Eric Knowles v Kate Bliss - Showdown Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

the show that pitches TV's best-loved antiques experts

against each other in an all-out battle for profit.

Hey-hey!

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

Who's there?

Each week, one pair of duelling dealers

will face a different daily challenge...

The original cheeky chappie!

Lovely!

..putting their reputations on the line...

Full house!

..and giving you their top tips and savvy secrets

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

I'm feeling rather lucky!

Prepare for a white-knuckle ride

as our two daring experts are about to face

the most formidable challenge to date -

the Dealers' Showdown.

Coming up,

Kate's bidding gets out of control.

(Loads of money!)

440... ?440.

Eric stirs up trouble in the auction room.

Are they real diamonds?

Of course they're real diamonds!

I just wanted to make sure. You're putting them off!

And we find out the importance of a happy relationship.

Very often, two pieces were put together

that didn't start out in life together.

That's what's called a marriage.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Lords, ladies and gentlemen,

it's the Put Your Money Showdown -

the ultimate battle, in which our two high-flying foragers

take on four massive missions

in one seismic struggle.

Yes, this will be the finale to end all finales.

And the first of our two challengers

is the great pretender to the purchasing throne.

He's hoping to be the next in succession to Showdown success,

but will be reign supreme and be crowned King of the Dealers?

I'm in line to do just that.

Yes, it's the Prince of Porcelain...

And racing against him,

a fearless auctioneer is on the starting blocks,

waiting for the firing pistol.

She's definitely in it for the long run,

but will today go her way?

Let's hope that luck is with me.

It's Kate "Absolute" Bliss.

On the outside, she might look like the girl next door,

but on the inside, hard as nails,

and she's going to need to be, as she's facing

the final battle to sort out for once and for all

who's the better barterer.

If anyone out there is wearing a hat,

you'd better hold onto it, because it's time for a Showdown.

Good morning. Morning!

How are you doing? I'm fine.

We've got our cards. Yeah. Want to hear the challenge?

You start the ball rolling.

"Welcome to the mighty Showdown.

"The rules are simple -

"you must each buy two items

"at every one of your regular Put Your Money challenges.

"You have ?1,000 to spend.

"You can sell up to four items wherever you want.

"The rest will be sold at an auction

"in direct competition with your opponent." That's you.

"And the winner is the dealer who makes the most profit."

Well, there you go.

Listen...

May the best man, and all that!

Good luck, my friend. Good luck.

Cheerio. Bye.

So, no nonsense today.

These two know full well the enormity of the task ahead.

?1,000 of their own money to spend,

four locations to spend at -

an auction, a car boot sale,

a UK antiques fair

and a foreign antiques market.

So, let's unleash the titans. It's Round 1...

DING DING! The car boot sale.

Our duelling duo

will be let loose amongst the traders at the Battersea Car Boot

in southwest London.

There's plenty to choose from,

but they'll have to do a bit of heavy scouring

to find any treasures that might be lurking amongst the tat.

And after a quick sweep of the market,

Kate thinks she's found a possible game-winner.

It's a ceramic pot pourri holder.

Oooh!

What's your very best?

35. Ooh!

It's got a bit of a crack going through there,

which obviously affects it. I'm sure you're right.

I think we'll have to drop it to 30 in that case.

So, Kate gets the price down

and just as the trader is about to drop to ?25,

something unexpected happens.

Keep an eye on the chap lurking behind.

It's a bit wacky. It is wacky.

I'll give you 40 for it. You'll give me 40?

Oh, the cheeky monkey!

He's edging in on Kate's turf and has turned it into an auction.

OK, 40?

Well...

45. I'll give you 50.

Really? Have you got the cash?

I'll bring the cash along. I've got the cash right here.

You haven't got your money, mate!

45 from me, and I've got it right here.

45. It's right there.

Kate's flash of the cash gets her the goods

and she picks up her pot for ?45.

I think it dates from about 1900.

And essentially, I think this is known as a pot pourri,

because you've got some holes in the lid

and you would fill it with nice-smelling pot pourri.

It looks to be oriental, to be Chinese.

But if you look at the bottom,

you've got European letters here

and a European name.

And it's not made of oriental porcelain -

it's made of European porcelain,

what's known as hard-paste porcelain,

which has a slightly glassy look and feel to it.

It definitely needs some further research

and then I'll decide who I'm going to try and sell it to.

Well, Kate gets her first buy in the bag,

but what a struggle it was.

On the other side of the car boot,

Eric has found something to tickle his fancy -

a framed print.

Norman Parkinson.

You know, not a bad photographer.

That is a woman who...she would travel in style

and how I wish I'd been alive back in the sort of '40s and '50s.

Eric, you were!

It says "between 5 and 10". Fiver.

Fiver? Fiver. OK, you've got a deal.

So he snaps up the picture for ?5,

but Eric wouldn't be Eric if he didn't buy

a bit of pottery somewhere along the line,

and it's not long before he gets the urge.

We've got Chinese porcelain.

Not of any great age, but it is colourful.

This is all hand-decorated,

albeit on top of a transferred outline.

Just need to know how much you're asking for.

?40 for all of it?

All right. For ?40,

let me pull the hand out of the glove,

let me extend it so.

Eric's over the moon with the china dinner set,

and with his two purchases sorted,

he's feeling confident.

But Kate is chomping at the bit

and quickly picks up an antique decanter for ?8,

hoping to pour out a snifter of profit

when it comes to selling it on.

Now, this is cut glass.

It's heavy. It's got what you call a star-cut base,

which is a nice sign of quality.

And then what's known as a triple-ring neck.

A really nice 19th-century glass decanter.

Kate's cut glass brings this first cut-throat clash to a close.

But after the car boot, will Kate be crowing with her cockerel

or will Eric's crockery make a mockery of her efforts?

Let's see what they've spent so far.

Remember, both our experts started out with ?1,000 to play with.

Eric didn't go too wild with his spending on his first two items,

but forked out ?45,

which leaves him with a handsome ?955

still in his kitty.

Kate Bliss turned out to be the queen of the car boot,

spending ?53 on her two items,

leaving herself ?947

for the remainder of the Showdown.

And there's no time to relax

as we go straight into Round 2,

the UK antiques fair.

This time, our two battling knights of the barter

will be in their element,

as they're sent to Britain's biggest antiques event -

the Newark International Antiques and Collectors Fair.

Once again, it's Kate who's straight in there,

finding herself a potential money-maker -

two Japanese vases.

What's the best on those, then? 50 quid.

Oh, you're killing me!

You can't do 45? Yeah. 45? Great!

Done.

So, after one of the quickest haggles in history,

Kate peels ?5 off the price of a pair of Satsuma ware pots.

Satsuma ware is a type of Japanese earthenware pottery.

Essentially, not porcelain.

I'd put them probably 1920s.

What we've got here are some lovely Japanese ladies,

geisha girls, maybe,

in a big pagoda landscape,

typically Japanese.

The quality of the Satsuma ware often depends on the quality of the detail.

And the details here of the figures and the landscape

are really quite good.

Let's hope that luck is with me.

Well, Lady Luck Bliss has ventured into Eric's territory once again.

In fact, all she's bought so far is ceramic and glass.

Is the champion of china, the pottery powerhouse

about to be knocked off his pedestal?

I don't mind admitting that the Showdown is the trickiest

when it comes to doing the buying,

especially those objects you put at auction,

because I don't mind telling you, dear viewer,

that on previous occasions, I've come a bit of a cropper

when it comes to auctions.

Oh, Eric, self-doubt?

Well, with his confidence low and Kate moving in on his manor,

what our Knocker needs now is a nice tonic to cheer him up.

And he's found just the thing -

a tin-glazed vase that has the look of an 18th-century antique,

but is it the real deal?

That should date to something round about...

1720, 1750.

But the chances are

that I am probably older than it.

Still an antique, then, Eric!

I should be leaving that alone, but it's talking to me.

Combien? And let's use English from now on!

The best I can do...45.

Where was it made?

I think it's around 1900.

You do, do you? You think it's got some age to it?

?45. No haggle.

OK. Put it there.

So, what has Eric bought -

a modern vase or a genuine antique?

When I looked at it at first, I thought, "Hmm."

I thought I might be older than it.

Though I've turned it upside down

and there is genuine wear on that base.

So it would be lovely to think that it was made,

you know, in the sort of middle of the 18th century,

but I need to do a bit of research on it.

Just so sad...so sad that I've got to sell it!

Oh, come on, Eric, pull yourself together!

If that is a 300-year-old vase,

then perhaps it might be worth a bob or two.

Though for now, Knocker will have to wait to find out

what his vase is worth, as he's straight on to another deal.

For ?60, I'll have it.

This time, he's picked up an Art Nouveau pewter serving dish

for ?60.

Made in Germany. Marks on the back for Orivit,

and they were quite a well-known maker.

But it's very much in the Art Nouveau style.

It's got its original glass liner, which is a miracle!

And if I put that into auction,

I would think that I should at least double my money,

having paid all my auction expenses.

And with that, Eric is all bought up,

so Kate had better get her skates on and get buying.

Having strayed into Eric's specialist subject

and picked up several ceramic items,

Kate is heading back to home turf,

as a piece of jewellery has caught her eye.

Now, take a look at this,

because I quite fancy this ring.

It's known as a half-hoop ring,

because the stones go halfway round.

And this is quite fun. It's almost got a bit of an Art Deco look,

because you've got a combination of what's known as

baguette-cut diamonds, which are rectangular shape with facets

and then brilliant-cut diamonds in between.

The diamonds might be brilliant, but priced at ?95,

can cunning Kate cut the cost she'll have to pay?

There's a bit of damage to the mount there.

Just a tiny bit.

Could you do anything for me on that?

Could you do 75?

Just because of the damage?

Yes. OK, fantastic!

So, a very wily Miss Bliss

walks away with the 18-carat gold ring

with ?20 off.

And she's done.

Both our experts came, they saw

and, oh, yes, they conquered.

So let's see how things stand in the spending stakes.

Both our bargain busters each started

with ?1,000 of their own money.

Eric has once again been reluctant to spend too much

and across the two rounds has spent ?150,

which means he still has a huge ?850 left in his war chest.

Kate has pipped Eric to the post in the spending stakes so far,

as her expenditure comes to ?173.

So she's left with ?827 in her kitty.

Time is now running out

for both our dealers

as we spring forward to Round 3 -

the foreign antiques market.

Our two auction actioneers will need to have their wits about them,

because they're being sent to France,

where around 380 stalls of furniture,

trinkets, paintings and jewellery

await at the Port de Vanves flea market in Paris.

With both experts furiously foraging through the foreign market,

English silverware expert Kate

is delighted when she finds... a piece of English silverware.

It's a mustard pot,

and then the top is English silver,

really nice quality. If you feel the lid of that,

it's got some weight to it,

so you know there's quite a lot of silver in there.

And you've got a crystal-clear, crisp hallmark there.

Letter S - it's dating to the late Victorian period.

I don't think that's a bad buy.

?36.36, and the English silverware is hers.

While Kate walks away with a piece of silver,

Eric seems content with bronze,

when he picks up an antique bronze tray.

Date-wise, probably round about 1900.

The only thing that's missing is a signature.

I do like to see them when they're signed.

But that is a fabulous piece of bronze casting.

It's pure Art Nouveau.

And it just cost me 30 euros,

so seek...and ye will find.

Yes, Eric has sought and bought his first foreign purchase,

for 30 euros, or ?27.27,

for the bronze tray.

Kate is up next when she spends 15 euros -

that's ?13.64 to you and me -

on a pair of silk scarves,

including one which is a 1970s Christian Dior original.

Ha! Very French.

Very stylish.

Now, our Eric's next target is a vase.

Where's it from, Eric?

It was made in Leeds.

Yorkshire?!

Ay-up! This is Burmantoft.

Hmm.

The dernier prix on this?

35, best price.

35 is my best price. OK, I'll take that.

Quick as you like, Eric gets a good deal at 35 euros,

which converts to ?31.82.

Made in Leeds, probably around 1885, maybe 1890.

You don't have to turn it over to know it's by Burmantoft.

The shape, the decoration and the glaze

are enough of a signature for anybody

to go by.

So that is the end of our Round 3,

but which one will the winner be?

How will Kate's silverware and scarves

get on against Eric's bronze tray and vase?

Ah...the poetry of France!

Anyway, let's see where we're at.

Both our traders started this contest with ?1,000.

Eric for the third time

seemed reluctant to speculate to accumulate,

though in total so far has spent ?209.09,

leaving ?790.91 still to spend.

Kate too didn't exactly push the boat out in France,

but overall has spent a bit more than her rival.

?223, taking ?777 into the final round.

And so we come to Round 4 -

the auction.

And this time, our duelling duo

are in their comfort zones,

both being experienced auctioneers.

But this all-out war is going to be anything but comfortable.

Now, this is my last chance to buy two items,

so I've got big money to spend, so the pressure's on.

Our dealers are in Cottees auction rooms in Dorset

and the action is hotting up, as the bidding is about to start.

And first out the stalls, it's Kate,

as a terracotta plant holder has caught her eye.

But will she win it?

?40 for it, straight in.

45. 50.

55.

At ?55 and selling...

GAVEL BANGS

55. There we go.

Yes, and there she goes, indeed,

buying the pot for ?55,

making it ?64.90 with fees.

Now, this is what I would call a speculative lot.

The catalogue called it Regency style.

I think it's possibly a little bit later,

possibly even Art Nouveau,

because if you look at the motifs here,

this sort of strapwork, scrollwork,

it has a little bit of the Art Nouveau about it.

But I want to find out a little bit more about the age of it

and who might want it.

Well, let's hope someone does want it.

Kate still has plenty of money left in the kitty,

but only one purchase to go.

She'd better make it a big one.

But it's Eric who's up next, as he goes out on a limb,

bidding on a mahogany clock.

Like Kate, he has a massive amount left in his kitty,

so money shouldn't be a problem.

But how far is he willing to go?

110. 120.

130.

140.

150. 160.

170.

I'm out. 170 in the room.

GAVEL BANGS

Yes, Eric gets his mahogany clock

for ?170.

With fees, that comes to a shade over ?200.

You've got to gamble now and then in life.

And I've not seen this up and running.

They're often referred to as Vienna regulators.

Although this one has been described as a French regulator.

I think that this just needs a jolly good clean.

I think I can make this gleam.

Whether or not I can make the mechanism keep good time

is another matter.

Only time will tell!

Yes, and our Knocker wastes none of that precious time

as he moves straight on to buy

some World War I portrait tiles made by Carter of Poole.

He pays ?177,

and that means his Showdown buying is all done.

Now all eyes are on Kate.

Though her eyes are on a mahogany bookcase.

The auction is up and running, and already in the high hundreds.

She's got a lot of money left to spend,

but how far is she prepared to go?

320. 340.

360.

380.

400.

It's reached 400, but the price still goes up and up.

440, it's got to be. 440.

Kate may have the cash, but this is a huge outlay.

(Loads of money!)

440. ?440!

GAVEL BANGS

?440, with commission,

makes a whopping ?519.20 for the bookcase.

This is a risky gamble,

so will she be the author of her own demise

or is this chapter one of a winning strategy?

In style, it's classic George III,

which is late 18th century,

but actually, in period, it's Edwardian,

which is very early 20th century,

or maybe even a little bit later.

Now, the key thing with bookcases like this,

is whether the top belongs to the bottom,

because this bit comes off the bottom,

and very often, two pieces were put together

that didn't start out in life together,

and that's what's called a marriage.

Now, I'm certain that this probably is a marriage,

but it's been matched so well,

that actually, it doesn't bother me,

and hopefully, it won't bother my buyer.

Well, the question is, after spending so much on the bookcase,

will it be a match made in heaven

or will it end up on the rocks?

Kate's bookcase is the last item of the final location

in this Showdown, so it's time for a final round-up

of the figures as they stand.

Both our hardened hagglers started the Showdown

with ?1,000 of their own money.

Eric "Knocker" Knowles in the end parted with a total of ?586.69

on his eight items. A tidy sum, but was it enough?

His arch rival, Kate "Absolute" Bliss,

ended up spending quite a lot more on her eight purchases,

splashing out a total of ?807.10,

giving her a distinct advantage.

It's the beginning of the end of this epic adventure,

and there's just enough time

for our dealers to compare notes on their Showdown purchases.

And Eric just can't wait to remind Kate

about his potential secret weapon -

the chinoiserie vase.

I did find my Chinese vase. Well, I say Chinese,

it's French and it's a faience

and it's decorated with a chinoiserie design.

You really liked that, didn't you? I love it.

And that is going to pain me to sell.

Well, my bookcase was obviously a big gamble,

so we'll see what happens with that.

So it's all ahead of us - all that selling.

It is. It's all down to the auction. I know.

See you there. See you there. Bye. Bye.

So, the torrential tornado of precision purchasing may be over,

but take cover, because the storm of Showdown selling

is about to get underway.

Both our antiques avengers must use their special powers

to sell their goods for as much as they can.

But the Showdown sell-off has a twist -

the auction.

Eric and Kate must put at least half their items under the hammer,

where they'll be unable to control

whether the profits go up, up and away or down, down, down.

So, both our experts retreat to their respective homes

and draw up their battle plans.

Back at base camp Buckinghamshire,

Eric is surveying his goods and assessing their worth.

He's still got research to do on his star item - the faience vase.

Though he's not yet sure of its age,

he's sure of his feelings.

I'm going to be very careful about who I'm going to sell this to.

This is not going to go to any Tom, Dick or Harry.

This is going to have to go to somebody

who has feelings and sensitivity

and enough money to give me a nice profit.

I'm not demanding in any other department,

but certain pots, it's so important

that they end up with the right people.

All right, all right, we get your point!

So, Eric's hopeful his hunch

that the vase could be from the 18th century will turn out true.

But there are seven other items on that table, Knocker.

I've got an extensive - I think you will agree -

part Chinese dinner set there.

That, I can tell you, is going to auction.

So I'm left with various items that I'm going to sell privately,

which includes this wonderful Art Nouveau bronze card tray,

which...I already have a buyer lined up.

I'm also going to be taking my four World War I portrait tiles

up to the Midlands.

I've got, again, a potential buyer up there, so fingers crossed.

And as well as the Chinese dinner service,

Eric will be putting into auction the Burmantoft vase,

the mahogany clock and the pewter serving dish.

Meanwhile, in her Hereford HQ,

Kate is also musing on her selling tactics.

Now, towering above me is my lovely Georgian-style mahogany bookcase.

At over ?500, a big investment,

but do you know what? Sometimes gambles pay off.

Down here, we've got my scarves that came from Paris,

and over here, we've got my terracotta planter

and I'm hoping that a reclamation yard is going to buy this from me,

with a good profit.

Now my pot pourri here has a little bit of a story behind it.

Because when we were at the car boot,

it was put on a table with some other items and unfortunately for me,

the table collapsed.

And my poor cockerel, which is the lovely finial here,

came off worst and you can see that the comb here,

right on top of his head, has a great big chip out of it,

which is really sad.

But the Put Your Money games masters

have very kindly offered to stump up the cost of restoring the piece,

which we're going to do, before it goes into auction.

Yes, we'll have him back to his crowning glory in no time, Kate.

Now, alongside the cockerel pot pourri holder,

also going into the auction are the Japanese vases,

the 18-carat ring

and the silver and glass preserve pot.

So, having formulated strategies and set out their schemes,

our two selling salmons must leap upstream

towards the promised land of profit,

knowing that no deal is sealed

until they've shaken and the cash is in their hands.

And first to take to the skies is Wing Commander Eric,

as he sets his sights on Wycombe Air Park,

where he's taking his Norman Parkinson framed photo print.

Now, does this pose look familiar?

I'm endeavouring to emulate the model

on my Norman Parkinson photograph.

I'm here to meet Karen,

and she's the manager of the on-site cafe restaurant.

I paid, yes, ?5 for this,

and I'm going to be a little bit cheeky,

because I'm going to ask for ?30 to ?40,

because I've got the right girl in the right place...

at the right time.

So here's me girl.

She's very lovely.

This is actually a lady model called Wenda.

She was initially Wenda Rogerson,

and in 1947 she married this man.

She married the photographer, Norman Parkinson.

This photograph was taken in 1951.

Looking around here, I can't help but think

it is just right for your restaurant.

It would look nice. Yeah?

Yeah. I'm not going to take anything less than...

?35. ?30.

Listen, if you want to pay me ?30 for that, we'll shake on it.

Yes, that sale means a profit of ?25

and Eric's selling campaign is off to a flying start.

But that's not enough for our lad.

I cannot leave this air park

without endeavouring to fulfil a lifelong ambition.

HOLLYWOOD ACCENT: Introducing The Knocker as...

Top Deal.

When profits must be made,

there are no points for second place.

And only the most fearless flyers will survive.

Golf X-Ray Tango, ready to taxi.

Yes, nice try, Eric.

# Let's fly, let's fly away... #

So, as he enjoys the ride of his life, Kate is on a selling spree.

First, she shifts her silk scarves

to Debbie, who owns a vintage shop in Bath,

for a profit of ?66.36.

Ooh la la!

And then she moves on to her big money item - the mahogany bookcase.

I'm on my way to one of the biggest antiques centres in my area.

Now, I've already had my bookcase delivered there.

This is a big gamble for me.

I've spent over ?500 on it.

Can I make a profit?

Well, I'm going to try!

Try she might, but will antiques dealer Andrew

want the bookcase to sell on?

Yes, that's quite nice, isn't it?

It's Edwardian, about 1900, 1910.

Is this sort of a good seller for you? It is.

It'll fit in the more modern house and it'll fit in the older house.

It's one of those that will go anywhere.

Well, I'm looking for around the ?600 mark. How does that sound?

If we were looking at 575, I'd be a goer,

but I wouldn't want to do any more.

Well, that's great for me, Andrew. We got a deal, then?

Fantastic!

So it seems Kate's risky strategy has paid off,

and she walks away with a profit of ?55.80.

Now, Eric is also in Herefordshire, on Kate's home turf.

First, he sells the World War I portrait tiles

to the Ironbridge Gorge Tile Museum

for a profit of ?18.

And then he targets collector Martin

with his Art Nouveau bronze card tray.

I'm here to meet somebody that I've known for quite some time.

Not only is he a hotelier, but he's also an antique dealer

and I think it's fair to say that when it comes to taste,

we're bordering somewhere amongst the eclectic.

A two-headed sheep?!

We said sell a tray, Eric, not sell a field!

So, will Martin help Knocker find a profit

from the ?27.27 he paid for it at the French market?

Have a look at it. Have a feel.

Just feel the weight of that.

Oh, yes. You're getting your ?10 worth here, aren't you?

You certainly are.

Date-wise, I would put it around about 1895, 1900.

No, it's very nice. I can see that this will work here.

I was looking around about ?120 or thereabouts.

?90?

?90? There's no leeway there, is there?

For old times' sake, ?95.

?95.

That's got a nice ring to it. Put it there.

Eric earns a stupendous ?67.73 for the tray.

He's on fire!

And Kate is hardly petering out either.

She sold her decanter

to Herefordshire-based antiques dealer Steph,

making a profit of ?17.

Now she's taking the terracotta planter to Frome,

where she's hoping Steve, a reclamation merchant,

will want to buy the pot that cost her ?64.90 at the auction.

Well, this is what I brought for you.

Terracotta. I would say it's around 1900 -

very late Victorian, early Edwardian.

There's no name on the bottom,

but I think it possibly might be by Carter and Company.

Something you'd want to sell?

We'd have a go at it, yes.

OK. Well, I'm looking for somewhere...

Well, it would be good to get a couple of hundred pounds for it.

I do love a girl with a sense of humour!

How about ?80?

It's a bit too low for me. 150?

I'd stretch to ?100.

Could you go a wee bit more for me - say ?120?

It is quite unusual. I'll meet you halfway. 110 and we'll have a deal.

You're a hard man, but I'll go with 110. OK. Done. Thanks very much.

Steve buys the pot and affords Kate a profit of ?45.10,

meaning she's all sold up and ready to go to auction.

Knocker Knowles, on the other hand,

still has his secret weapon waiting in the wings -

the faience vase.

Now, from the moment he spotted it,

Eric felt that it might have some real value.

But that would depend entirely on how old it was.

He's been working tirelessly to find the right person to take it to.

And now he has a promising lead.

I do have a potential buyer, but he doesn't want to be filmed.

So what I thought was initially a 19th-century piece,

having done my research,

looks like it could well be from the 18th century.

And if it is, then I am in for what they call

a very tidy profit.

Eric is confident that, in his potential buyer,

he's found exactly the right person

to evaluate the true age of the vase.

So will he be looking at an 18th-century item worth big bucks

or a more modern and less valuable piece of pottery?

Well, we'll just have to wait and see how Eric gets on with that,

as now it's time for the Showdown auction.

But before we dive head first into the bidding,

let's recap the figures.

Eric has sold three of his four items,

but already has a profit of ?110.73.

Kate Bliss has sold all four of her items,

and has an impressive profit of ?184.26.

So that's it for the masterful selling skills.

Now Eric and Kate must head, with their hearts in their mouths,

and fear in their eyes, towards the auction,

where the rest of their items will go up for sale.

How are you doing, Kate? Yeah, fine.

I've got those pre-auction butterflies.

That comes from being a professional auctioneer.

A busman's holiday.

Yes, well, this won't be any kind of holiday, Eric.

With no reserve on today's lots,

there are no guarantees.

Before the auction kicks off,

Kate has been reunited with her pot pourri holder,

which has come back from the restorers.

I am thrilled, because she has done the most fantastic job

on what was chipped on that little cockscomb there.

Now, I paid 45 for this.

And the auctioneer has put an estimate of ?80 to ?120.

Looking good!

So Kate is brimming with confidence, and Eric too

is looking very pleased with himself.

This is a pot that could gladden the heart of any pottery collector.

And it's got everything you could ever want -

a fabulous glaze,

nice shape.

As far as pots go,

this is definitely premiership.

Yes, both experts feeling chipper, but for how long?

With the auction about to kick off,

our dealers' fates are now out of their hands.

And first up it's Eric and that Burmantoft vase,

which cost him ?31.82.

I think it's a good thing. It should do well.

It's the Burmantoft twin-handled rust-coloured vase.

I can start the bidding at...

?65.

Bid 70 in the room.

?75 with me. ?75 is the bid with me and we sell, ?75.

And that's a profit of ?31.92,

and a great start for Eric.

Well done, you.

It's hardly big business, but it is... It's business.

It's business.

Yes, and there's no business like Showdown business.

So, with Eric's first profit in the bag,

how will Kate get on with those two vases that cost her ?45?

Start me at 50?

Got a commission here. I'll start at 30. ?30 is the bid.

32. Surely...

?30. ?30 bid. They're lovely!

Do we have 32?

?32 is bid in the room. 32 in the room. 32 is bid,

and I'm selling. Sold.

That is NOT good news!

Yes, Kate's first lot is also her first loss,

and she ends up ?19 down

on the vases after fees.

You was robbed. Just robbed.

So it's back to Eric and the pewter serving dish

that cost him ?60.

I'm hopeful, you know, that somebody like Bill Gates

is actually looking in somewhere at the moment.

Yeah, Bill Gates?! It's a pewter dish, not a computer disk, Eric!

I start the bidding at ?55 with me.

Got 60. Not bad. 65 with me.

Right. ?65, the bid is with me.

65 is the bid. Any further interest? Sold.

Oh, dear, that didn't go well.

After fees, the dish nets Eric a loss of ?4.76,

the Showdown auction testing the will

of even the most experienced experts.

And next, it's time to see if diamonds are Kate's best friend,

as her ring, which set her back ?75,

goes under the hammer.

Here it is!

?60. Start me at ?60.

That's a rocky start!

?60 is bid.

Come on!

We're looking for 65.

Are they real diamonds?

Of course they're real diamonds!

I just wanted to make sure everyone knew. You're putting them off!

I believe they are real diamonds.

Would you like to take the auction? No, no, forgive me!

Eric, play nice!

I tell you what, I'll keep schtum in future.

Yes, sometimes silence is golden.

Kate's ring sells for ?85,

making a loss of ?2.76.

Next up is Eric's Chinese dinner service,

which cost him ?40.

And he's got high hopes for this one.

If you're into candlelit suppers,

I mean, you put that on the table, it's got the wow factor, hasn't it?

30 bid. ?30 in the room.

32 bid. 32 in the room.

35 on the net.

38? 38 bid.

Creeping up.

40. 42?

42 in the room.

45 on the net. 48?

48 bid in the room now.

50? 50 on the net. 55?

?50 it is on the net.

Pretty much a break-even, isn't it?

I had greater expectations.

Yes, but this auction is proving to be

a bit of a bleak house for our experts,

as Eric scrapes a small profit of ?2.50.

But up next is Kate's restored ceramic pot pourri holder.

Will it bring the sweet smell of success?

So it's a nice item.

Commission interest.

Not enormous commission interest, but I've got ?38 bid on commission.

It's a start.

38 is bid, then. We'll have to take the commission bid of ?38 only.

No further interest?

You're joking!

?38 the bid. Sold.

?38 is not good.

It certainly isn't, Kate.

In fact, it's a loss of ?13.

This auction is proving to be a tough challenge for our dealers.

They both have just one item left,

so there's a lot riding on those last two lots.

And it's Eric who's first up,

with his mahogany clock which cost him just over ?200.

Lot 750A is...

Here it is. Yeah.

?95 is my commission bid.

Do we have 100 anywhere? ?95 is bid and we will sell. 100. 110.

120. 120, I'm out.

120, we're in the room now.

130 with the lady. Do we have 140 anywhere?

At 130, and I'm selling.

Ooh, that's got to hurt!

The Lancastrian lad is devastated

as he swallows a loss of ?90.10.

At least his rival is on hand

with some words of comfort.

Do you want my hanky?

So that's it for Eric - he's all sold up.

And as he takes a moment to deal with his loss,

it's now over to Kate and her final item -

the silver and cut glass preserve pot that cost her ?36.36.

I think a really nice quality piece

and I'm pinning all my hopes on it.

Let's start the bidding at

?75.

?75 we have. Yes!

At last, there's a bidder who's splashing the cash.

90. 95?

95 in the room.

?100 on the net.

110, sir? 110 bid.

110 bid in the room. Looking for 120. Sold.

110! Yes! That's a profit.

It is indeed, Kate. Specifically, it's a profit of ?57.14.

So the auction is all done,

meaning finally our experts can relax,

which is precisely what they plan to do.

Shall we go and have a cup of tea? I think that's a jolly good idea.

But this story isn't over.

Remember Eric's tin-glazed vase?

Could it be true treasure?

Eric has sold it to the specialist collector that he took it to.

The buyer, who didn't want to be filmed,

confirmed that Eric's hunch was right.

The vase is an original 18th-century piece

and therefore, very valuable.

But before we reveal just how valuable,

Eric, being the gent that he is,

wants to share his special moment with his rival.

I bought it as 19th-century,

but the more I looked at it, I thought I'd better do more research.

So I actually showed it to two or three experts

and I got varying opinions,

and eventually, the idea of it being 18th-century

and not 19th-century.

18th-century tin-glazed... I can see where this is going.

Well, it's going quite some way from the ?45 I paid for it.

In fact, it's gone as far as a profit on the ?45

of another ?2,000!

So... WOW!

Congratulations!

That's very noble of you.

That's amazing!

I've not come here to gloat, I promise you.

Yes, Eric made a record-breaking profit

of ?2,000 on the faience vase.

And with that amazing sale,

he has surely won the Showdown.

But before we find out by how much,

let's remind ourselves of what our experts both spent.

Both Eric and Kate began this contest with ?1,000.

Eric "Knocker" Knowles spent a total of ?586.69

on his eight items.

His nemesis, Kate "Absolute" Bliss

bought the same amount, but spent a lot more -

?807.10 in total.

All the money that Eric and Kate have made today

will be going to a charity of their choice.

So, without further ado, it's time to find out

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

Hey! Here we are.

Showdown! I know.

Well, I don't think you've got anything to be worried about,

because I'm really...

knowing what's going to happen here. I feel like a lamb to the slaughter!

Not one to be smug, I can assure you!

OK, so come on, then - what's the damage?

Ready, steady...go!

Whoa!

Look at that - four figures!

That's fantastic!

I'm having an out-of-body experience!

Very, very good.

Well, shall we see how we went on for the entire week?

This could be a close one. Are you ready? Ready, steady...

go!

Ooh, look at that!

Just pipped you.

Closer than I thought it was going to be, actually.

Well, I've got to say that,

until yesterday, I thought it was all over bar the shouting,

but it just goes to show, it doesn't matter where you start from,

it's where you finish. I know!

Why am I thinking tortoise and hare...?

What a result!

Having been beaten on all four of the previous challenges,

Eric shows why he's dealing royalty,

having pulled the rug from under his rival's feet.

Both our duelling dealers

have made fantastic profits,

and all that money will be going to their chosen charities.

All my profits will go to Prostate Cancer UK,

which provides research and support for those who are suffering.

My charity is Blind Veterans UK.

Now, this is an organisation that looks after servicemen and women

returning from areas of combat

who have suffered visual impairment.

After a week of buying, bartering, battling and haggling,

Eric and Kate have put their money where their mouths are

and proved they can make big profits from antiques

when their own money is on the line.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd