Eric Knowles v James Braxton - Foreign Antiques Market Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is the show that pitches

TV's best-loved antiques experts against each other

-in an all-out battle for profit...

-Whaa-hay!

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

I'm on the case.

Whoo-hoo!

One pair of duelling dealers 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 eagle-eyed treasure-hunter Eric Knowles

takes on the bold, bargain-bagger James Braxton.

Coming up, James reveals a clever way to spruce up your profits.

I think I can add a little value by giving it a jolly good clean.

Fearless Eric's brought the fighting talk from Blighty...

It's not where you start, it's where you finish.

..and one dealer finds another way of making money.

House!

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Prepare yourselves, race-goers, you're about to witness a head-to-head clash like no other,

as two fearless masters of the antique circuit

line up for this raucous race for profit.

Hoping to power his way to victory, it's the Grand Prix king of the antiques world,

he's a veteran deal-driver, it's...

Beneath this calm exterior lurks a frustrated Eric Knowles.

But intending to put a spanner in the works of Team Knowles and snatch top spot,

it's that V8 profit powerhouse...

Eric will be a tough opponent because he knows his onions.

Our lovers of loot have raced across the Channel to Paris

for today's turbo-charged battle.

They're at the Bastille Antiques Market with one focus -

to buy the items that will bank them the greatest profits

and see they top the winners' podium.

They've each got £750 worth of their own euros to spend

and all the profit goes to their chosen charities.

Eric Knowles and James Braxton,

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

-A-ha! Bonjour!

-My dear boy! Two Englishmen abroad.

-I know. Here we are in lovely Paris.

-It is.

I have to say that Bastille,

-or

-Bastee

-as the locals say it, is quite new to me.

-I don't know this market at all.

-Moi aussi.

I don't know about you, but there's £750 worth of euros

burning a hole here that I'm desperate to spend.

I think we've got to spread it over some 450 stalls.

What about strategy? Dare I ask you?

Paris is famous for its metalwork.

I want to buy something sort of mercury-gilded.

OK. Well, I'm going to settle for stylish

-and preferably leggy.

-Ohh!

So we will see where we go with that one.

-At least the weather is in our favour.

-It is.

It's a lot better, isn't it?

Anyway, bonne chance, mon amie.

Yes. And an awful lot more of that from me to you.

-Au revoir.

-Au revoir!

Yes, bonne chance indeed, but don't be fooled by the pally Parisian patter.

These daredevil dealers of the track are staunch rivals and both are out to win.

So strap yourselves in,

the Formula 1 dealing is about to begin.

James's plan is to chase ornate golden items.

# Goldfinger #

Now, the strategy I said to Eric on the bridge

was that I was looking for something sort of glittery, something gold,

and this is a nice bit of Ormolu, the French call it Ormolu.

I'd expect them to be heavier and slightly more crisp, so I'll leave those.

I wonder how Eric's getting along with his long, leggy and sinuous items.

It's still early days and I am seeing nice things,

but I don't mind telling you that they are at nice prices.

I'm looking for things which are primarily decorative.

It's got to have instant appeal

and if it has, then, you know, I'm interested.

With their race strategy sorted, our experts hit the market track

and start trawling the stalls for treasures.

But hang on a minute! James appears to have stolen Eric's plan,

as he eyes up a lovely little leggy piece.

It's a good light fellow, it hasn't got a great deal of age, but it's nicely designed.

Let's just see... Yes, it slides all right.

Just look at the construction. It's very simple.

It's just oak, which is then nailed.

But it seems to work.

Madam, il fait combien pour le...

-100.

-100.

-None of the nasty worm?

-No.

There's a bit of a split there.

-100.

-James isn't sold on the vendor's price for the table,

but then spots something more in keeping with his shiny plan,

gold items!

Tres jolie. They're very pretty. Nice, quite crisply carved.

They are gild. They're heavy metal. They could be bronze.

They could be used for little images.

They're quite fun by the side of fireplaces and things,

add a little glitter to your home.

-I quite like these.

-Yes.

-And I like your table.

Is there, er, a better price for the two?

-Ten euro less.

-Ten euro less. So that's 140.

-Merci, madam.

-Oui?

-Oui. HE LAUGHS

She's very surprised!

So Bingo powers into pole position

as he loads up with his first two items,

paying £42.73 for the gilt frames

and £76.92 for the 1920s walnut bedside table.

I like these. These are very much part of my strategy to buy some gilt metal.

I think they're bronze. There's a bit of verdigris there on the back,

that sort of green oxide

which is associated with bronze and copper,

and they've been nicely gilded.

50 euros for a pair, £25 euros each. They're not expensive.

But at the same time, I bought this table.

Not terribly old. It's walnut, it's French.

I quite like the chinoiserie,

the sort of Japanese-like style.

These form the handles, and it's a bedside table.

At 90 euros, not expensive.

First purchase down and I'm feeling chipper.

James may have taken an early lead in today's race,

but Eric is in top gear, working on his long-and-leggy strategy.

# She's got legs

# She knows how to use them #

Good legs, but late 20th-century.

Ooh! A bit young for our Eric.

I was looking for a leggy lady. I've found one.

She's got a fabulous physique

but she's a little bit out of my price range.

Story of my life. Champagne taste, beer money.

Oh, dear. It seems our Knocker's struggling to find the leggy loot he's looking for.

In need of his first buy, Eric zooms into familiar terrain - porcelain.

I'm just looking at a plate.

You think that Dutch Delftware, by definition, is made in Delft.

Well, this is a place called Makkum.

They were making that type of tin-glaze ware back in the 17th century.

But it's obviously 20th century,

and it sends a few bells ringing in my ear.

There's a voice coming through saying,

"Buy it, you twit.

"Buy it, you twit. Buy it, you twit."

Monsieur, s'il vous plait.

I think I buy that for 15 euro. Yes? Yes, yes. Thank you.

And he's off the starting grid,

paying £12.82 for the porcelain plate.

A Dutch tin-glaze plate. It says on the back Makkum.

Probably early to mid-20th century.

But what is interesting about it

is that that design is entirely hand-painted.

That's quite a complicated design.

Once it's on a dresser, you wouldn't know if it was 17th, 18th or 20th century,

which means it's a good decorative piece.

He's happy with his haul, but an expert antiquarian

always keeps an eye in his rear-view mirror.

My opposition is on the opposite bank.

The thought has crossed my mind

that he might be a few purchases ahead of me.

I've always been a slow starter but, as you know with life,

it's not where you start, it's where you finish.

Yes, and both our boys are eyeing first place.

But James isn't finding the market the stroll in the park he'd hoped for.

It is, er, plus cher, pus cher here.

It's quite expensive.

Plus cher it may be, but across the market

Eric has spotted a unique piece of glassware, priced at 280 euros,

and he launches into the speediest of haggles.

100 and... 80.

-OK.

-OK.

-Put that there.

-OK.

-Thank you. I'll pop that there and I will give you...

-..180...

-"BULLS-EYE" THEME MUSIC

..as they say back in Angleterre.

And his cheeky charm gets him a decent discount.

Well, they had 280 on the ticket

but I got it for 180, which wasn't bad.

It was only one haggle, nothing more than that.

Yes, Eric's one-haggle wonder pays off.

He nabs the 19th-century glass for...

I've just bought myself a piece of Masonic engraved glass.

I think it dates from around about 1860.

I've got a feeling that it's either British or American.

It's unusual because it's in pink glass.

More often than not, they're always in clear.

With two buys under his belt,

Eric takes the opportunity to give something back to his fans.

The price of fame...

I didn't have the heart to tell them that I wasn't Charles Aznavour, but hey-ho.

# She...

# May be the face I can't forget

# A trace of pleasure or regret #

Yes, making dreams come true - that's our Eric.

But he'll need to get back into race mode

if he's going to beat Battling Bingo to top spot.

With money on the mind,

it's time for our spending speeders to pull into the pit lane and compare race notes.

Bingo commeth.

My French is somewhat limited, but 'ow goes eet?

-Er, all right, all right.

-All right?

-How are you doing?

-Slow. Very slow. I don't mind admitting it.

-I've still got all my buying to do in the second part of the day.

-Yes.

Come on, spill the beans.

-I'm covering about 20, 30 stalls to buy each one.

-Yes.

So I'm nearly up... Is that the end up there?

-The end is nigh. But then you've got...

-I haven't done the other side!

-Oh, right! OK.

-What's it like?

Let me just tell you, it goes dark here

at around about nine at night, OK?

So pace yourself but get a move on.

-All right?

-I will. Thank you, Eric. Good luck.

Both our driving dealers are keeping their tallies under wraps,

but little do they know they're bumper-to-bumper.

Eric and James started the day with £750 worth of euros from their own pockets.

Eric has done two deals so far

and has spent £166.67,

leaving £583.33 yet to spend.

James has also bagged two items,

spending £119.65,

leaving him with £630.35 still to play with.

So as our battling bargain-hunters exit the pit lane

and head out for the final laps around the circuit of this Parisian antiques market,

it's all to play for.

Both are desperate to add to their haul, and the pressure is mounting.

Eric gave me no clues to how many items he's bought.

I've bought some, but I don't think I'm going to find out anything until the reveal.

Well, I've been here two hours, I've made two purchases,

so it's becoming a little bit more pressing.

But I've been here before and somehow I managed to survive.

# I will survive #

And as a tough northerner, Knocker is happy to get stuck in.

You've got to ferret, you've got to really search out in these markets.

I know it's waiting out there and I know I'm going to buy it,

but we're playing hard to get.

Hard to get, maybe,

but has Eric found the one - a pewter Art Nouveau inkwell?

That's unusual. So the best price on this is 280.

So it's another "non, merci" from Eric

and he hits the road in search of that next item.

But his nemesis has pulled over to inspect a table with a ceramic top.

It's quite a nice sort of Iznik-y, Persian design table-top,

with the bamboo legs,

which is rather fun.

It has a bit of integrity. It's altogether as one.

But it isn't... It's not Persian.

I think I could add a little value to this one by giving it a jolly good clean.

Could you do quarante?

-Quatre-vingt-dix!

-Quatre...vingt...

-Dix.

-Quatre...

-Nine-zero!

-Nine-zero.

What could you do? Special price?

60.

60. Could you do cinquante?

-No.

-No, no, no?

-No.

-No.

-No.

-No.

-60.

-60.

-Oui.

-You can put the cup of tea...!

-It is for a cup of tea.

-A cup of tea!

I think I'm going to have it. Soixante.

-Oui.

-Soixante.

-It's a good price for you.

-It is.

James decides it is his cup of tea

and he takes home the bamboo table for £51.28.

I rather like this bit. It's about sort of 1900.

It would've lain in somebody's conservatory.

It's made of bamboo. I like the feet. They go down to a knobbly bit.

It's very well conceived but quite crudely put together. It's just nails slapped in.

And the top, it has an Iznik,

a Persian-designed tile-top.

I'm not sure whether it is. It doesn't have quite the clarity and the colours.

I'd like to see some red and turquoise.

Those are the colours of hot countries. It's a bit subdued.

And while Bingo is bagging the bargains,

old Knocker seems more concerned with puns than profit.

I can see from the next stall that he hasn't necessarily siphoned off everything.

Siphoned off... You're with me, aren't you?

Yes, don't give up the day job, Eric.

Now, in this 21st-century Battle of the Bastille,

our dealers need to use every bit of trading nous they can.

One of the tips about buying abroad is learn the language. Learn your numbers.

And it probably pays to be slightly cheeky.

Things are optimistically priced,

so pitch in low and, you never know, you may find success.

Otherwise, just keep smiling.

# Smile

-# Though your heart is aching #

-And Bingo is smiling

because he's just ahead in this race.

But Eric isn't one to give up easily and puts his pedal to the metal.

You might see what follows in incredibly fast motion.

Do not adjust your set.

It really is me moving at that, er, at that pace.

And he's off. He holds the racing line on that first bend, then overtakes the lady in yellow.

Oh, he's encountered heavy Parisian traffic, but he negotiates it perfectly,

all the while, keeping his eyes open for possible buys.

Majestic.

And Knocker surprised us all by pulling in to take another look at an item he spotted earlier -

the pewter inkwell with a price tag of 280 euros.

It may be a French race

but it seems this German-made piece by WMF

has really taken Eric's fancy.

With the WMF well, there is a market out there.

There's the WMF collector and the inkwell collector.

I'm determined, in the next 30 minutes or so,

to, er, make two more purchases.

So Eric pays £239.32 for the inkwell

and revs up for the final stretch in this riotous race for profit.

With his foot to the floor, he snares a lion ornament

originating from an exotic, faraway land.

I come all the way to Paris to find myself buying a lion

that was probably made in Staffordshire,

probably round about 1825, 1835.

I can't tell you who made him, he's not marked, but I do like him.

He's been made as a paperweight, so he would've sat on a gentleman's desk.

I spent ages, ages,

making sure there was no restoration and I couldn't find any.

Tiny little chip down there, but I'm not going to worry about that.

Had it had extensive restoration, I would've left it alone

because no collector would necessarily want it.

It's got a couple of little chips. It's got one on the base.

It's what you might call honest wear and tear.

I like him. I like him a lot. I'm very pleased with that buy

and I'm very pleased to think that I'm going to repatriate him in the next few hours.

For the sum of £170.94,

Eric can now return the lion ornament to its natural habitat

and he takes the lead for the first time with four items to James three.

But Bingo isn't backing off in this race.

I haven't got much time left. I'd better get a wiggle on.

I want to buy two more items

and then I am complete.

And sure enough, James gets his hands on two more items,

including another golden delicacy.

He pays £38.46 for a brass lamp

and £72.65 for an Art Deco mirror.

I told you the French were good at their metalwork.

This is one of my last purchases, this nice brass alter stick.

It's got good height. It's halfway between a table lamp and a lamp standard.

It's half a lamp standard.

But would look fabulous on a table with a lovely big shade.

The second thing I bought was this -

this nice Art Deco mirror.

Regrettably, this has been in a damp place,

so the gilding has gone all dull, it's gone all matt.

It would've been water-gilded with this gesso underneath.

It's very stylish,

flowing with stylised fruit here.

So it's probably not pure Art Deco of the '20s.

It's probably more likely the '30s.

I need to replace the mirror, brighten up the gilded frame

and, at 85 euros, I'm sure I can make a profit on it.

The finishing line is in view, but there's still just enough time

for Eric to bag some last-minute loot.

I'm looking at an Art Nouveau-style ewer.

It's got that whiplash handle.

And it's got some age, actually.

I thought it was going to be very modern, but it's got real age to it.

It's showing a little bit of wear on the base, which is genuine age.

-The price on that is 30.

-OK.

-Is 30 euros OK?

The jug comes in at £25.64

and Eric bags his final bit of booty just in the nick of time.

With that, the chequered flag falls on the buying leg of this antiques-dealing race.

Back in the pits,

it's time for our experts to reveal how they fared.

Our speedy spenders each started the day with £750 worth of euros

from their own pockets.

Eric spent much of the day lagging behind,

before finally sealing five deals at a cost of £602.57.

James also crossed the finish line with five items of his own,

spending a much more modest £282.04.

Our deal-driving duo have put heart and soul into this race around the Bastille Antiques Market,

so before they return to Blighty,

there's just enough time to show each other their luscious loot.

So, James, level with me,

was that or was that not one very tough call?

It was tough. Had I said it was a breeze, I would be lying!

-But, listen, we both managed to buy!

-We did.

-That's the amazing thing!

Which is the one that gave you the most pleasure?

-I think probably that's me, the table.

-It's nice. I like that.

Bit scratched on the top, but a sort of Iznik-style fellow.

I like the pavilion bamboo-yness.

-Well, I like my lion because he started growling probably somewhere in Staffordshire.

-Yes.

But at the same time, I like my Masonic piece.

I thought, "It must be English because it's got BR - Brother."

But then I thought, "Hang on, Eric, you did German at school.

-"What about bruder?"

-Bruder.

-As in brother.

So the chances are, it's probably Austrian, German or Austro-Hungarian.

I like your claret jug. How much did you pay for that?

Well, that was quite a nice buy, because that I paid 30 euros for.

-Yes.

-That's a good buy!

I had a good look at it, because you've got to be careful.

There are questionable sort of fakes out there at the moment.

But that's right as rain.

-OK, listen, I'll go and get the bubble...

-Yes.

..you get the boxes and we'll make a start.

Our powerhouse purchasers of all things antique

must now head back across the Channel

and prepare themselves for the second round of this race for victory.

Each will need to give their all as they attempt to sell their hauls for the biggest profit,

because there can only be one winner.

In Buckinghamshire, Team Knocker is plotting his selling strategy

for his not-so-French fancies.

It's sad to reflect on the fact that I've gone and bought five objects,

none of which are French.

Let's have a look at the Dutch contingent.

This Makkum dish - I can't believe it, it cost me £13.

Date-wise, probably around about 1900, 1910.

And then for £26,

a German Art Nouveau claret jug.

That has to be an absolute bargain.

I pushed the boat out here - £240 or thereabouts

for this inkstand.

It's probably going to be for an inkstand collector, and there are plenty out there.

Let's go to Austria,

because this tumbler dates to around about 1850.

And then, finally, what do I find but a British lion!

I was delighted to repatriate him back to the home country.

So on balance, I think I've got enough here

to scare the pants off Bingo Braxton.

Yes, fighting talk from Eric.

Over in East Sussex, James is planning his response.

These are all my items brought back from Paris.

My first, the lovely brass lamp. Get it rewired, it's good to go.

The bedside table, I quite like that. That's probably a trade sale.

The mirror needs a little work.

It's a bit dull. It's lost all its gilding.

It's lost some of its moulding.

I've got to weigh up whether I sell it "as is" at a cheap price,

or I do my work myself and try and get a good profit on it

at 250, 300.

The miniatures, these Ormolu-mounted miniature frames,

I think I know somebody who's going to buy those.

My table, I think, is the winner.

Moroccan Iznik tile in the top, 19th-century bamboo around it.

I'm not going to sell it for under £100.

This is the item that will create clear water between Knocker and I.

Watch out, Knocker!

So both our dashing deal-doers

have aspirations of standing atop the profit podium

at the end of this selling race.

But remember, until they've shaken on it

and the money has changed hands,

no deal is truly sealed.

It's Eric who's first onto the selling track,

heading north in search of profit.

He's hoping to land a double sale for the inkwell that cost £239.32

and the glass jug that set him back £25.64.

I've arrived in Nottinghamshire because I'm going to see somebody who I normally buy from.

But on this occasion, I'm hoping to make a couple of sales

because Kirsty specialises in Art Nouveau.

But will Kirsty help Eric

get off to a flying start in the profit stakes?

A couple of German bits, but I don't have to tell you this, Kirsty, do I?

-The original inkwell's in there.

-It's a lovely piece.

These were very special, expensive luxury items.

Just a wonderful shape,

known in the trade as the sledge inkwell.

Very good in terms of Art Nouveau pewter.

It's also got the patent number, which is excellent.

-Yes!

-So we know we can date it to around 1904.

-It's my kind of thing. I love the whole shape. A lot of collectors out there.

-Good.

As you can see, I've brought two things along.

-You said you thought this was German.

-I thought it was German, yes.

-I think it's French.

-Oh, do you?

-I do.

If it was German, you'd have the handle connected to the body.

There's lots of tell-tale signs.

-Hey, listen, we're all on a learning curve.

-Yes.

It's a lovely thing. Very pretty.

Most people would think this was for claret

but, actually, it's a water jug.

-Well, there you go again, Eric!

-It's never too late to teach an old dog, eh, Eric?

-You can tell because of the shape. Claret jugs were generally narrow and straight.

-Yes.

I love this because if you hold it up,

-you can see all this ribbing...

-Yes.

-..but the ribbing is on the inside.

-If you feel the outside, it's perfectly smooth.

-Mm.

It's just a nice thing of the period but not a huge amount of value.

I'm looking somewhere in the region of £350 for the two.

What about a nice round three?

-Put it there. OK.

-Thank you.

-£300. OK.

-That's great.

So our Lancashire lad is off to a solid start

with a profit on the two items of £35.04.

And going for gold on his first item is James.

He paid £42.73 for the two gilt frames.

What I'm doing here is just removing the dust.

It's been very well cast with roses.

And in the little nooks and crannies there's dust.

It's just taking the glow away.

They're of quite recent manufacture.

It's a very stylised moulding, often known as egg-and-dart,

where you get an egg-shape and then a little flack in between the dart.

We refer to the old stuff as Ormolu, which was,

the gilt was attached to the brass body

with an amalgam of mercury and gold,

and you get this fabulous gilded surface

which didn't require cleaning.

He sells the two frames and draws level

by notching up a stylish profit of £27.27.

# Follow the Yellow Brick Road Follow the Yellow Brick Road #

But Eric is on the move again,

as he races to Worcestershire with the lion sculpture

that cost £170.94.

I'm here to see Bob Price because he knows a good piece of modelling when he sees it.

I'm hoping that he'll take more than a shine to my lion.

-I'm hoping he's going to buy it.

-# You're off to see the wizard... #

But will porcelain manufacturer and collector Bob

have room in his studio for another piece?

Bob, I know I sent you an image, but it's time for you to come face-to-face with my lion.

I found him in a Paris street market.

I was mindful that you made a figurine of the lion

-for the Wizard of Oz series that you did.

-Right.

-Shall I reach it?

-Go and grab it.

I want you to put the two side-by-side,

because once you look at that face and you look at this face,

-there is an uncanny similarity.

-Perhaps they're related.

This lion was made in around about 1830,

so if he is a relation he's an ancestor.

Despite buying him in Paris, I'm convinced this is Staffordshire.

-Tell me what you think.

-I would say it was English.

You can tell by the body. This is a vitreous body,

-pretty close to bone china.

-Right.

I think it's really quite cute.

I'm looking for somewhere in the region of £220.

-Don't suck too hard or you'll never get your teeth back!

-No.

I wouldn't think any more than 200.

200. OK.

-We'll settle on 200.

-OK. That's great. Thanks, Eric.

And Eric's roared into the lead with a profit of £29.06.

Across the country,

James has taken the bamboo table with ceramic top to south-east London

to see if he can learn more about its origins.

I've come to see Amber Khokhar,

who's both an artist and lecturer in Iznik art.

I want to find out a bit more about my table.

James spent £51.28 on the table,

and hopes Amber's expert knowledge will reveal it to be a gem

and not junk.

Now, I have a very layman's view about this.

I bought it as a sort of rather decorative object,

but I don't know too much about this tile. Can you tell me?

Well, definitely inspired by Iznik-ware.

When I talk about Iznik-ware,

I mean the work that was produced in the town of Iznik,

-not far from Istanbul.

-Ah!

So you have the tulip,

which is very popular with the Ottomans,

the old Arabic word - Ottoman word - for tulip was "lale",

which is the same Arabic letters as Allah,

so that's why it was so important.

-So I'm very happy to see that.

-Good.

You have this beautiful saz leaf,

but the actual line work is very clumsy.

When you're painting those motifs, there are very strict rules as to the weight of the line

and I'm not seeing that rule here.

-You would say it's a European copy.

-Yes, or definitely a copy.

And the glazes, the colours, are not Ottoman colours really.

-When I looked at it, I wanted a lovely turquoise, I wanted the hotter colours.

-Yes.

I think we've lost the symmetry

of these established forms and motifs.

-This is for a less sophisticated market, isn't it?

-Yes.

-OK.

-Amber, you have really brought this alive. Thank you.

-You're welcome.

James shows he can go from 0 to 60 in a flash when it comes to selling

as he takes the Iznik-style table, along with the brass lamp,

the Art Deco mirror and the 1920s bedside table,

which cost a combined £188 and thruppence,

to show local antiques dealer Andy.

Let me reveal.

Hopefully, there's something of interest here for you.

-Shall I run through the prices that I want?

-Yes.

-60 pounds...

-Yes.

..120,

120, 90 pounds.

Now, is there anything that is ringing, tempting you?

Something can be done with the lamp.

What about my nice bedside table?

I quite like these Japanese mound-shaped things.

It's a tidy bit, it's not terribly old,

but I always quite like when a draw slides in and out without juddering.

-Is that a possible?

-We're close.

-We're close, are we?

-Yes.

-The mirror?

-No. I'm going to have to decline that.

-That's fine.

What would you like to give me on these two?

-40 pounds on that, James.

-40. Right.

-And what about this fellow?

-80 pounds.

Could you do 50 on that fellow and 95 on that?

-This has got to be rewired.

-I understand that.

But it's got a decorative value and I quite like that.

-I could do 50 on that.

-You could do 50.

And if we say 90 quid. Split the difference on that.

50 and 90. Thank you.

James may not have sold the lot,

but he's got a gleaming profit on the lamp of £11.54,

plus a tidy £13.08 on the bedside table.

And, actually, he's not done yet.

Andy's had a change of heart on one of the items.

This table is starting to appeal to me.

-It's growing on you!

-It is.

-What's the death on it?

-Really, Andy, that's got to be 120.

-Let's do 100.

-100. Go on, then.

-OK.

What a result! James nabs himself a last-minute nifty profit on his Iznik-style table

of £48.72,

leaving him with just the Art Deco mirror still to sell.

So with that daring deal done, let's pause for breath

and see which of our selling supremos is leading from the front

and who is stuck amongst the backmarkers.

Money maestro Eric has sold three items so far

and earned a profit of £64.10.

Whilst speedster James has sold four items

and notched up a profit of £100.61.

James may've opened up a lead on Eric,

but this selling Grand Prix still has some way to go

before one of them takes today's title,

so time for our two profit-hunters to get motoring once more.

Having utilised his speedy selling skills,

James is almost sold up,

and he's poised to finish the job by offloading his final item.

I'm here at my local market, Hailsham Market in East Sussex.

I'm hoping to sell this mirror. Bit of a mistake, really.

It needs a lot of work.

If I can get out of it, I might have to take a loss on this fellow.

# I'm starting with the man In the mirror #

So a less than confident Bingo

heads to see contact and second-hand antiques trader Jeremy with the £72.65 mirror.

-Mr Mirror Man, what do you think?

-OK. It's not a bad mirror, is it?

I think it came from a restaurant.

It's brimming over with fruit.

But the gilding's gone. Why should the gilding have gone?

It's been somewhere damp, possibly an outbuilding,

hence that bit of staining on the mirror there.

The condition - you could call it poor! It needs restoration.

I could do the work on it,

-but I think it'll take me time and I'm not sure if time's on my side.

-Okey-dokey.

-But you can re-cover it, do you think?

-It could be re-covered.

Whether it's worth it is a different thing.

-I quite like it as it is because it's authentic, it's old.

-It is.

It's got a bit of character to it.

-What would you pay for something like this?

-In this condition, 75.

I'd love to take 75. Would you be happy with that?

-Yes. 75. OK, James.

-Brilliant. That's really kind. Thank you.

James sees his mirror reflect a modest profit of £2.35.

Sometimes it's not about making a big profit,

sometimes it's about getting out of it,

and that mirror was work.

And with that sale, Bingo's done it.

He sold all his items in record time,

which leaves Eric playing catch up.

But in this race, it's not who finishes first that matters,

but who makes the biggest profit.

Eric gets back on the road,

intent on selling his last two items.

I knew full well when I bought this Masonic engraved glass in Paris

that I would be on the lookout for a specialist dealer.

And let me tell you, they are few and far between.

But I'm pleased to say that in a certain part of Hampshire, I've found one.

I'm off to do a deal.

But will Dean be impressed enough to add the £153.85 glassware to his collection

and give Eric the sale he desperately needs?

So, this is part of your collection?

This is part of the stock and collection.

Many things here, from regalia, jewels...

Let me reveal one very lovely

piece of engraved Masonic glassware.

That is fantastic, Eric.

Probably continental. Most likely bohemian.

Somewhere about, I don't know, 1840, 1850.

The quality just shouted at me.

I totally agree with you.

If you look at the temple, the engraving of the pillars, the pillars on the outside,

even the pathway going up to the temple, it feels fantastic.

And the glass itself is clear but it's been given a pink flash.

If you look, you will see that there's two distinct colours...

-Absolutely.

-..the clear and then the internal sort of flash,

which is a technique where

they put a very fine film of coloured glass onto the interior

so it gives the illusion that it is totally made of pink or cranberry glass.

-I absolutely love it.

-Good. I was looking around the 250 mark.

You're a little bit high. I think we're looking at 200.

Dare I push it to 220?

-You've got a deal.

-OK.

And on that special handshake, Eric earns a profit of £66.15.

Well, that might be considered something of a double whammy,

because not only did I make a reasonable sale, I also learnt an awful lot about Mason regalia

and you never know when that sort of information can prove useful.

I hope you're watching, Bingo, and I hope you're leaning.

Not exactly, Eric. Having sold all his stash,

Bingo's got other things on his mind.

This antiques business really is stressful.

How are you getting on, Knocker?

So while Bingo catches up on his beauty routine,

arch-rival Eric is sailing towards his final buyer.

I'm by the Regent's Canal in London's King Cross.

I'm not one to name drop,

but I'm here to meet the Dutch Cultural Attache

because she's expressed an interest in my Makkum plate.

One thing I will say about the Dutch is that they know their ceramics.

So fingers crossed we can do a deal.

Eric splashed out £12.82 on the plate,

but can he convince Daphne it's a Dutch deal worth doing?

-I've brought along a little bit of Holland for you to look at.

-How exciting.

Here it is. I think this is about 1910.

However, the design is very much

1660, 1680.

That dish is entirely hand-painted.

-Oh, it's one of those!

-This is not a print.

And when you paint on a dish like this,

you have to get it right first time.

-You can't rub it out and start again.

-No.

It's really pretty. And it's in very good nick.

If you turn it over, you can see it's been pierced there.

-Yes.

-This is a plate that -

-This is a wall plate.

-It was never meant to be eaten off.

-It's signed Makkum.

-Yes.

-I actually only have modern pieces in my own home.

-Oh!

-But at the embassy, we have a similar plate.

-Do you?

-We do.

It'd be nice to have another one, I think.

And then we might give it away as a gift.

-What's the price?

-Around about £80.

In terms of what we are allowed to spend on gifts that we then give away,

I think the maximum would be £60.

-£60.

-Oh!

-You do this in Holland, don't you?

-We do.

-You do.

-Thank you.

So with a profit of £47.18,

Eric sold his last bit of loot and bagged all the profit he can.

His arch-rival, however, isn't even slightly concerned.

James is busy indulging in an alternative spot of money-making.

Bingo by name...

Six and two, 62.

-Seven and eight, 78.

-Thank you, Margaret.

Four and three, 43.

One and nine, 19.

House!

-Or should that be "bingo!"?

-Bingo!

I'm exhausted!

£32.50. That's not too bad for an afternoon's work.

In fact, substantially more than I've made on some of my items in this show.

Don't worry, Bingo won't be adding the £32 to his profit pot,

but let's see if his winning ways can take him to the title.

Eric and James both started this contest

with £750 worth of their own euros to spend.

Eric made five purchases, costing him a total of £602.57.

James also ended up with five buys, which cost him £282.04.

But all that matters now is who has made the biggest profit.

All the money that Eric and James have made 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.

Mr James Bingo Braxton!

-Knocker, how are you?

-I'm all right, thank you.

-How was Paris for you?

-Expensive.

-It was a tough call.

-It was a tough call.

-What was your best buy?

-Best buy was that bamboo table

-with the Iznik-style tiled top.

-Oh, yes.

Et vous?

For me, it has to be my Dutch blue and white plate,

only because I managed to sell it to the Dutch Cultural Attache.

Bit of a name drop. On top of that, my lion.

I've repatriated a British lion, as far as I'm concerned.

-That's quite a journey!

-Shall we just do it?

-Yes.

-OK.

-BOTH: One, two, three...

-I don't believe it.

-Well done, Eric.

-There you go!

-Well done.

You taught me an awful lot about French wine when I was over there

-and I'd like to do a little bit more research.

-Head in this direction!

So it's Eric who races away with victory today,

sealing a profit on every single deal.

I made some small profits on things, namely that bamboo table,

but Eric - he pipped me.

Fortunately, it would appear that the old bonne chance was smiling on me.

Eric may've reigned supreme today, but tomorrow is another day

and our experts get the chance to battle it out again

at a car-boot sale in Leicestershire.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd