James Lewis v James Braxton - Auction Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

'This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is -

'the show pitching TV's best-loved antiques experts against each other

'in an all-out battle for profit.'

Hey!

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

Who's there?

'Each week, one pair of 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 is a man with a restoration plan.'

I might turn that from an ordinary item into a luxury good.

'James Lewis comes a cropper.' Nothing has gone right today.

'And Bingo hopes you'll learn from his mistakes.'

There is a moral to this tale. I paid slightly more than that.

Sometimes you can get carried away at auction. Oh, dear!

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

'Welcome, antiquarians and sports fans to another nail-biting chapter

'in the book of TV challenges,

'where today, two of Britain's best-loved auctioneers

'go head-to-head in a real battle of the big boys.'

'And when I say big, I mean big.'

'Starting with a man with over 20 years of auction-house experience under his belt.'

'When it comes to collectables, he knows his onions.'

'It's the mighty James "the Lionheart" Lewis.'

He's going to be in big trouble.

'So, who dares to take on the Lionheart?'

'Well, what ho, it's a bit of posh.'

Very nicely played.

'Yes, he's bought and sold more antiques than most of us have had hot dinners.'

'There's probably nothing he doesn't know about furniture and fine art.'

'It's the Southeast's auction actioneer, James "Bingo" Braxton.'

The plan has come to fruition.

'And today, our auctioneer experts are on home soil,

'as it's the auction challenge.'

'Both boys are packing ?1,000 of their own hard-earned cash

'and have rocked up at the T W Gaze auction rooms in Diss in Norfolk.'

'There are four auctions going on simultaneously here -

'an outside salvage sale, house clearance, furniture

'and an antiques saleroom.'

'Our two dealers will have to plan and prepare and race here and there

'if they're to cover it all and not miss their lots.'

'And, as any profits they make go to their chosen charities, they're both keen to win.'

'So, James Lewis and James Braxton,

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

Mr Braxton! Lewis, how are you? Very well, very well.

Big money day, isn't it, today? ?1,000 but we've got a challenge.

Four salerooms, all going on at the same time. They are, aren't they?

Richard the Lionheart granted chartered market status to Diss,

way back, and of course, my nickname is... Lionheart.

So, there we go.

A little friend for you. Hello, James. Oh, dear. There we are.

I thought you might need a little friend to give you a bit of luck.

That's very kind of you, James. Don't do anything nasty to him.

No, I won't. Good luck. Have fun.

The challenge is, James, you've got to spend all of your money. I will.

'How sweet. James Lewis is giving his competitor a lucky talisman.'

'Get out of it! Trying to wind Bingo up, more like.'

'The Lionheart has cleverly studied his opponent, to pinpoint how to get an advantage.'

James and I are both auctioneers, but James started at the top.

I started with car boot sales and jumble sales.

So, for me, this might be a bit easier than it will be for him.

'With so much ground to cover, this will be easy for no-one.'

'Bidding is due to start shortly, so the Jameses must maximise their time

'to mark up any interesting lots.'

'James Lewis may be in his comfort zone in the outside salvage sale,

'but not far away, in the furniture section, Bingo has come up with a cunning plan.'

There's some interesting items outside. There's a couple that I can add value to.

I'm going to transform ordinary items into luxury goods.

'When faced with tatty goods,

'Bingo's plan is restoration or transformation.'

'But he might shed some perspiration as this site is enormous.'

'So it's a case of careful planning and swift bidding.'

'But his rival, James Lewis, is also starting in amongst the brown furniture,

'and he has spotted an oak coffer he likes the look of.'

There isn't a lot of furniture here today.

But this old thing, George the Third, around 1760,

it's had a couple of new brackets put underneath,

but it is solid oak and a great piece of country furniture.

'So the old oak chest goes onto James Lewis's wish list.'

'While he continues his hunt for something of value,

'James number two is hatching a plan to combine some pre-decimal coins with a table.'

'Intriguing.'

There's a rather nice little box of coins.

I know of a bar which is covered in copper, copper coins.

I think I will buy these coins

and I will anoint them on various tables.

I've seen one or two tables that I think I can add value to.

I think I might turn that from an ordinary item into a luxury good.

'Yes, a luxury good, indeed. If you like a copper-coiny table top(!)'

