Eric Knowles v James Braxton - 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.

Hey-hey!

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

I'm on the case.

Wee-hee!

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

daily challenge.

-I'm a cheeky chancer.

-Lovely!

Putting their reputations on the line and giving you top tips

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

-Let's go and spend some money.

-Get in there.

Today, the prince of profitable porcelain, Eric Knowles,

takes on the duke of delightful deal-doing, James Braxton.

Coming up, Eric trials a high-risk strategy in the auction room.

I'm leaving it all to the very end, which is a dodgy thing to do.

James shows the importance of concentration.

Excuse me, sir. What number are we on?

And you find out how to clean up a profit.

I've been responsible for restoring it. This is no sort of amateur job.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

You are about to witness a battle like no other.

The clash of the antiques titans.

Watch, transfixed, as our first divine contender descends

from the heavens, in a flash of lightning.

There's nothing this man doesn't know about antiques,

and he'll go to any length to crush his opponent.

Poised like a coiled spring, it's Eric "Knocker" Knowles.

You've got that, sort of, butterfly feeling.

And hoping to stop this relentless onslaught

is a dapper dealer, with enough charm to woo the angels.

But don't be fooled by the jaunty exterior.

This is a man who means business. It's James "Bingo" Braxton.

The excitement, the nerves!

Our two antiques titans are risking their own money

at Sworders Sale Rooms in Stansted Mountfitchet,

as they go to battle for the greatest profit.

Between friends.

-There we are. Thank you.

-I'm not so sure about that!

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

that they can sell on for the most money.

All the profits go to their chosen charities.

Eric Knowles and James Braxton,

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

So, the Essex countryside

and Sworders Sale Room, up here in Stansted Mountfitchet.

Today is just a general sale,

so I think it's fair to say that quality might be wanting.

Having said that, I don't mind telling you,

when it comes to auctions, strategy goes out the window, for me.

It does. But we have strength, we have £1,000.

It is £1,000, but remember, what with the buyer's premium, it means

our spending power is actually limited to around £750-760.

Oh, silly auctioneer forgetting that!

Go for it, boy.

Our two veterans of the antiques battlefield know each other

only too well, and that includes the tactics

they each employ in the auction room arena.

I think Bingo is going to concentrate on his strengths.

I think he's going to be pretty strong on the furniture.

He'd be wise to do that, because, quite frankly, there's not a lot

to go for in the ceramics, glass and general paraphernalia.

I can see Eric over there, hovering around the pots.

He's got a keen eye for restoration.

The clock is ticking

and the first fall of the hammer draws ever closer.

So, our two titans must use their time to assess

the myriad of trinkets and treasures on offer.

Keen to mark up the most profitable lots,

James has swooped on the furniture.

I like this pair of chairs.

They're made of oak, probably made about 1860-1880. Check a chair.

Check how tight it is, the joints are nice and tight on this.

Gently put your knee on and you're away. And have a sit on it.

If I can get them under £100, I should be able to make a good profit.

Arch-rival Eric is renowned for his expertise in porcelain.

And it's no surprise he makes straight for his comfort zone.

I do like that.

It's the nicest piece of porcelain in here, actually. By Royal Doulton.

And it dates to 1911, because it's got the impressed mark on the back.

That's nice. OK.

Quality will always out.

And with quality on his mind, Eric homes in on - guess what?

The same Gothic oak hall chairs that James was eyeing up earlier.

What I like about them is they're all pegged.

So there has been an attempt by the Victorian cabinet-maker

to replicate the, sort of, medieval ethos of handmade objects.

Our eagle-eyed experts have had an initial scour round the lots

and it's raised some concerns for Eric.

To be frank, you know, there's not a lot to really go for here today.

So it's inevitable that we are going to be going on

quite a few of the same lots.

Like those Gothic oak chairs, perhaps.

Mm, this looks like it is going to be an epic clash.

And, as the seconds tick away to the start of bidding,

our boys seize the chance to spot some last-minute money-makers.

Bible boxes were often reproduced out of old timber panels.

This one seems all right. It's suffered the rigours of age.

We've got remnants of the old lock there.

The auction catalogue has put 17th century.

It could even be earlier.

Well, if this little fellow makes between £50-100, I'm on it.

There are a few lots of wine coming up,

including a Chateau Latour of first growth, 1934.

