James Lewis v James Braxton - UK Antiques Fair 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...

'..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 chappy! Lovely!

'Putting their reputations on the line...'

Full house. Oh, I say!

'..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.

'Coming up, James Braxton's top table tips...'

The power of the three-legged table.

Put them on any old rough grass and they'll always be true.

'..James Lewis has some subtle advice...'

EXASPERATED: Buy brown furniture!

'..and one purchase leads us on a journey of discovery.'

Move it to the sides. Oh, bli... It's coming!

'This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.'

'Yes, welcome, antiques lovers, to another exclusive glimpse

'into the weird and wonderful world of television's top antiques experts

'as they go at it in a battle over the bric-a-brac.

'Today, two of the country's best auctioneers stand up

'and put their reputations on the line

'to find out which one of them is the greatest.

'So meet, if you will, contender number one,

'a man who is great in every sense of the word.

'With over 20 years of auction experience under his belt,

'his knowledge of fine art and furniture knows no bounds.

'He's fighting out of the county of Derbyshire, it's...'

Poor Bingo, I knew him so well.

'Taking on the Lionheart at his own game

'is a man who's bought and sold more antiques than you could shake a jolly hockey stick at.

'He may be a gentleman, but he's no pushover.

'Representing the home counties, doff your caps, it's...'

The coat's coming off. I think even the fleece is coming off.

'Don't worry, ladies, it's not going any further.

'Today, both our auctioneers are going to be in their element,

'as the battleground for bargain buying is one of the biggest antique events in the country -

'the Ardingly International Antique and Collectors' Fair in West Sussex.

'There are up to 1,700 stalls housing tens of thousands of goods

'from fine furniture to sumptuous ceramics.

'Both our duelling dealers are packing ?750 of their own money.

'The aim of their game, to find the bargains and sell them on,

'with all the profits going to their chosen charities.

'So, James Lewis and James Braxton,

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

What a fine day! It is. Well, we're down south in your home territory.

I know. I've been here many, many times. Are these all your mates?

They're colleagues-in-arms.

?750? ?750.

It's so reassuring to see people actually unpacking still, isn't it?

Yes, normally, it's a leisurely breakfast for you.

LAUGHING: Well, and for me!

Are you going to cover the whole thing? I will.

I'll look at everything, look at every stall, uncover every box and find that treasure.

Well done. See ya.

'James Lewis is ready to turn this fair inside out in search of profit.

'Bingo's not worried. He knows this market like the back of his hand

'and has used this to his advantage to come up with a plan of attack.'

It is an absolutely glorious day.

James has gone beavering off down the main strip.

I nipped up to the sideways and byways,

in the hope that something fresh comes out of the vans.

'Bingo's pinpointed exactly where his focus should be, but what about the Lionheart?

'Surely a man as competitive as James has a complex strategy all mapped out.'

You hear dealers talk about strategy,

what their plans are for the day.

The truth is, it's all a complete and utter load of nonsense.

All that any of us do is come here and look for a bargain.

'Ooh, someone got out the wrong side of the bed.

'Perhaps you should take a peek at your rival, James,

'as his cunning tactical play has led him to a potential treasure,

'an oak wine barrel.'

This is quite a fun item.

Nuits-Saint-Georges refers the vineyards of Burgundy.

Lots of vineyards started leaving their land to the hospices

because they weren't nationally funded as they are now.

They were privately funded.

So these hospitals built up these large investments in vineyards.

If that's under ?100, that might be well worth buying.

A wine merchant might love that. I'll ask.

How much on the barrel, the Nuits-Saint-Georges?

The very best is ?85. ?85? Yeah.

No negotiation? No, I can't.

I will give you ?85. Right. It would be churlish of me not to.

'And we don't want you being churlish, Bingo!

'He gets the first purchase of the day, ?85.

'What's even better is he has a plan for it.'

I feel it has wine merchant's, wine bar written all over it.

It has a great nostalgic look.

Dated 1955. Made of oak, staved oak, with the metal bindings.

I don't think it was ever actually used for storage and ageing of wine.

I think it was more likely an advertising item

or a fitting to a lovely restaurant.

'Yes, having a buyer in mind is a great plan.

'Unfortunately for Bingo, it's not a plan exclusive to him.'

A year ago, a friend of mine set up a hairdressing salon in Nottingham.

For that, he asked me for a chandelier, a clock and a mannequin.

In his back rooms, he's just opened a beauty salon.

He's also asked for two more chandeliers.

And look, there they are.

Excuse me, the two chandeliers you've got here.

25 each.

What would be your best price on those? Ooh! 20. 20 each.

Give you 30 for the two, but that is my limit. 35.

OK. Got a deal.

Thank you.

'?35 and James breaks his duck. What exactly has he bought?'

Style-wise, these are very much 17th century.

This, though, is 1980s.

Probably for a pub, a guesthouse,

but it's got a sort of a look to it.

'So, both our brave boys are up and running and off to a great start.

'The sun is shining and the goods are fresh out.

'No wonder James Lewis is in good spirits.'

There are no excuses at Ardingly, one of the biggest fairs in England.

Lots of choice, lots of price range.

Really, today, if I don't spend my budget, I'm in trouble.

'Something tells us you're not going to let the happen, James.

'Surrounded by his beloved furniture, pockets full of money, he's in his element.

'What's he going to go for next? A beautiful old painting?

'A lovely French chest of drawers? A dirty old eye-testing device?

'A dirty old eye-testing device? You're not, are you?'

How much is that? That's 225. Is it? Oh, my word!

I think, because the condition is so worn, all round here.

And lost the stand.

'Yes, James, put it down quick. Find something more furniture-y.

'A table, a chair - something with legs.

'Oh, no! Not those kind of legs!'

Tell me the history of them.

They're just somebody's legs. They're proper prosthetic legs? Yes.

What sort of period are they?

I think they're sort of '20s.

What would be your best on those? For one? 195.

'Let's get this straight.

'James is thinking of buying someone's old leg?

'Pull the other one!'

What would I do with a prosthetic leg? With the opthalmic thing.

'The stallholder's trying to sell the eye tester WITH the leg.

'I wonder if he's got any antique marbles.

'James seems to have lost his.'

Right, 340 and I'll take two.

350 and it's yours. Go on. ?350.

'Yes, viewer, James has just spent nearly half his entire budget

'on a rusty eye tester and someone's old tin leg!

'What WAS he thinking of?'

I'm not sure whether I need a good seeing to,

whether I need medical attention

or maybe I was just legless when I bought them!

Unfortunately, none of the excuses are going to work.

I'm hoping to try and find a prosthetic surgeon,

somebody expert in their field,

or maybe even a Paralympic athlete

who might want to see what people had to deal with 70, 80 years ago.

And for this...maybe an optometrist

or somebody who just likes weird things!

There are plenty of those people in the antiques game.

'And some might say you're one of them, James.

'The Lionheart purchases two items he knows nothing about.

'Let's hope there's method in his madness.

'His rival's taking a more conventional approach to the buying.

'On the other side of the market, Bingo is browsing garden furniture.'

I LOVE these three-legged tables. Perfect for the summer.

You can put them on any old rough grass,

you can put them on any old road and they'll always be true.

The power of the three-legged table.

'Rather than the one-legged leg.

'A nice pair of tables for Bingo

'and he spots another one in the van.'

Yeah, lovely. How much on that one? I think 50's the best I can do.

If I bought that and those two, could I do it for 150?

'James has offered less than the stallholder wants.

'Before any deal can be struck, the seller wants to make a call.'

The gentleman's phoning his partner to find out whether we can do the three tables -

that's the pair and the folding fellow... Hello.

The three for 150.

OK. Great. Thanks. Bye.

Yeah, that'll be fine. Great. That's really kind. Fabulous.

'There we go - three garden tables for ?150,

'and James increases his stash.'

So I've got this pair of rather nice wine tables here.

These aren't terribly old. They're to a French design.

A painted wrought-iron base and then we've got a zinc top.

The second table is a big fellow. It's got a great weight to it.

Ideal for the small garden because you can fold it up

and put it against the wall.

That is practicality!

'Bingo Braxton using his knowledge of the garden furniture market

'to make a clever purchase.

'James Lewis, he's no mug either - though he has found a giant one!'

One of the interesting things about this

is that it's marked Made in Moira, which was a great mining area,

but also a centre for some of the potteries.

Obviously made for the tourist market - "From Cheddar",

which I presume is Cheddar Gorge - and made around the 1930s.

All I need to do is find a father

who's a big mug

who likes Cheddar.

'You also need to buy it, James.'

I'll give you ?30, but that's my limit. For me, it's a bit of fun.

Go on, then. You've got a deal.

'For ?30, another oddity finds its way into James's big bag of goodies.

'Our dealers are having no trouble finding quirky items today.

'Bingo's quick to snap up another, as he snags a willow basket for ?5.'

It's a trug. They're very light.

They're made, principally, of willow and chestnut

and retained by these rather nice copper nails.

There were trug-makers very much in the 19th century.

This goes back to a time

where there were no cardboard egg boxes, there were no plastic sacks.

But this one isn't very old.

I'd imagine this is ten or 15 years old.

'Now, with odd-shaped barrels and an ancient tin leg,

'it's turning out to be a bit of a rum collection.

'What a relief to find James looking at a proper bona fide antique.'

A 200-year-old George III bureau.

This piece of furniture is solid mahogany.

It was made 200 years ago, at around 1810.

We open it up and it sits on these lopers here.

Inlaid, it's got pigeon holes, drawers, door to the centre.

Oak-lined as well! Lovely lining!

If you're thinking of buying new, big mistake!

Come to your antiques fairs and your auctions

and find a treasure like that.

'Yes, James loves that bureau, up for ?80.

'Can he get it down even further?'

60 quid any good? No, I can go 70.

70, you've got a deal. I just want to save the bureau.

'?70 and the bureau is his.

'It's surely put him into the lead on the spending stakes.

'Let's find out the facts on how things stand.

'Both experts started the day with ?750 to spend.

'So far, James Lewis has forked out on five items...

'Bingo Braxton has bought four items,

'but when it comes to money, is lagging way behind...

'If he doesn't spend it quickly, he's going to run into trouble.

'Before he runs into trouble, he runs into his rival.'

James!

Slow down! This vehicle doesn't move very quickly.

This is my purchases. It's not bad, actually.

Come and sit down! What have you bought so far?

Well... Any goodies?

Do you know what really annoys me? What? Buying this flatpack rubbish.

Yeah. George III bureau

made 200 years ago. Yeah.

70 quid!

Y-you're joking? It is insane.

And people say, "I've got kids. It won't last."

It's lasted 200 years! Of course it'll last!

It's the flatpack stuff you screw together that doesn't last.

That is amazing. Under ?100.

I found a few other bits, but that is the one that I'm most determined...

It's going to be my banner for a crusade for buying sensible furniture.

Anyway, get out. No. Take me along. OK. Where do you want to go?

Food court! Let's go to the food court.

'There we go then, viewer. James is on a crusade to persuade you all to buy sensible things.

'Notice he's kept quiet about the tin leg he bought for 170 quid!

'Buoyed by their little meeting,

'our two brave boys throw themselves back once more into the fray.

'Having caught a glimpse of his rival's purchases, James Lewis is feeling positive.'

Having seen James in his little buggy

with his garden furniture in the back,

I feel a little bit happier with the situation.

There can't be much profit in that.

'He's not JUST investing in garden furniture.

'In fact, Bingo has found a bit of highly collectable car ephemera,

'an MG badge.'

Tell me, why have you got 55 on this?

Because I think it's fairly rare,

it's in really good condition and it's quite collectable.

Would you take 30 on that, Jenny? No. You're pushing me too far.

I would let you have it for 40. 35. Go on.

Meet me in the middle, Jenny. Jenny, 35... All right, then.

Thank you. That's really kind.

'There we go - an MG car badge for ?35 and Bingo seems delighted.'

Those American airmen were very well paid,

compared to our British contemporaries in the Second World War.

They returned with lots of lovely British exotic sports cars.

From that grew our fabulous halcyon period of British sports cars

which were all exported to America.

This is a great badge. Bought it for 35.

A LOT of collectors out there.

Let's hope I can find a principal collector.

'So, one more in the bag for Bingo.

'And then another, in the form of an old chipped ice-cream scoop for ?2.'

It's probably '60s, enamelled,

slight bit of wear here.

But essentially, it comes to hand really nicely. Good design.

'Good design, but what sort of profit is he going to get on that?

'Elsewhere in the market, James Lewis is still going on and on and on about brown furniture.'

I have just bought this. It was ?140.

Two-tiered dumbwaiter, made around 1830, 1840.

It has seen almost 200 years of history.

It is solid wood.

At the moment, brown furniture is a bargain.

Ten, 20 years ago,

this would have made ?500 to ?800 at auction.

At a good antiques fair, you'd expect a price tag of ?1,000.

There was this massive fashion for minimalism -

laminate floors, brown leather sofa,

a pile of twigs in the corner and a flat-screen telly.

That killed the furniture market, but this has to come back.

People have got to come back to their senses.

It's not MDF and it's not screw-it-together-yourself.

This will last another 200 years and should be a great investment.

Get to your antiques fair, start buying brown furniture.

It is SO cheap. Rant over.

'If he keeps bashing it like that, there'll be another pile of sticks in the corner - ?140 worth!

'It seems James Lewis is not the only one on the campaign trail.

'That's right. Bingo has found a bit of brown furniture of his own.'

Mid 18th-century. It's a country piece of furniture, mule chest.

This is elm here, so you've got this really nice grain.

Elm was much used on the bottoms of country chairs.

Nice elm sides. Even an elm back.

But the top is made up of sections of oak.

Could you do 160 on that? No.

180's my final...

190 and you've got a deal. Yeah, I'll take that. Very kind.

'So, ?190 and Bingo seals the deal on the mule chest.

'It's an item oozing history.'

Most people were working the land in the 18th century.

They wouldn't have had a great deal.

This would have been somebody who had something about them,

the emerging middle class.

This is too country to be landed gentry and aristocracy.

It's all elm, which is a native rather nice hardwood.

The only downer is this terrible replacement oak top.

There it is - in all its rather bad glory.

If I can find some sympathetico wood to go on there,

I think I can transform that.

'Bingo's happy with his chest

'and in spite of the fact that he's got money in his kitty, he decides

'he's purchased enough to call it a day -

'a tactical move that he hopes will pay off.

'But what he doesn't know is that James Lewis is still out there

'and he's got a potential money-maker in his sights -

'a 19th-century craft and sewing box.'

I was asking 180 for it earlier. Give me 140, you can buy it.

120 on that and you've got a deal.

125, there you are.

Deal.

'James gets the box, but what exactly has he bought?'

This is a real jewel of a box.

It's rosewood.

It's 1820, 1825.

The shape of the box is vaguely sarcophagus form.

Again, this is inspired by the Napoleonic Wars.

Napoleon was buried in a sarcophagus shaped casket like this.

In the centre, we have a miniature.

This is a Classical miniature after a well-known original.

This could well be French. It's a miniature in watercolour on ivory.

What regularly happens is that the miniature is taken out

and sold separately, then a little stipple engraving is put in,

which is a cheap replacement.

We open it up, and this is watered silk.

Silk with a sheen that runs all the way through it in pale blue.

The accessories are in mother-of-pearl, some in bone.

In the time when this was made, almost every piece of furniture

had ivory or tortoiseshell or bone

or some animal part set into it in some way, shape or form.

But times have changed and today, this would never be done.

'And with that purchase,

'James also makes the strategic decision to knock it on the head.

'While he heads to the bar for a well-earned refreshment, let's have a round-up of the stats so far.

'Both our trading troupers started with ?750 of their own money.

'James Lewis splashed out on seven items and spent up to his limit.

'James Bingo Braxton also bought seven items,

'though he spent considerably less...

'..He is holding back some money for the restoration of his mule chest.

'At this stage, it could be anybody's game.

'What do our duelling duo think about the opposition's selections?'

Well, Bingo. You look very restrained there.

How many items have you bought? Seven.

What? Spent 300 quid?

Does this look like 300 quid? It does not look like 300 quid!

I love your dumbwaiter.

What would you put that in at in the auction? 400 to 600.

400 to 600, yeah. What did you buy it for?

?140. That is cheap, isn't it?

My most expensive lot is this fellow with the very disappointing top.

The rest of it is all lovely in elm, so we've got a nice country piece.

How much was that? That was a lot of money, ?190.

Ooh, it WAS a lot of money. Yeah.

And then I went garden mad!

Two tables there, a table there.

And then my nice barrel, my Nuits-Saint-Georges.

I think you're going to have fun with that. It's been a great day.

Well done, you. Good luck. Good luck to you. Enjoy.

'So, with the buying all done,

'we've reached the halfway mark of this memorabilia marathon.

'Neither of our long-distance dealers is in danger of hitting the wall yet.

'Before they head out once more into combat,

'it's time for the two Jameses to return home.

'They need to sell all their items for as much money as they can,

'both hoping to make the biggest profit and walk away victorious.

'Back at the Lionheart's lair, Mr Lewis is feeling positive about his purchases.'

I have to say, at Ardingly, for the first time in a while,

I was buying strongly and buying well.

But when you spend big, you've got to find people with deep pockets.

The giant Father's Mug - lots of options and a guaranteed profit.

?140 for a two-tier dumbwaiter.

This is the sort of thing that the Duke of Wellington would have had!

The bureau, good news again. I've got two or three people interested.

The little rosewood sewing box, that's my favourite thing.

The eye tester - positive responses all over the place

from collectors and also from opticians.

The thing I thought was going to be the easiest is my prosthetic leg.

I just thought it was so different, but nobody wants it.

If I don't sell it, I think old Bingo Braxton will beat me.

'Oh, don't dance with defeat just yet, James.

'Then again, maybe he's right to be worried.

'Back at Bunker del Braxton, Bingo is very pleased with his haul.'

The sun led me to very much a garden ensemble.

I bought this nice pair of garden tables here.

I should make a decent profit on those.

We've got our big fellow here, nice heavy fellow, zinc top.

This lovely barrel. A local winemaker may be interested in that fellow.

This ice-cream scoop should lead me to a fabulous maker in Brighton.

Then my lovely trug. Who could resist a trug?

I'm looking forward to finding out its date and how much I can sell it for.

The MG Car Club. I'm hoping to sell that to a fellow MG owner.

My nice elm trunk.

I had to get it to a restorer as soon as possible.

Whether my summery collection is man enough to take on James Lewis, I don't know.

'Both our dealers are going to have to man-up now,

'as they begin the phone work, the web work and the leg work

'that's going to be necessary to make the sales.

'No deal is sealed until they've shaken on it and the cash is in their hands.

'First off the mark is Bingo Braxton.

'He's taking the basket that cost him ?5

'to the Sussex Truggery where it was made.

'Owner Sarah can't be short of a trug or two, so what's his plan?

'Is James hoping she'll want to buy it for sentimental reasons?'

It's made by one of the old boys... Yeah. ..who is no more.

This is cricket bat willow.

In years gone by, it would have been the willows that we find on the marshes.

Does that have interest for you? Well, it does.

I know you're a magpie. It's quite nostalgic.

I do have a collection of ancient trugs!

Name your price, Sarah.

Would you take ?20? Course I'll take ?20. It's a deal.

'Sealed with a kiss!

'James makes a healthy profit of ?15 on his first sale.

'But the Lionheart is hot on his heals in his quirky Camper van.

'He's in Derbyshire, loaded up with the dumbwaiter that cost him ?140.

'He's hoping Jim, an antiques collector,

'will want it for a Victorian house he's renovating.'

A dumbwaiter from about 1840, so probably early Victorian.

The house is around 1850, 1860, I think.

So it's around the same sort of period? Yes.

It's got that sabre leg, which indicates a slightly earlier date.

Inspired by the sabre shape of the sword,

Napoleonic War period, but it's a bit later than that.

Is it the sort of thing you're looking for? It is. How about 500?

Way above my price. Well, I'm expecting a haggle.

Can we settle on 300?

It shows me a profit. I think you've got a good buy.

You've got a deal. Excellent.

Well, that's great news.

My first sale more than doubled my money.

He's got a real bargain

and I found a new home for a piece of lovely antique furniture.

'James kicks off his sales

'with a whopping profit of ?160 for the dumbwaiter

'and continues on his campaign to save brown furniture.

'Back in Sussex, Bingo Braxton is taking the ornamental wine barrel

'that cost him ?85 to Larry, a local vineyard owner.'

Here's the mighty beastie. Very nice.

I like! Lovely. Very nice, yeah.

It's a part of the charity auctions they have in Burgundy every year.

This barrel looks to me slightly older than 1955. It does.

I wonder whether it's been decorated after they stopped using it.

I came here, Larry, a year ago.

I brought some of my little wine committee.

When I was there, I was trying to find a place to put down my glass.

I thought this would make... It's a great height! It's perfect.

You could put a glass top on it or just leave it as we have here.

What would you say was a fair price, Larry?

I'd say about 125. Could I squeeze you a tad?

135?

Yeah, go on, then. Thank you very much indeed. Cheers.

Let's get this open. Absolutely.

'James pops his cork with a profit of ?50.

'He really has something to celebrate.'

That's a vintage deal and so is this lovely wine.

I'm very pleased with that. ?50 profit? I'll drink to that!

'So, Mr Braxton has two sales under his belt.

'Remember that coffer?

'Knowing that any restoration costs must come out of his budget,

'James has been unable to find an affordable replacement lid,

'but he has put it in with restorer Ben for a quick clean-up.'

Ben's done a great job for ?60.

He's removed all the dirt. He's given a silky finish.

That means I might be able to retail it and get a decent price.

'Now for James and the giant mug!

'Mr Lewis paid ?30 for it and has a cunning ruse

'to take it to a bottle kiln, where he's hoping for a giant sale.'

I've come to Swadlincote,

to one of Derbyshire's last remaining bottle kilns,

to try and sell my giant Derbyshire stoneware mug.

'James has targeted collector Jeff,

'who he's hoping might be interested in the 1930s piece.'

Have a good look. It's a bit big for beer, but...

I don't think there is such a thing that is a bit big for beer!

I don't know what you know about Moira pottery. I don't know very much.

I do believe they made sewage pipes.

This is kind of the width of a sewage pipe. Thanks very much(!)

It's a sewage pipe section!

I think, because it's so early

and because it has so many different selling points,

I think it's a good object. It's quite an interesting looking thing.

What are you thinking, price-wise? 60 quid's a reasonable price.

I was thinking more like 100.

If I was to pay 70, that gives me a bit of a margin. Got a deal.

'The giant mug gives James a sizeable profit of ?40,

'but Bingo is still in the race.

'The zinc-topped garden tables cost him ?100 at the antiques fair.

'Will they stand him a profit when he tries to sell them to garden furniture shop owners Sue and Pete?'

They're English-made. They're wrought iron.

We've got a wrought iron base, hence the weight.

Then they just fold a bit of zinc over the top.

It's a typically French design.

You can put a three-legged table anywhere and it'll always be true.

That's fair enough. What a salesman!

I was looking at an individual price, 150, 160.

I think that might be a bit steep for us to be able to retail them on.

What would you retail them at? I would think around ?80 each?

I'd say so. About that.

How about giving me sort of...150?

It's only a small profit, but I've transported them here!

What about 135?

140 and I'll do a deal. What do you think?

Shall we do the deal? 140, put it there, Pete. Sue, thank you.

'Bingo makes ?40 on the tables and while he's on a run,

'he nets a profit of ?70 on the green folding table,

'selling it to Charlie, the manager of some local holiday cottages.'

So, 120? 120 would be great.

I'd be very happy with that. Thank you.

'Next, James Lewis is back on his campaign

'to save British antique furniture.

'He's in Yorkshire, hoping antiques dealer Tony will offer him a profit

'for the bureau that cost him ?70.'

There we go - one 19th-century mahogany bureau.

Inside, we've got original drawers, pigeon holes

and...and cupboard.

Good bit of inlay.

Period hinges, all three. Period lock as well.

If you have a look at the top, though, it's had a piece put in.

I think I'd be interested in that. My opening bid would be about 120.

220? 140?

All right. 210. I can't pay over two.

OK. Start with a one, then. At 160, it will show a nice profit.

You've got a deal. Great.

I've made SOME profit, but by far the most important thing is I saved the bureau.

# Flash! A-ha...! #

MIMICS BRIAN BLESSED: 'The bureau survived?

'What a hero. James Lewis - saviour of antique furniture.

'He also makes a profit of ?90,

'which brings us to the halfway mark of the selling.

'Time to find out who's bringing home the bacon and who's going hungry.

'James Lewis has only sold three items, but has a sizeable profit...

'Bingo has sold one more, but is lagging behind...

'But in the roller coaster world of antiques,

'almost anything can happen and quite frequently does.

'So, with things hotting up, Bingo heads to the seaside

'to cool down with one of Brighton's premier ice-cream makers, Seb.'

This is what I brought for you.

You've probably seen millions of them. I have, indeed.

Tell me. I know nothing. I merely bought it because I knew of you.

It's a classic American-style ice-cream scoop.

It's a great little thing and it could have a nice place

on the mantelpiece downstairs. Fabulous!

I'd give you ?4 for it. ?4? Make it a round fiver and it's yours, chief.

All right. We'll say a fiver. It's yours.

'Not exactly hundreds and thousands,

'but James makes a profit of ?3 with the ice-cream scoop.

'The sale done, James persuades Seb to let him try his hand

'at making ice cream of his own.

'James there, proving he can whip up more than just a profit.'

And I've got to move it to the sides, haven't I?

Oh, bli... Where should I be, Seb?

LAUGHING: You're doing well.

I feel like Scott of the Antarctic.

'Scott of the Antarctic? Did he make ice cream?'

?3, not the biggest profit I've ever made, but my word...

..this Bingo's Brighton Bounty is a winner.

'Yes, don't talk with your mouth full, Bingo.

'Anyway, he's not the only one who's creaming a profit

'because James Lewis makes ?25 selling his brass chandeliers

'to the beauty salon he had in mind when he bought them.

'That's not the only good news.'

Remember that lovely work box I bought at the antiques fair -

sarcophagus, rosewood with the cut steel nail heads,

that little miniature in the centre?

I absolutely loved it. But great news - I sold it for ?300.

That's a profit of 175.

Great result.

'It certainly is, Mr Lewis. The box was bought by Mark,

'a dealer on the Portobello Road in London,

'giving James that impressive ?175 profit.

'But the Lionheart does have one problem item.

'He can't find a buyer for his metal leg

'that cost him ?170 at the antiques fair.

'A clever bit of lateral thinking

'leads him to Surrey-based interior designer, Steve.'

You might be able to do something wild and wacky with it.

It's interesting. Does this come out? Yeah.

This I'm not particularly interested in. No.

If you don't mind, I'm going to bung that down there.

But this, this IS interesting.

This could make quite a nice small table. OK. A console, perhaps? Yeah.

It's almost like a suit of armour. Isn't it just?

Especially with the rivets. I quite like it.

It would look really good as a main feature on a small console table.

How about...410?

It's too much, because if I've got to sell the table...

I'll probably say...

probably 150. Cor. It's nowhere near what I paid.

I paid way more than that. 250?

I'll take 300. 300.

All right, 300. Brilliant. I'll show you what I'm going to do with it.

Would you...? I'd love to see what you're going to do with it.

I'll have the leg, which will be standing.

That would be fixed to a bracket that we'd make.

You would have a console on the top with perhaps a mirror?

We can spray this any colour.

Well, the profit was good, but his ideas were fantastic!

What a result!

'Selling the leg for ?300,

'James Lewis walks away with a profit of ?130.

'At this stage, James Braxton is still lagging behind,

'but it could all change in the blink of a deal.

'He's taking his MG badge to a group of car enthusiasts in East Sussex,

'hoping it will give him the acceleration he needs.

'He bought the badge for ?35, but Bingo's got a cunning plan

'to rev up these potential buyers' appetites and make a great profit.'

I've got a nice gathering of fellow MG owners in the pub

and I'm going to auction it to them.

'But will this bold move pay off?'

Good afternoon! Good afternoon!

Fellow MG owners!

Having only owned an MG for six years,

I don't know how qualified I am to speak to this very august body.

What you're doing here is you're buying the item.

Let's have a bit of auction magic. Who'll give me ?20?

?20 we're off at 20. 25?

25 all around me now. Who'll give me 30...?

'James Braxton showing he's still got it when it comes to driving up the price in an auction.'

..38, thank you, madam. 40.

45, well done. At 55.

David has it at 55. Once, twice. Any more?

Sold. Thanks very much indeed, David. 55!

'So, our action auctioneer makes a tidy profit of ?20 on the MG badge

'and that means he only has one item left to sell.

'As we reach the final leg of this selling marathon,

'the Lionheart is taking a trip to London.

'He's so far struggled to sell the eye testing device,

'but is hoping to find a buyer in Alex, a Hampstead optician.'

I know that I spent an awful lot of money on this,

but the only thing I've got my eyes focused on is a profit.

'But will Alex want to pay more than the ?180 it cost James?'

Wonderful old thing. How old do you think it is?

Exact date, I don't know.

I was hoping you would say, "This is what it is. This is the date."

Do you know what it is? It's for testing your eyes, I guess.

It's called a phoropter. Right.

You know the old-fashioned lenses that slot in and out? Yeah.

They all fitted in here. There's normally little dials.

That allows you to rotate the lenses in and out.

I like these old things to display in the window with the glasses.

It goes with the style of my shop. I like it. Good.

Obviously... It's what you want to sell it to me for.

I think in the right place... Yeah.

..retail... Yeah. ..it's over five.

If you'd cleaned it, maybe. I wanted to leave it like that.

So how about 350?

You've got a deal. You sure? Yes. Brilliant.

'Yes, a speedy bit of haggling

'and James's little eye spies a profit of ?170,

'meaning the Lionheart is all done.

'Back in Bingo's East Sussex heartland, he's got one item left

'and is taking his elm coffer to see antiques dealer Peter.'

I bought it for ?190.

I spent ?60 on restoration.

I rather hoped I might have found that elusive elm top, but I haven't.

Let's hope I can make a small profit on it.

So this is what you've brought me? Yeah, feel that grain.

It's lovely, isn't it? The top has obviously disappeared at some point.

Yes, it looks to me as if it's, like, narrow floorboards

that have been joined together, tongue and groove.

If you could find that piece of elm, that's where you'll get top value.

I think I would try and sell it privately, probably.

Peter, I want to get north of 300 for this.

I think it's going to be too tight because of the replacement lid.

I would be happier with around...275.

Could you do 295?

285 and we'll have a deal. 285, we have a deal, chief.

Well done. Thank you very much indeed.

'James squeezes ?35 profit from the coffer.

'Will it be enough to swing this competition?

'Let's remind ourselves of what our boys have spent.

'Both started the day with ?750 of their own money.

'James Lewis purchased seven items and spent up to his limit.

'James "Bingo" Braxton also bought seven items,

'but only spent ?527,

'including ?60 on restoration costs for his coffer.

'One question remains, who made the biggest profit?

'All the money that James and Bingo made will go to charities of their choice.

'Without further ado, let's find out who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.'

How are you? All right. How did you get on at Ardingly?

The one thing that I had real difficulty with was the leg. Nobody was interested.

Eventually, I found a guy who made weird furniture for nightclubs.

It's going to end up as a table in Soho. How very suitable.

Legless! Legless, exactly!

So how about you? What was your best buy? Best buy?

I bought a lovely barrel, Nuits-Saint-Georges,

and I sold it to a vineyard. A vineyard?

No more than a mile from my house. We don't get vineyards in Derbyshire. Don't you?

I would say, "A tad nesh." A tad nesh? Yeah. "A bit cold."

You're more brewing fare. Yes! Beer! Not very sophisticated.

Who's going to be champagne, who's going to be beer?

Three. Two. One.

You're in the champers! Come on, then. Best beer for me.

'James Lewis walks away the winner

'after turning a profit at every corner.'

The great thing about those massive antiques fairs

is that whether your budget is ?50 or ?50,000, there is something there for everybody.

All the items I've bought I would have happily kept, but I had to sell them.

It was rather like distributing gifts.

'Tomorrow, Bingo Braxton gets another chance to bite back

'when our two Jameses go head to head at an auction in Norfolk.'

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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