'While James Lewis methodically works his way around the auctions,

'looking at all the items on offer,

'Bingo is busy trying to blend in.'

There's a bit of stealth involved with auctions.

Here I am, in camouflage,

I'm still wearing autumn colours,

which is the perfect backdrop for brown furniture and Persian rugs.

'Yes, in his clever camouflage suit,

'Bingo Braxton, as we can see here, is nigh-on invisible,

'roaming freely through the auction house, unfettered, hidden from prying eyes.'

'Careful!' GLASS SMASHES

'While Bingo creeps around the house clearance area, James Lewis is back outside in the stalls,

'where he's found a hidden treasure'

This, at first glance, appears to be just a pile of wood.

When it's formed, this section is the canopy for a wonderful bed.

Made around 1850-1860, what's it worth?

Well, in this condition, probably not a lot,

but I do know somebody who has a bed shop,

that has been looking for a prop to put in her window.

That might actually do it.

'So, James, thinking ahead, targeting a buyer and a second item goes on his list.'

'Inside, Bingo has spotted a potential money spinner.'

It's a card table and they're called envelope card tables.

They look sort of like a corner of an envelope

and then you open it like that and turn it all the way round,

so these folds are supported.

With the marquetry, they've cut out all this little detail

and they've used a contrasting wood so there's boxwood in there.

Some naughty person has left a water stain there.

But what I really liked about it was the estimate.

?80 - ?120.

Now, I think that's cheap.

And if I got it for that much money,

I'm sure I could sell this for 250, 350, maybe even ?500.

'Bingo wants to play his cards right and is determined to get that table'

'But, with the clock counting down to the start of bidding,

'the Lionheart is feeling anxious.'

I'm concerned.

I'm very concerned.

There are thousands of objects here

and hardly any I've even considered buying.

But on the handful of things I've looked at,

if I miss half of them, I'm not going to have enough items.

'Oh dear, oh dear. Poor old James.'

'So, the browsing is over, which means it's time to buckle down and hold tight.'

'Time to separate the men from the boys,

'the purchasers from the peepers, the buyers from the bystanders,

'as the auction gets underway.'

'Both our boys only picked out a few pieces each, so they won't want to lose out on them.'

'But the auctioneers are already going at a cracking pace.'

'And one of the first items under the hammer is James's oak coffer.'

Good piece of oak here. Straight in at 100. 100. Take 10.

Oak coffer at ?100... 110 away.

Far away at 110 out back. Take 20. 120 the lady.

130's bid. 130. At 130, it's selling. Far away at 130.

130.

'And he gets it. With commission, James pays just over ?153.'

'But watch out, matey, because your rival has come to check up on you.'

'And he appears to be using Jedi mind tricks to encourage you to bid on an item blind.'

Five pounds, sir? Tenner? Quick.

What's that? Go for a blind... Don't worry.

Eight. I don't even know what it is. What is it?

'Oh dear. That is desperate. James has just bid on the advice of his opponent.'

'But neither know what it is.'

'It's a marble tabletop that James Lewis buys for ?11.80 including fees.'

'So is he happy with his purchase?'

D'you know, I'm really pleased with this.

It's solid Carrara marble.

It probably dates to 1850-1860, with these lovely curved lines.

But it's not a standard washstand top.

It's got a draining ridge around here and a hole in the centre.

So I think it's actually for making something on.

That should be 50 quid, I'd have thought.

'That unexpected buy seems to have cheered James up a bit, at last.'

'Across the way, Bingo has found a target for his first bid.'

Sort of toleware. It's painted, sort of cold painted.

And it's a flour bin. This one dates from about 1905-1910.

Most people these days buy flour in little bags.

Up here in Norfolk, they buy it in buckets.

If I can buy it under 40, I can make a good profit on it.

'Well, he would make a good profit, but James Lewis is getting revenge

'and is standing right next to him,

'bidding on the flour bin to pump up the price.'

45 new bidder. 45? 48, Alan. 48 we have. He won't. He won't...

'The Lionheart needs to know when to stop or he'll end up buying it!'

At 50... 55, Alan. 55 is bid.

No. ?55 here and selling at 55.

Still cheap. Thank you, sir. You ran me up there.

It's worth 120 quid. You can fall out with people, I find.

'Well, if you will go winding up the opposition...'

'Bingo buys the flour bin for just shy of ?65.'

'Remember his plan to create a copper-coin tabletop?'

'Well, he's found a different table he thinks would work

'and is hoping to get it cheap.'

And it's 22 bid. Take five anywhere? ?22. Selling at 22.

'A shade under ?26 and Mr Braxton has the first part of his copper-coin project.'

'But his rival is not in on the secret.'

Wonder if he's going to put a chessboard on it.

Mm. Interesting.

'Yes, we know something you don't know.'

'Now, James Lewis is an auctioneer of some standing,

'known for his good taste and expertise in high-end furniture,

'which makes you wonder why he's suddenly got an interest in dirty old sweep's rods.'

One. HE SNIGGERS

Bid at three. Any advance? Take the bid at three. Three pounds.

'So, James buys a collection of chimney sweep equipment for ?3.54,

'which Bingo seems to find most amusing.'

He's bought some drain rods or something,

which are highly appropriate for an antique programme. Shut up, James.

'So why has he bought those dirty brushes?'

James took the mickey out of this, but it's bamboo, brass-mounted...

You certainly wouldn't get that in a modern chimney-sweep brush.

I should think this is 1890-1910.

Classic Victorian thing.

'Well, if you say so, James.'

'He's purchasing a right old hotchpotch of nick-nacks today,

'including a brass tray which, up close, he's not so enamoured with.'

It's awful.

'But it only cost ?4.72 and at least he's buying.'

'Whereas James Braxton seems to be holding back on his cash.'

'As it's the end of stage one, let's see how big the gap is between them'

'Both our boys started today with ?1,000 of their own money.'

'Lionheart Lewis has so far forked out on four items,

'and spend ?173.46,

'giving him ?826.54 to spend.'

'James Braxton, on the other hand, has so far only bought two items,

'parting with a mere ?90.86,

'leaving him with over ?900 still in his pocket

'and an awful lot to do as we return to the auction.'

'James Lewis is in the stalls at the furniture sale,

'hoping to win the bed he had his eye on earlier.'

'However, there's strong competition so it's on with the sad face.'

260. 280.

300.

'James out at 300.'

At ?300 bid. At 300, at 300...

'Ooh, but he's back in at 310.'

320.

330. 'This is nail-biting stuff.'

360. 370.

380. 'No, he's out again at 380.'

Anywhere at 380. Selling all the while at 380.

'Hang on, though. He's back in at 390.'

'No, he's out again.'

At ?400. Selling all the while at 400.

'So, poor James fails to get the bed.'

I'll have to spend the rest of my money on bits and bobs

and that leaves me feeling very depressed.

'Yes, that would have used up a nice chunk of James's budget,

'so it's a sad old Lionheart who comes inside,

'where an ever-chipper Bingo is there to rub salt in his wounds.'

Cheer up, James. Don't be grumpy.

'Ah, will that put a smile on his face?'

What a tough day.

'No. Let's leave him alone then.'

'The card table that Bingo had his eye on is next under the hammer.'

Edwardian, inlaid envelope card table - 100.

110. 120. 130. 140.

150. 160.

170 I have. Selling for ?170.

'So, success for Bingo and a Victorian rosewood card table

'for a shade over ?200 with commission.'

Tucking into my budget here. Prudence now. Thrift and prudence.

'Well, you might be being prudent,

'but James Lewis is having to bid on items he hasn't inspected.'

'A Regency tea caddy has caught his eye,

'but he doesn't want to attract any unwanted competition,

'so he employs a smart tactic to bid secretly.'

45. 45. 48.

50. Five. 60.

Five. 70.

Five. 80?

80. Is there five?

We sell at ?80.

'So James wins the caddy for ?94.40 including commission

'and finds there's more to it than meets the eye.'

A Regency caddy, in rosewood.

And it has these lovely original loose-ring lion-mask handles on the sides.

Lion-paw feet.

And inside, its original covers.

But inside this one, a little cut-steel evening bag.

I should think that dates to 1800, 1820.

I'm hoping I'll get ?20 for that.

And that will certainly take the pressure off trying to make a big profit out of the caddy.

'So it sounds like James's blind bidding may pay off. This time.'

'And high on his success, the Lionheart goes on to another item -

'a set of ivory page turners.'