I've got a feeling that Bingo might be going on a few of these,

because he's the refined type, isn't he?

And, sure enough,

gentleman James has made a beeline for the very same lot.

Chateau Latour, one of the most famous wine producers in France,

famous for its tower in the vineyard.

It's an old wine, 1934, but it's quite low.

It's got low shoulder, so really the wine should be up here,

but it's down there.

There's a slight break in the seal, but if that isn't vinegar,

that is a fabulous bottle of wine.

But will James take the risk?

Our battling bargaineers have marked their books

and marked each other's cards, and now the time has come to enter

the arena, as the auction is about to commence.

Both our experts know that one false move means victory could slip

through their hands.

Our two titans are in position

and, first up, it's the 1934 bottle of wine that both Eric

and James spotted earlier, with an estimate of £80-£100.

Your bid, sir. £50, I'm bid. 55. 60.

5. 70. 75, anywhere else, now?

I am going to sell at £70. Are we all done and finished, then? 70.

-Wow...

-Oh, he sounds happy.

The first strike goes to James

and he pays £86.84 for the wine, including fees.

But will his gamble pay off?

Probably the most expensive bottle of vinegar I'm ever going to buy.

# Don't stop me now... #

And our bon viveur is not about to stop there.

He increases his lead, by landing two 1970s bottles of wine

for £86.80, costs included.

This speedy spending spree has got Bingo buzzing.

The excitement, the nerves!

I'm spilling my coffee, I'm all over the place.

His speedy start has left James brimming with confidence,

while our Eric is yet to get off the starting blocks.

And Bingo is about to dish out another almighty blow.

Carrying an estimate of £150-250,

James is ready to bid on his third lot of vintage alcohol -

a bottle of 1928 Champagne Cognac.

£100, it is, on the market. 110. 120. 130.

Selling at £130, we all finished? 130.

Wow, James is crushing the competition

and leaving poor old Eric in his wake.

He's paid a total of £161.20, including fees.

This is treasure. This is amber nectar.

This is a Cognac, a fine Champagne Cognac. 1928, it's bottled.

This will be fabulous. Unbroken.

Still a very good level and a fabulous amber colour.

Mm, James is overflowing with confidence,

but Eric can't resist a little jibe.

-Come on, how many bottles have you bought?

-I've bought quite a few.

My most expensive lot was that Cognac.

If you were to send that to NASA, they could probably propel

a rocket as far as Mars on what's in that bottle!

I mean, it is lethal.

James now has an impressive three lots in his swag bag,

while Eric is getting desperate to get things moving.

You've got that, sort of, butterfly feeling coming on, you know.

Dare I say it, it's closely akin to your first date.

And Eric's first-date nerves might be about to reach boiling point,

as the moment he's been waiting for has come.

He's spotted a barge ware teapot that's about to go under the hammer.

35, is bid. Do I see 40? 40. 5.

50. 5.

60. 5.

70. 75. 80.

5. 90.

Oh, Eric, poised!

Selling at £90. Are we all done and finished? At £90.

Made a start.

And "Knocker" is, at last, in the game.

Eric's first buy cost a total of £111.60 including costs.

Well, I have got myself a classic Victorian barge teapot,

apparently made in a place called Measham, there on the canal network.

It has actually got its original teapot stand, which is very unusual.

And I love the fact that it has got the motto "Forget Me Not"

and, for that sort of money, I am more than happy.

Eric may have retaliated,

but not even wild horses could hold back his opponent.

James has already splashed out on three lots of alcohol.

So, surely it must be time to bid on something completely different.

Not on your nelly!

James snaps up a mixed lot of five bottles of wine, at a cost

of £93, fees included.

Are we supposed to be buying antiques

and collectables or cheap booze?

Sour grapes, Eric?

I bought five bottles,

all from Chateau Giscours. Grand Cru Classe, a Margaux wine.

This is the youngest, 1998. And look at the level of it, nice and high.

And then we go on to the '69s. Quite low, isn't it?

It's just age seepage. It's almost as old as I am.

Well, a fine vintage, then, James,

and our dapper dealer's liquid lots have not gone unnoticed by Eric.

-I don't drink it, I trade it.

-Oh, no, no, you never drink it, no, no.

That's what they all say.

These two auction room veterans may enjoy some friendly banter,

but they only have one thing on their minds - victory.

