cheeky saying 150?

-You are being cheeky.

-Ha-ha-ha!

Well, let's split it down the middle, let's go half way. 175.

175... Well, I made you drop down a little bit, I guess.

-OK, I'll give you 175 for that.

-Yeah?

-I will.

And that nets Jonty a tidy surplus of £76.28.

He's sold his umbrella stand, but luckily, he's held onto his brolly.

THUNDER RUMBLES

MUSIC: "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" by BJ Thomas

It's always raining profits when I'm making sales.

Raining profits? Get it?

OK, Russell, cut.

Yes, with a little help from Ali's son Russell, Jonty proves he's

the master of the punchline as well as the profit. What a joker.

And he laughs all the way to his next deal,

selling the 1920s silver cigarette box.

What about 250?

240 would sound better to me, Jonty.

Well, because I'm a generous kind of bloke, it's yours for 240.

Giving him a profit of £104.26.

Our superstar sellers have fought hard and worked tirelessly.

So far, they have both been pulling in the profit.

John is down to his final item

and is taking it on a trip down memory lane.

I've returned to my old senior school to meet a schoolfriend with

the watch I bought at auction.

Now, I have had this steam cleaned and got a nice fitted box for it.

Usually, that would cost money, but my long-suffering wife,

a retail jeweller, has done that for free.

Hopefully, I've added some value at no extra cost.

So, in terms of business and economics,

full marks to Mr Cameron and no detention tonight.

Well, hopefully.

-Hi, mate!

-Good to see you. How are you?

-Good to see you. Nice to be back?

-Unbelievable.

John's old school friend, Bradley, is a keen watch collector and

The Hammer hopes to tempt him with a 1980s timepiece that cost just over £160.

The boys head back to their old stomping ground and get straight

down to the important business - looking at old school photos.

Have a look at those.

-That is brilliant.

-Listen, that haircut was all the rage.

-The Kevin Keegan perm!

-Come on, let's see yours.

-OK, there's you.

-Oh, my goodness. That's a bad photograph.

-Pulling hilarious faces.

-Is that you?

-That's me, with my wedge.

Right, enough about this, I don't want to see more pictures of me,

I want to show this watch and get out of here.

-Stainless steel case, square dial.

-Very nice.

It actually looks better than the actual photograph.

-It has been steam cleaned, nicely.

-It shows, as well.

What I like about it is obviously, period-wise, the 80s,

it's our generation.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It does really encompass the 80s, especially with the...

It's got the date there, plain batons for the numbers, nice coloured face.

Yeah, I like this, very nice.

-So, you want to buy?

-I do.

-Let me tell you what,

what I'm looking for.

-I'm looking for around £600.

-OK.

-What do you reckon?

-I was looking more for 400.

-I'd want more than that, Brad.

-OK.

-I was hoping for at least £500.

John is doing his best to hammer out a colossal profit.

Can he drive up the price and call time on this epic sellathon?

We'll find out later.

Going for gold with his crucial final item, Jonty tries a

bold tactic and sells his 19th century salt-glazed pot to John Cameron.

Hang on a minute...

Not that John Cameron, this Jonathan Cameron, a local antiques trader.

-I'll pay 70 for it, Jonty.

-You like it? Brilliant.

Now all of a sudden, I think Cameron's a really nice name.

What a charmer.

That sale adds a modest £8.30 to Jonty's pot,

and The Hitman is all sold up.

So, at the end of this mammoth selling marathon,

there's nothing more our battlers can do.

Their fate has been sealed and the winner will be revealed shortly.

There's only one victor in this battle.

That's me.

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

John splashed out on six items and spent £728.08.

Jonty also hauled six items and spent £802.10,

but the question still remains, who has made the most profit?

All the money that John

and Jonty have made will go to the charities of their choice, so let's

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

-Fancy meeting you here, John.

-Mr Hearnden. How are you?

-Very good, how are you?

-Not bad. Have you got over your auction fever yet?

Well, there was so much in that auction sale,

so much I circled, so much in my catalogue, but then other bidders

turned up, including yourself, and they all bid against me.

I have to say, I don't tend to perform well when I'm not on the

rostrum, Jonty, so if I'm consistent, then you've probably beaten me.

You're looking at bit pessimistic all of a sudden.

I had a couple of good sales. I enjoyed my swagger stick sale.

-Shall we see how we've done?

-Yeah, come on then.

-Want to count it in?

-One, two, three!

Wow! There's less than £100 in that, Jonty.

I think we've done very well, don't you think?

It's the first time I've ever won an auction, I have to tell you.

-The drinks are definitely on me.

-Well done, congratulations.

So, John "The Hammer" Cameron emerges triumphant today,

but what did it boil down to?

-450?

-450... And you hand over that photograph.

-OK.

-Deal?

-Deal.

Thank you.

John sold the watch for the princely sum of £450,

taking away £289.58 in profit, plus his dodgy school photo.

The Hammer could not have timed it better.

That was a sweet victory,

because I've never won the auction challenge before.

And I managed to repatriate this rather embarrassing

photograph from my school days.

I am going to make sure no one ever gets to see this.

Well, John did really well because my figures were high too,

so, we both did very well.

So hats off to you, John.

Tomorrow, Jonty gets the chance to redeem himself as the boys go

head-to-head in a car boot sale in West Sussex.

Ha-ha!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media