This was made around 1850

and, as such, doesn't conflict with the ivory laws.

And worth ?40-?60, ?50-?80.

'So, that one alone should see James a profit.'

'Across the auction room, Bingo is gearing up to bid on the coins he wants to use

'to decorate the table that he bought earlier.'

We'll start with 10. Five.

Five bid, sir. Five pounds. He's going to make a door stop.

What a bargain. Bingo. Thank you.

'Yes, he gets the coins for ?5.90 including commission.'

'He already has the table, so all he needs to do is stick them together

'and then find someone who loves coins on a table.'

'And as the auction continues, the running stays with Bingo,

'as he finds himself a perch way up in the gallery.'

We can keep an eye on old Lionheart down there now.

'And a framed etching comes under the hammer.'

W Wyllie, the etching, marine subject... Oh, that's me.

A nice start here at just ?95.

?95 bid. 100. 110.

120. 130.

140. Gallery at 140. Where's 50?

150. 160.

Any advance?

'Bingo might have a bird's eye view of the room,

'but he should look at his catalogue more closely.'

'He's made a classic auction-room mistake.'

Isn't that funny?

I thought I was buying a pair of etchings.

'Oh, Bingo. And there was you, trying to be prudent.'

'With auction fees, that one etching has cost him a hefty ?188.80.'

'It's a purchase his rival is none too impressed with.'

Can't believe he bought that. Wow.

They're nowhere near as fashionable as they once were.

Old Bingo's way out of fashion!

I ended up paying ?160 for one,

when I rather hoped I was paying ?160 for two.

It's a lovely etching. We've got a very nice landscape image here.

By Wyllie, famous marine artist.

The nice thing is, he signed it in pencil,

which is the normal etiquette, so it's an artist's proof.

His original works would have been taken up

by galleries and wealthy private collectors.

His etchings were for more public consumption.

'So Bingo has the wind knocked out of his sails and a few notes out of his wallet.'

'But, back on the floor, there's a flurry of activity from his rival.'

'He buys a glass rolling pin for ?23.60,

'an oil painting for ?106.20,

'and a cuddly toy... Sorry, not a cuddly toy.'

'Three leather cases for ?76.70.'

Not interested in that one. Not particularly in that one, either.

This one is where the potential money is.

A 19th-century shotgun cartridge case.

Divided into three sections inside.

Hopefully there's a profit there.

'James Lewis sounding less than sure about those cases.'

'As the auction starts to wind up for the day,

'an air of desperation falls on our boys,

'who both still have plenty of money yet to spend.'

'This is where expensive mistakes could happen.'

'Bingo starts the ball rolling by splashing out ?53.10 on a silver tankard.'

'Then, James Lewis adds to his impressive collection -

'the Rolls-Royce of posters, or rather, a poster of Rolls-Royces,

'for ?21.24.'

Date? I suppose it's 1970s,

because here we have 1970 and then we have the new look.

So it is about 40-odd years old.

To the right person, there's a good profit there.

'In the rafters, James Braxton has his eye on a World War One compass,

'but he's got competition.'

'Such an experienced auctioneer won't throw caution to the wind

'and get caught in a bidding war, will he?'

'It's estimated at ?20-?30.'

The leather-cased brass compass. 100.

And 10. 120. 130.

'Quickly rockets in price.'

150. 160. 170.

'That's a long way over the estimate.'

200. And 10.

Any advance on 210?

GAVEL STRIKES

'That's 247.80 including fees. Way above the estimate,

'and a big gamble by Bingo Braxton.'

'So, why did he want it so badly?'

It's a compass, nicely cased, leather case.

It's got the initials of the owner.

Then you open it up, take the said compass out,

it's got a folding siting mechanism in a Japan brass.

I think the value is in the owner, rather than the item.

'So Bingo will have to do a little research there,

'but with that purchase, he decides he's all bought up.'

'Mr Lewis, however, is still out there bidding,

'this time, on an old leather chair.'

20. ?20. Well, that was cheap.

?20 for a tan leather armchair.

I reckon that, retail, must be 400 or 500.

So there should be a handsome profit there.

'James takes the chair for ?23.60 so he can nip off and have a sit down,

'as that was the final item of the day.'

'Time to take stock and see who spent what.'

'Both our boys started their day with ?1,000 of their own money.'

'James Lewis ended up buying 11 items

'and splashing out a total of ?540.44.'

'James Braxton bought seven items

'which cost him a total of ?787.06,

'meaning he bought less but spent more.'

'When it comes to comparing buys,

'Bingo looks distinctly underwhelmed by his opponent's haul.'

Look at this. What are you playing at?

What is your special bit?

Still in the auction room, I think.

What's going on with that marble?

D'you know, I'm pleased with that.

It's quite a super structure, that. How about yours?

I like my compass. I'm going to go on a journey with that.

Ah. And I like my envelope card table.

What did that cost? I think it was ?170 plus all the bits.

They've been very kind to us in Norfolk. It's been fun.

Good luck. And you.

'So, it's bye-bye to buying and bidding

and hello to high-octane selling.'

'Now James and James need to sell all their auction items

'for as much money as they can, hoping to make the biggest profit,

'and walk away victorious.'

'With the banging gavel a distant memory, the two Jameses return home to evaluate their items.'

'Back in his lair, how's Mr Lewis feeling?'

My best thing, in terms of profit, I think, is the leather armchair.

The brass tray on top - somewhat of a disappointment.

I know some Iranians that collect Persian stuff like that, but it turns out to be Arabic.

The cases - I spent too much money. I think there's a loss there.

The big oak coffer - my head tells me

there should be the biggest profit out of anything there.

But my heart tells me this sort of furniture is out of fashion.

The tea caddy - a classic antique. I couldn't resist it.

Lovely thing from the 1830s, but is there a profit in it? I don't know.

'James must also use his head to sell the oil painting,

'the blue glass rolling pin,

'the paper knives, the marble tabletop,

and the chimney sweeps.'

'But what about Mr Braxton? How's he feeling now he's looking at it in the clear light of day?'

I bought this table, which I think is lovely, anyway. It's made of oak.

What I want to do is inset the coins and then polish them up,

and hopefully, the pub won't be able to resist them.

I've got this lovely envelope card table - Edwardian,

rosewood, inlaid, it's got so much going on.

The flour bin - I've got to find a baker, a pizza maker, anything to do with flour.

My Wyllie - I thought I was buying a pair,

it turned out I was merely, only buying one of the two.

I'm going to work hard to sort of get a profit.

Then I've got a nice little christening cup,

sweet little fellow, silver - should be able to make a small profit.

I have my compass - probably late 19th century,

it's made by Elliott Brothers, of the Strand, London.

I hope this will steer me to great profits and to take the auction leg.

'So it's down to both our dealers to do a far better thing than they've ever done,

'as they get down to the hard work of turning a purchase into a profit'

'No deal is sealed until they've shaken on it

'and the cash is in their hands.'

'The first swashbuckling expert to swing into action is James Lewis,

'as he descends on Chesterfield with his tea caddy,

'which cost him ?94.40.'

This is the headquarters of the Northern Tea Merchants.

And what better place to sell a tea caddy?'

'But can he stir up a perfect profit from James, a tea merchant?'

It's Regency, known as the sarcophagus shape.

On the end there, you've got this lion-mask handle with the loose ring

Something you would see on a sword guard, on the hilt of a sword.

Yes. And lion-paw feet.

Before I go down the line of sales, I need to point out some things.

A bit of stringing missing there... Noticed. ..and the front left corner

But it's a simple bit of boxwood, which is very cheap to do. I know.

To be honest, I prefer the patina of age.

What I quite like about this is it's touchable and useable. Yeah.

I think if it was in a local antique shop around here,...

..I think it would be 295.

And I think that's about ?20 to have that done.

So 295... ?20...

275. 275.

250.

I won't try and beat you. That's very kind. It's a great profit.

'James gets a good price for the tea caddy.'

'He also found a purse inside which he sold to a contact,

'who was looking for a present for his wife, for ?23,

'meaning that, all in all, he makes a profit of ?178.60.'

'James Lewis has drawn first blood, but Bingo is hot on his heels.'

'He's in Gosport, where he hopes to sell his Wyllie painting,

'to Richard, a specialist in the artist.'

Richard, here is this Wyllie I've brought you.

Can you tell me a bit about it?

It's an etching executed in about 1900 to 1910-ish.

It depicts Norwegian timber vessels at the mouth of the Thames.

And Wyllie, of course, lived very close to this scene.

He's probably the most popular marine artist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The values of Wyllie etchings are determined by the subject matter.

A nice impression, well executed, nothing wrong with it,

but not terribly interesting. No.

OK, we'll stop you there.

What would you offer me for this?

?200. Could you go to 250?

220, I think. 220? I'll take 220.

OK. That's very kind. Thank you very much indeed, Richard.

'It may only have been one picture, but wily James Braxton still makes a fair profit of ?31.20.'

Richard's happy, I'm happy. Just over ?30 profit. Happy days.

MUSIC: "Happy Days" theme tune

'So both our experts are on good form,

'busy selling their wares.'

'After a great start, James Lewis has also sold the glass rolling pin,

'for a profit of ?11.40.'

'And the paper knives for a profit of ?25.76,

'to a Tasmanian dealer who ships British antiques back to Australia.'

'Over in Yorkshire, the Lionheart has plans for the Rolls-Royce poster he bought for ?21.24.'

I've come to the Carding Shed in Hepworth,

to see Ian and Nicola, who store and restore classic cars.

Well, I'm hoping, as they have a Rolls-Royce in stock,

that it might be the perfect place to sell this poster.

It's a fantastic car, isn't it? It is, yes.

Well, can you spot that car...

..on there? What model of car is it?

This is a 25/30. There it is.

25/30. 1938.

Is this something that you think you might like?

It is, because people like to come and browse and look.

I'd be happy if we could come round about ?45 mark.

Do you know what sounds a nice even number? I've an idea, but carry on.

50. I wasn't going to go too much higher.

Well, I was thinking 50 as well. You've got a deal. Well done.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Does it actually work? Of course.

Couldn't have a go, could I? As it's a chauffeur-driven vehicle, you'd have to sit in the rear.

D'you know? It comes so naturally. I can see that!

'And with the deal done, James hops in for a ride.'

You know, I think at last, I've found my true position in life.

Home me in and don't spare the horses. Come on, my man.

Chop-chop!

'James rolled out with a profit of ?28.76 for the poster.'

'Bingo Braxton is also rolling along.'

'He's in Sussex, having found the perfect target for his flour bin,

'in the form of Bea, a flour mill owner.'

'James climbs into the mill, where he hopes Bea will give him a profit

'on the ?64.90 he paid for the bin.'

This is the working part of the mill, is it? Certainly is.

What happens here? The grain is taken to the top and stored in bins,

and then it's gravity-fed into the stones and the mill tuns,

where it's ground, and then it comes to this floor,

where it is sifted and bagged up.

The whole building is authentically restored, retaining the old timber as much as possible.

Here's my flour bin. Now, if you're going to have flour,

here's this tin to keep all those naughty pests away. Yes.

But actually, I think that this is not the sort of bin

that was used in the mill, but rather in the old bakery next door,

where they actually made the bread.

We're roughly in the area. Yes, we are.

I mean, they've always had a bakery next door, for many years.

It's a good showy sort of bin. Oh, it's lovely. About 1920 or so?

It looks about that. The style of writing does, doesn't it?

It's nice. It's a nice piece.

I'd be very happy with something like ?70 or ?80 for it.

Ooh, dear. I'm not sure it's worth as much as that. What about 40?

40? 40, I'd be severely out of pocket, Bea.

?60, Bea? Oh, all right.

Come on. Thank you very much indeed.

There is a moral to this tale. I paid slightly more than that.

Sometimes you can get carried away at auction. Oh, dear!

'Well, James Braxton sells the flour bin for less than he paid for it,

'and ends up ?4.90 down on the deal'

'But the wheels of this selling struggle keep on turning.'

'Let's see which of our duelling Jameses is storming ahead, and who's running out of steam.'

'James Lewis has sold four items,

'plus the purse he found in the tea caddy, and has made ?244.52.'

'Bingo, who had fewer items, has only sold two of his,

'and is some way behind with a profit of ?26.30.'

'But in this crazy, hazy world of antiques, anything can happen.'

'James Braxton shifts up a gear as he takes his silver tankard

'to a Hungerford-based arcade specialising in silver.'

'Bingo paid more than he would've liked at the auction,

'so will Adrian, an antiques dealer, help him squeeze out a profit?'

Thank you. Little tankard. Mm-hm.

Yes. Not very heavy.

Not very heavy. What I can say in its favour is it's nice and clean.

It is. Not engraved. That's OK.

Nice hallmarks as well.

It's a miracle, really. That's lasted almost 100 years.

I'll be totally frank with you. I paid ?53 and some pence on that.

For me to make any money on it, I can't do much more than 30.

Tell you what, give me 35 and it's yours.

Tell you what, let's call it 33. Nice round number.

33.10. And then I've only lost the round 20.

Well, I won't argue over 10 pence.

'That's a round, but not so nice, loss of ?20 on the silver tankard,

'proving that, if nothing else,

'Bingo knows when to cut his losses and run.'

'His rival, on the other hand, can do no wrong.'

'He sold the leather armchair for a profit of ?56.40,

'and the brass charger to a Dublin-based antiques dealer for a profit of ?13.28.'

'Now, James Lewis may not be as well bred as his rival,

'but he has a cunning plan to make a profit on the marble tabletop, that cost him ?11.80,

'by taking it to Margaret, a Yorkshire-based baker.'

I didn't know what it was.

I just thought it was the sort of thing that would fit in here.

What do you think? It's amazing. It'll make a fantastic display.

They might've used it in baking. It's so cold and that's good for the products.

I thought it would be a perfect bread stack or cake stack for you.

Yeah. So what do you think it's worth?

?30. WHAT?! No, come on. You have to be joking.

You know what I thought you were going to say? 300. Yeah.

You were wrong!

I'm going to start at 300, then. Nowhere near.

I don't want 300 for it. You'll be wanting an assistant if we pay 300.

70. Ooh, that was a big jump.

I'll come right down to 180, then.

SHE SUCKS TEETH No. No way near 180.

We'll go up to 90. How about 100 quid?

We'll do 100, then. You happy with that? I'm happy with 100.

You've got a deal. Fantastic. Brilliant.

Pleasure doing business with you. Thank you very much.

Great object, great shop. I'm not the only one making loads of bread.

'Nice one, James. He makes ?88.20 on the tabletop

'and whilst he's on a selling roll, also sells the suitcases.'

'But, as he predicted, he makes a small loss of ?11.70.'

'Next, Bingo Braxton is in Berkshire at an antiques centre,

'where he hopes dealer Frances will want the rosewood card table

'that cost him just a shade over ?200.'

You're familiar with these envelope card tables? I am indeed.

You just swivel it and one thing flips up,

then you can take the others out, as you well know. Absolutely.

They're all ably supported, aren't they? They are indeed.

So, that ring mark, that's from a dear old pot plant.

I'm going to have to have that taken back,

and I'm probably going to have all these taken back, to match.

I was hoping to get in the region of 250, 350 for it.

Really? What would you offer me for it? 220.

Could I squeeze you a bit? 230?

225. 225, you've got a deal, Frances. Thank you very much.

'Bingo earns ?24.40 on the table.'

'A decent profit, but he's a man of many tables,

'so can he do even better with his coiny oak occasional one?'

I bought at auction coins and a table.

They owe me ?32 in total.

I've put them together - a lot of hard work -

routed round the edge, stuck 'em all down, gave it a good old polish.

I'm hoping to make a big profit on it.

'Having done all the work himself,

'James has brought the table to a Berkshire pub, to see landlord Tom,

'who's already got a pre-decimal coin theme in his bar.'

Why I thought of you was of course your fabulous bar.

The famous penny bar, built on Valentine's day, 1971.

Really? Which was the day before Decimalisation Day.

Oh, I see, so... It was legal and OK to deface all the old pennies.

The famous penny bar. Now, I want to add to that.

Here it is. Well, now.

So it's oak. Then I bought, at the same auction, these pennies.

A couple of halfpennies as well.

I've tried to keep the Britannia side up with the dates on it.

So you've got a bit of interest there. It's a unique item.

It's a lovely item and I think it would sit really well.

I was thinking in the region of 220, 300. Something like that.

Let's start at 100. I could do a special price, 150.

I won't argue with that. Fabulous. Thank you very much indeed.

'So, that's a spectacular profit of ?118.14 for the table and coins.'

'But Bingo mustn't get complacent,

'as James Lewis has also been a busy boy,

'selling the oak coffer to a local dealer

'who coughed up enough for a profit of ?16.60.'

'The Lionheart also sold the oil painting for a profit of ?33.80.'

'Now he's got a devilish plan for the sweeps he bought for ?3.54.'

I've come to my local pub in Moorwood Moor,

to sell my chimney sweep brushes.

I've found a really interesting use for them

and it's not for sweeping chimneys.

'After a bit of research, cunning James has come up with a reason

'why publican Karen might want the brushes as part of a new wedding service the pub offers.'

'Chimney sweep brushes for a wedding? Cor blimey, Mary Poppins. What's he playin' at?'

One set of sweep brushes. Had you ever heard of this story?

George the Second, in his stage coach, out of control through the streets of London,

halfway down one street, a little chimney sweep jumps out,

jumps on the horse, controls the horse and brings the coach and four to a standstill.

George the Second is so grateful, that he announces by Royal decree

that chimney sweeps are, from that point on, a lucky omen.

It's good luck to have a chimney sweep at your wedding,

and I thought "Well, perfect!"

But for that, you need some chimney sweep brushes. We do. Definitely.

Where do you have the weddings? Is it in this room here, or...?

No. Would you like me to take you through to the function room? Go on, then.

I am interested, yes. Good.

What do you think? How much do you want to give?

20. Ooh.

60.

40.

50 is a lovely round number.

45. Oh, blimey.

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

So tell me, how much were you prepared to pay? 50. Ah!

I knew it. I knew it.

MUSIC: "Chim chim cher-ee" by Dick Van Dyke

'James cleans up with a profit of ?41.46 for the sweeps

'and he's also sold up.'

'Bingo, however, has still got the leather-cased compass, that cost him ?247.80, to sell.'

'And he's tracked down John, who owns a military shop.'

I've come to Cheltenham, to see the fellow behind me,

and I'm rather hoping to sell him my compass.

I did a bit of work on this fellow at auction.

I hoped Mr Flood might be a highly decorated Army officer. I found very little about him.

That bodes rather badly.

I'm hoping the chap behind me can tell me a little more.

'So, was Officer Flood prestigious enough to give Bingo the profit he needs?'

When I bought it, I thought "Here is a man of substance."

Many initials, it's engraved on the inside. Yes.

I took the punt that he was a rather illustrious, highly decorated Victorian soldier.

'Yes, that's what James is hoping.'

'But before we find out if the profit on the compass was enough to steal this competition,

'let's see how much our experts have spent today.'

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

'James Lewis ended up buying 11 items

'and splashing out a total of ?540.44.'

'Bingo Braxton bought just seven items,

'which cost him a total of ?787.06.'

'All the money from today's challenge will go to the dealers' chosen charities.'

'So let's find out who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.'

Hello, hello. Hi, Mr Lewis. How are you? I'm very well. You? Very good.

So, what news? I bought that cheap table for about ?25 and the pennies.

I made a penny table. Oh, you DID!

And I took it to a pub that had penny bar. Well done.

You had that funny washstandy thing.

I was in Chesterfield and a lady popped out with a frilly hat

and said "Ooh, we're looking for things for the shop."

"If ever you've got anything, come and see me." I thought, "Hello."

Got a good profit out of that. You were braver than me at the auction.

I don't know how well I did. Shall we find out?

BOTH: Three, two, one... Ding!

NO! No! ?36! James!

I'd love to buy a glass of wine, but you'll have to pay. Come on.

'So James Lewis reigns victorious

'after Bingo Braxton made a loss of ?112.80 on the compass,

'having discovered that Officer Flood wasn't the prestigious fellow he was hoping for.'

How many campaigns was he involved in? He wasn't. Right.

The good news is he was in the military for many years.

The bad news is he didn't get any honours or awards,

because he was in the UK all the time.

Dear, oh dear. I should've done better. I enjoyed the sale.

James rushed around like a headless chicken, buying things,

but my goodness, can he sell the goods.

Well, the old Del Boy phrase - he who dares, wins -

really isn't the case here.

On the auction day, James was a lot braver than me.

'And Bingo has the chance to defend his honour next time,

'when they head off to a market in Paris.'

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.