James is storming ahead with four buys to Eric's one,

and he takes it to a 5-1 lead, by winning a 1930s case of maps

and guides for £86.80, fees included.

This is a nice lot I bought. I bought it for £70.

It's leather cased, early Michelin road maps.

We've got the actual guide, that'll take you to restaurants,

hotels, various other things. I am missing some maps.

We're missing number eight, so we've got seven to nine.

I'm looking on the key there.

Sorry, Liverpool, you are missing.

It may seem like the Bingo Braxton Show at this auction room today,

but Eric is not going to let that phase him.

I have to say that Bingo is well ahead of me,

he's bought quite a few lots, to my one.

I'm here, basically, to lift the tone of the programme,

-away from the realms of alcohol...

-ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS

..and more into the celestial world of fine art and collectables.

Oh, thank goodness you're here, Eric!

And speaking of collectables, next up is an early 20th-Century

Crown Derby tea service

that our porcelain prince has got his eye on.

75. 80. 85. 90.

5. 100.

110. 120. 30.

140. 50. 160.

170. 180. 190.

Gentleman's bid, at 190, 200, anywhere? 190, all done?

And Eric buys the Crown Derby tea service for £235.60, fees included.

Well, this was a relatively big spend for me today.

These date to the early part of the 20th century.

Technically, it is a japan design,

because these colours were very popular in the Imari region

of Japan throughout the 18th and 19th century.

Quality bone china.

I've got an extra cup and saucer, I'll probably sell that separately.

Eric's made a valiant effort at catching up with his speedy rival,

but now it's time to find out who has got the upper hand.

Eric and James each started the day

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

Eric has had a slow start and bought two items, costing him £347.20,

leaving him with £652.80 still to spend.

James has powered ahead, picking up five items, costing £514.60.

He has got £485.40 left in his kitty.

As round two gets underway, James is enjoying life in the auction room

fast lane, while Eric is languishing in the lay-by.

He knows he's got to raise his game,

so when the two Doulton cabinet plates, with a reserve price

of £40-60, come up, Eric is ready to take to the stage.

MUSIC: "Night Fever" by The Bee Gees

# Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk, I'm a women's man... #

Locked in the groove, Eric is working that auction room floor.

Selling at £60. £60, all done.

Yes, Eric is "Staying Alive", as he bags the two Doulton plates

for £74.40, including fees, and he is looking pleased.

It's a big smile, because I'm very happy with that lot.

Yes, Eric is on the comeback trail now, with just two items

separating our auction room action men.

And he ploughs straight into his next purchase,

splashing out £.49 60 on a pair of animal prints.

I bought this pair of Victorian pictures

simply because I know people love cats.

Cats, dogs, frogs, pigs, owls, you know.

And those kittens are cute.

It's just a matter of finding somebody out there

that is smitten with kittens.

Eric's clawed back more ground on his rival

and it's now James who isn't having such a playful time.

Losing my mojo here. So I dipped out.

I'm being a bit cautious,

I think I need to plunge back in with a purchase, don't I?

And while James awaits the return of his mojo, a reinvigorated Eric

is lining up to spend a penny on his next marked lot.

I'm going to have a go on a George III mahogany toilet mirror.

I think these offer really good value for money.

The mirror has an estimate of £70-100,

but can Eric see himself reflected in its glory?

80, anyone else? 80. 85. 90. 95.

100, you have it, sir. Selling, at £100. All done.

Eric pays the princely sum of £124, costs included.

Well, this little toilet mirror probably dates

to around 1800-1820. It needs a lot of tender love and care.

It's been left in the sunlight, it's bleached at the back

and all this can be brought back from the dead.

The mirror is original, it's in good order.

For £100, plus the extra, it has to be a bit of a giveaway, really.

And with that, Eric's levelled the competition, at five purchases each.

And now this battle is really heating up.

Determined to regain his lead, James is poised to bid

on the 17th-Century Bible box he admired earlier.

£30 is bid. I'll take 5. Anyone else, now?

35. 40. 5.

50. 5.

60. 5.

70. 5.

80. £80. The bid's at 80.

85, anyone else? £80, all done?

£80, I'm back. I've found my mojo again.

Including costs, James takes the Bible box for £99.20

and his money-making mojo is fully restored.

James is in pole position, but this battle isn't over yet,

because next up is a certain lot that both our trading titans

have set their hearts on - The Gothic oak hall chairs.

I like these. And I think I'm going to dig deep for them.

Eric is also waiting for the chairs to come up,

but he knows he's going to have his work cut out.

I've only got X amount to spend on these,

because there's another chair I really want, after these.

I'm leaving it all to the very end, which is a dodgy thing to do.

Hoping to stick to his limit, Eric's straight in on the auction,

but his arch rival looks somewhat distracted.

5. 60. 5.

Eric wants those chairs and he's bidding hard.

80. 5.

-Excuse me.

-But what's this?

-Excuse me, sir.

-What number are we on?

-377.

-Oh, I've got that marked. I'll bid. Thank you.

-Thank you. £100.

Ah, the wake-up kid joins the game, with a £100 bid.

I nearly interrupted Bingo's flow there.

-Selling at £100. All done, at 100.

-Thank you. Sorry.

-No, no.

-Be my guest.

-Between friends. There we are. Thank you.

I'm not so sure about that!

He was slightly distracted, then.

I think he might have been sampling some of his previous lots,

-I don't want to say too much.

-What a turn up!

That stealthy swoop snatches James the pair of Victorian chairs

for £124, including costs.

And, once again,

James is firmly in the lead, with seven buys to Eric's five.

But you can't keep a dealing dynamo like Eric Knowles down,

and, determined to fight his way out of the trenches, Eric retaliates

by buying four 19th-Century yew wood dining chairs for £43.40,

fees included.

Why on Earth did I go for them?

Well, I don't mind admitting the very fact that they were yew wood

makes them that little bit more special.

The chairs themselves date to the early part of the 19th century.

And I think the upholstery gave up the ghost.

What I would need to spend on these to put them right

would be an awful lot more than the £35, plus premium,

that I bought all four for. So...

..a lesson learned. This could be quite an expensive lesson.

Well, let's hope Eric's hasty buy doesn't stitch him up later on.

And, with his eye on the clock, Eric has just enough time to even up

the scoreboard, which he does by paying £148.84

for and Arts and Crafts chair.

Well, this chair was my final purchase.

And I have to say, it was well worth waiting for.

Because this chair started off life in High Wycombe,

it was made by a top maker, called William Birch. Early 20th century.

Classic Arts and Crafts armchair. Worked in oak, with a ruched seat.

I like it. I want to keep it. That's what makes this programme so tough.

And so exciting, Eric.

And with that final buy,

it is time to check how our profit hunters have fared.

Our fearless titans each started the day

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

Eric made a late surge

and bagged seven purchases, for a total cost of £787.40.

James fought hard and won seven lots of his own,

costing him a total of £737.80.

Our bidders have battled it out and bagged the best booty they could.

All that remains now is for them

to tantalise each other with their loot.

Well, for me to ask, "How was it for you?"

is a bit of a pointless question, I have to say, James.

In fact, I am tempted to bring out a couple of glasses

and to help you with all this lot.

The thing that intrigues me about this little lot is this Cognac. 1928.

-16 years off its hundred.

-And your furniture.

-Cos I had a stab at those.

-I rather rudely came in, didn't I?

Well, you know, I just felt paternalistically towards you

-and that you should be given a go.

-Tell me about yours.

-Well, I'm happy.

I've always wanted a barge teapot

and I am delighted even more with my William Birch chair.

That lovely armchair. Classic bit of arts and crafts.

The best of High Wycombe.

So all that remains for me to say is, temptation gets

the better of you, ring me and I'll pop down to Sussex and help you. OK?

So, our battling buyers have survived the first part

of the challenge, but the toughest tussle lies ahead of them.

They will have to fight a lot harder

if they are to emerge victorious from this right royal rumble.

Our eminent experts have both retired to their lairs

to lick their wounds and take stock of their hauls.

At Knocker HQ in Buckinghamshire,

the prince of porcelain is sizing up his loot.

I have to say, I am quite pleased with what I ended up with.

A selection of Crown Derby in the Imari pattern.

Wonderful bone china, as is, dare I say,

this pair of cabinet plates by Royal Doulton.

And I've got a barge teapot.

I've always wanted one of these. And then the furniture.

That wonderful armchair.

I don't think I'm going to have any problem finding a buyer there.

Then I have got the toilet mirror.

It does need a little bit of tender loving care.

Finally, I have got a little bit of Victorian sentimentality there.

The oleographs,

made in such a way as to emulate oil paintings on canvas.

So, I am more than happy with my lots.

But Bingo has decided to go down a very boozy route and,

as we all know, that can be the road to ruin.

THUNDER CRASHES

Anyway, Eric also needs to sell the four

early-19th-century yew wood dining chairs.

Over at Bingo Barracks in Sussex, jaunty James is analysing his haul.

There are not many general sales where you can buy

the daddy of Bordeauxs - the Chateau Latour.

The fine Champagne brandy.

It is a fabulous Cognac. It is almost 100 years old.

I think I might make a handsome profit on that fellow.

And a lovely bible box. The stuff of Tudors.

1600s, or possibly even 1500s.

Here, we leap straight back into about the 1880s-1890s.

A bit of Gothic revival. Good solid-oak chairs, they are.

But my favourite from the auction day was the daddy of wines -

the Chateau Latour.

This is the one that is going to bring me the greatest profit.

Watch out, Knocker.

Yes, Bingo means business.

He must also sell the 1930s leather-cased set of maps and guides

and a mixed lot of five late-20th-century bottles of wine.

Our bidding big guns must now turn their treasures into cold,

hard cash, as they set to work lining up their sales.

But, remember, until they have shaken on it

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

Eric is not hanging about.

He has brought his early-20th-century William Birch

chair, that set him back £148.80, to show Stewart,

who owns a chair-making gallery in Buckinghamshire.

-Mr Linford, how are you?

-Eric Knowles.

Let me introduce you to William Birch.

William Birch armchair.

So this is English oak, Quercus robur.

And the telltale sign is always looking underneath the chair,

because you can't fake this age underneath here.

The wear on the legs

and the interesting fact with this chair is these are oval.

You have got the egg shape, which means it was turned green

by the bodgers in the woods.

Bodgers were an important part, were they not,

-of the High Wycombe furniture trade?

-That's right. Absolutely.

They are the guys who worked in the woods, produced the spindles,

stretchers, back sticks. And they were all brought by donkey

and cart into the chair-making workshops

and the framing workshops of High Wycombe.

-So this is a William Birch chair. 1910-1913.

-Oh, good.

-Rush seat.

Not bad nick. Dutch rush. It has been stuffed nicely. Yeah.

You could actually have that for 350 quid. Stand up, stand up.

I don't want you to fall over.

Don't fall over, because I knew you were expecting far more.

-How about £100?

-Absolute minimum on this chair, £280.

-How about 220?

-250 and that chair is in your collection.

-250.

-There you go, sir.

-What a star.

Yes, he had to work for it,

but Eric's William Birch has woven him a profit of £101.20.

And hoping to capitalise on his early lead,

Knocker puts the four

early-19th-century yew wood dining chairs into auction.

But it is a gamble that fails to pay off

and he notches up a loss of £35.40.

James isn't going to let Eric set the pace for long.

He has brought his mixed lot of five bottles of wine, which cost him

£93, and the other lot of two bottles of wine that he

paid £86.80 for, to show Peter,

a wine cellar owner, who James has bought from in the past.

These are the bottles I spoke of. The Chateau Giscours.

So I have got three '69s.

Three '69s. Corks look good.

-Nothing wet on them. There's only one little problem with that.

-Yeah?

-'69 was a lousy year. Not a good year, at all.

-All right.

-Oh, no.

-Can a poor wine improve? With age?

-No. Not that long.

-I think I would give you £25.

-£25 each for those.

-I certainly would.

So that is 75. You're happy with those at 35?

Oh, definitely. Yes, yes.

-So, that makes 140.

-OK.

Slow down, Bingo. Shouldn't that be 145?

I am happy with that.

James's little miscalculation means he misses out on a fiver,

but still sips a sophisticated profit of £47 on the first lot.

-Good Medoc.

-It's a good Medoc, is it?

James goes on to sell his second lot to Peter,

but it's not going to be so easy.

He only get £40 for it

and that leaves him with a loss of £46.80.

-With one, I gain, the other, I lose.

-Swings and roundabouts.

It is swings and roundabouts.

Both our selling supremos have sold two items,

but already they have both notched up one hefty loss each.

So, prince of porcelain Eric

unleashes his prize-winning profit pullers -

the two early-20th-century Royal Doulton cabinet plates.

I'm in sunny Stoke-on-Trent and I'm at the pottery antiques centre.

Not only am I bringing coals to Newcastle, I'm actually dealing

with people who know the price of a pot, to the nearest penny.

Well, let's hope they know the price of a plate.

Eric paid £74.40 for the pair.

-How did they do that?

-Yeah, beautiful, aren't they?

-The way it is gilded is fabulous, isn't it?

-It is just.

-And there is a signature.

-That's right, yeah, Charles Hart.

-Charles Hart.

-He was a local chap, from Burslem.

Around about 1880, Doulton had a fabulous studio down the road

-and a lot of his family still live locally.

-Do they?

-Yeah.

I had some of his family in recently looking to buy some of his work.

Oh, well, that's fortuitous, isn't it?

Because I have a David Dewsbury plate there. Have a look at that.

I think that might be a little bit earlier. Do you?

Yeah, he started work at Burslem in 1889. A renowned orchid painter.

And, again, I am in touch with some of his relatives,

-who like to buy back his work.

-Oh, it's getting better.

Obviously, I want to sell the two together.

My opening gambit is going to be about £180 for the two.

-I'm looking to pay about 120.

-I will come to 140.

Yes, I think 140 is OK.

And we are repatriating them, not only to Stoke-on-Trent,

-but, hopefully, the Hart family and the Dewsbury family.

-Exactly.

Eric returns the plates to their rightful home

and earns a sizeable profit of £65.60.

When it comes to money, well, I have doubled up.

And that, Bingo, is what it's all about.

You look and you learn, my boy.

Eric's brimming with confidence, as he takes the lead.

Now it is up to James to bring in some big guns of his own

for his next sale.

This is the Chateau Latour.

The Premier Cru Classe wine. 1934. It is an old fellow.

I must treat it with care. I'm keeping it under wraps,

but I have brought it to somebody who is very interested in wine.

James is targeting wine collector and friend Gere, in the hope that he

can tempt him with a third of his wine lots, that he paid £86.80 for.

Aha. A '34 Latour.

-It's Premier league, isn't it?

-Yeah.

But it certainly depends on the level and the colour.

And this is a low shoulder.

That means that it has been exposed to air.

Once they get to this age - lottery.

It could be vinegar, it could be fantastic. There is the dilemma.

Would you buy that bottle for £120?

-Somewhere between 70 and 80, I would buy it.

-Could we touch hands at 90?

-Go on, then. £90.

-That is very kind.

Oh, James hoped that bottle would be the big daddy of profit,

but he walks away with only a modest profit of £3.20.

It seems both our boys are facing challenging times.

Eric is on his way to Measham in Leicestershire,

where he believes his late 19th Century barge ware teapot came from.

He paid £111.60 for it

and he is meeting Keith from the Measham Museum,

in the hope that it is just his cup of tea.

When you think of Measham, you think of barge ware.

Am I right in saying that it was actually made here in Measham?

No. It was called Measham ware, because it was sold here.

It was actually made at Mason and Cash at Gresley, for barge people.

From about 1880 and, really, they had finished, really by about 1910.

Barge people had it for Sunday best or presentation

for someone else or a special occasion.

That's why you normally get inscriptions on a lot of them.

-Let's have a look at this, then.

-It is a nice, clean looking teapot.

It has got the same pattern on as the majority.

The flowers and birds, really, is what you get.

-So, when it comes to money.

-The important bit.

Let me come in around the 200 mark and you come back to me

with what, you know... I'm sure we will find common ground.

-I think you would have to come down a little bit.

-£160.

-I'll snap your hand off.

-But it is for the museum.

-It is for the museum.

-£160, you are on.

Eric has brewed himself a good pot of profit there.

£48.40, to be exact.

With this fever-pitched selling frenzy in full swing,

let's have a quick break, to see how our seasoned sellers are shaping up.

Speedy Eric has sold four items so far

and earned himself a profit of £179.80.

James has sold three items and notched up a, shall we say,

a more modest, profit of £3.40.

So, a war-dancing Eric

holds the advantage, as we head into the second round,

but there is still plenty of time for both our prolific profit-pullers

to use all the contacts and selling nous, to steal victory.

Bingo is on a money-making mission to London, in the hope of selling

the 1928 Champagne Cognac he paid £161.20 for.

He's meeting mixologist and whisky buyer Hannah, who is purchasing

on behalf of a bar owner that Bingo has sold to in the past.

It is quite a geriatric bottle, isn't it? 1928.

16 years off its big birthday, a century.

You can age Cognac quite a long time.

-You can even get them from the 1800s.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Is it all right, level-wise?

Level-wise it is good. It's well sealed.

In terms of provenance, you don't have a lot here

because Grande Champagne Cognac,

that's quite indistinct, as to where exactly it came from.

What you would really like is some more information,

as in the makers, the growers.

I wanted 250-350. How does that sound?

I think 250 is a great price, but I think that is what it is worth.

-Could you squeeze yourself up to 300? Would you do three?

-Yeah, 300.

That would be fabulous. Well done. Thank you.

Hey, shall we open it?

Not on your life.

James seals a vintage sale and get himself back in the game,

with a whopping profit of £138.80.

It's a great item. I have got a good profit there.

Knocker, I am in the running.

Eminent expert Eric is not to be outdone and he's headed to

Worcester with the Royal Crown Derby bone china tea set, dated at 1919.

He is targeting Gabrielle, a renowned dealer in fine antiques

and Eric is hoping she will offer more than the £235.60 he paid out.

I have to say this is nice. The shape is good, isn't it?

The shape is good.

All these pieces are date coded for, I think, either 1919 or 1920.

-Is it cigar pattern?

-Yeah.

-I don't know why they call it cigar pattern.

-I can tell you that.

-Oh, great.

-I'll tell you.

If you look at this particular column here, it is

actually got this diagonal striping to it, which is supposed to be

representative of a cigar.

You see, that looks like a barber's pole to me, but, hey,

-they're nice pieces.

-I was looking around about the £270 mark.

-£250.

-Do you think we might do the 260?

Yeah, I'll do 260. Yes, yes, how's that?

So, Eric sips on a genteel profit

of £24.40 and that moves him forward, with five items sold

to Bingo's four.

-Do you think they have ever been used?

-Lapsang Souchong, I think.

Crying out for Earl Grey.

Yes, but you can't keep a master money-maker like James

down for long.

He is on to his next deal, with motoring museum owner, Chris.

Bingo's hoping the leather-cased maps, that cost him £86.80,

will drive up the profit he needs.

-Have you seen the like of this before?

-Not quite the same as this.

You see all sorts of map sets.

This would have been quite an expensive item

-when it was produced, I should think.

-Do you think it is '30s?

Certainly, it's the early-style guide.

-Yeah, it's going to be pre-war, definitely.

-So, pre-war.

I suppose Michelin were the people, weren't they?

Well, very early on, of course, with tyre manufacture

and then the travel thing, selling their guidebooks.

-As they do today, with restaurants.

-Exactly.

-The Michelin Guide is the one, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

Would you be happy to pay 70 or £80 for that?

-65.

-I will sell them for 65.

-OK.

I think I got slightly carried away in the auction.

It just happens at auctions.

James sells the maps, but the engine's fallen out of his profit

and he has crashed into a loss of £21.80.

However, there is still time for Bingo to make a comeback in this

race for selling superstardom.

But he will need to catch Eric, who has brought his toilet mirror

for some value-adding TLC, before he sells it on.

I'm hoping to be given some sound advice,

when it comes to giving back this fine piece of furniture

its original looks, that would have been there in around about 1800.

So the great thing about this restorer mate of mine is,

his advice comes free.

And ready to show Eric how to shine up his mahogany mirror,

is old friend and furniture restorer, Rodrigo.

Well, Eric, what I've got here is a bit of turps in this jar

and a bit of 4/0 wire wool.

What I'm going to do initially is just very, very gently put

a bit of the turps on cos we can see how it's going to look at the end.

So that will dry. If I take the drawer out, you can see what

it's like against the drawer and, you know, we're not far off.

-That's not too bad.

-So, actually, that suggests to me

that just a little bit of TLC, a bit of waxing,

a tiny bit of a clean, cos we can use the turps

to clean off all the dirt,

will actually give us a really, really good result

and actually, it won't take that long to do that.

Well, that means it's worth giving it a gentle going over, yeah?

Yeah. Over to you.

When restoration is complete,

Eric's hoping his handiwork will reflect a big profit.

This is Stoke Park Hotel & Golf Club, in South Buckinghamshire,

and I'm here to sell to the management

one Georgian toilet mirror, all fully restored, by moi.

Eric paid £124 for the toilet mirror and he wants

to find a new home for it, among other items from the same era.

Eric hopes Nick, who's buying on behalf of the hotel,

can open the door to a pretty profit.

This is quite an ancient place, isn't it?

It is. It is a Georgian building,

started in 1795, and actually finished in 1814.

My toilet mirror could fit in quite well, because it was

made at round about that time, about 1795, or maybe 1810.

I'm not too sure. It's been given a recent polish.

I've been responsible for restoring it.

I've been shown how to do it professionally.

This is no sort of amateur job.

This is mahogany veneered, solid mahogany in the supports

and in the stretcher, then the actual little drawers

are faced in just a lovely figured mahogany.

So, the question is, is this

the sort of thing that would fit in here?

I think it'd look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

When it comes to the asking price, if I had any common sense,

I should be charging for my time,

because I must have spent at least six to eight hours working on this,

but I've pitched mine at a very competitive £220.

Actually, Eric, it sounds like a very, very good deal, and Stoke Park

would be delighted to buy it and bring the mirror to its new home.

Excellent. Well, put your hand there. Deal done.

Thank you very much, indeed. Thank you.

Eric finds his mirror a fitting abode

and he bags £96, to add to his profit pot.

And with the finish line on the horizon,

Eric targets his contact Jeremy,

with the two late 19th-Century colour prints

by artist Charles Henry Blair, that cost him £49.60.

-If we could do 60?

-Yeah, I could go for that.

Eric's selling skills are a work of art

and he draws a profit of £10.40.

It's quite obvious to me that Jeremy knows a baa-argain

when he sees one.

And with that, Eric is all sold up.

In need of some divine intervention, James is hoping his last two items

can clinch him some prize-winning profit.

I've come to see an old friend, Camilla, who creates interiors.

I'm standing in front of an old priory.

What better place to sell a Bible box?

Here's the Bible box.

And Gothic chairs. You know, everything is aligning.

It has a very religious tone.

So, we've got a nice Bible box. I think this is probably 1600s, this.

-And it's suffered the rigours of use.

-But that's rather nice.

It is nice. It's got quite nice old hinges, these H-frame hinges here.

-It's got lovely old nails everywhere.

-Hmm.

-Good colour.

-And what about the chairs?

-I'm not sure about them, if I'm honest.

Really? They're, sort of, Gothic revival. I bought those at auction.

-What you want for those?

-I want to do a package deal, special price.

So, will Camilla let James drive away with a profit?

We'll find out shortly. This smashing selling slug-out is over.

Only one of them will emerge victorious.

Our duelling duo both had £1,000 of their own money to spend.

Eric splashed out on seven purchases,

at a total cost of £787.40.

James also made seven purchases,

but paid out less, at £737.80.

But now the only question is, who has made most profit?

All of the money that Eric and James have made from today's challenge

will go to charities of their choice,

so let's find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

Hey-up! How are you doing, big guy?

-Very well. How are you?

-Yeah, I'm fine.

All I can tell you is, for me, it was the tale of five chairs,

really, because I bought four in panic mode

and I should've looked a little bit more closely,

so I took a bit of a hit on them,

but the other one was my William Birch chair,

which I really wanted to keep. I loved that chair.

For me, it was a game or two halves, wines and spirits, and furniture.

Wines and spirits - all right. Furniture - rather poor.

Right, let's see where we go. Are you ready? One, two, three...

-Ooh!

-My word, Eric.

-That's a result, isn't it?

-It as a result.

Listen, James, when I saw you buying all that vino, I thought,

"I wonder if he has checked the sell-by date!"

-Anyway, let's go for a tipple.

-From the master!

So, it's an out-and-out win for The Knocker,

but where did it all go wrong for Bingo?

75, plus 50, on those chairs.

You KNOW that's more than generous.

Well, James made an unholy loss of £98.20

on his 17th-century oak Bible box

and his two Victorian Gothic oak hall chairs.

I did poorly on the furniture, but some of those spirits -

that lovely mixing lady, that came good for me. But Eric, he pipped me.

Well, I take no great pleasure in that resounding victory.

No, that's a lie. I do, actually.

Tomorrow, James has the chance to redeem himself,

as our duelling dealers face-off in the Put Your Money showdown.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd