Jonty Hearnden v Paul Hayes - Auction Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

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

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

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.

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!

Today's auction room action pits the haggling hero Paul "Mr Morecambe" Hayes

against the wily wonder that is Jonty "The Hit Man" Hearnden.

Coming up, Paul finds some divine inspiration...

# Paul will win

# Amen #

While Jonty turns to the dark side.

Do you know your number? Good question!

666?

That'll do!

And he gets a tip about not doing the housework.

What do you suggest people do with objects like this when it comes to cleaning?

Unless you have an absolute professional who knows what they're doing,

leave it alone!

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Yes, welcome, friends and antiquarians

to what promises to be a blazing bric-a-brac battle

on the trade floor of an all-action antiques auction,

where money doesn't sleep and stock doesn't slumber

and where our two trading tycoons

will need to buy low and sell high

if they want to crush the opposition.

Yes, it's going to be a cat fight in this dog-eat-dog world

where profit is most definitely king.

First up in this bargaining battle

is our suit the mooted self-made man

who's climbed to the top of the antiques ladder.

He trades blows with the best of them,

but always negotiates with a smile.

It's the haggling heart-throb Paul "Mr Morecambe" Hayes.

The man that never lost any money never made any.

His opponent today is as bold a broker as you'll ever bump into.

He'll never wobble on his haggles or dither on his dealing

and would never back away from a bargain.

Specs on, it's Jonty "The Hitman" Hearnden.

All the signs are good at the moment.

Today's bidding bonanza is at Charterhouse Auctioneers in Dorset.

Our two dealing dynamos will have to carefully analyse the stock

and invest wisely if they don't want their portfolio to plummet.

They've each got ?1,000 of their own money to spend

and all the profits go to their chosen charities.

Gentlemen, now is the time to buy,

so, Paul Hayes and Jonty Hearnden,

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

Good morning, Jonty. Morning, Paul. How are you? I'm great, thank you.

Welcome to Dorset. We have ?1,000 to spend at the auction sale.

I've noticed this auction is all online.

So I'm going to root around the boxes at the bottom

to see if I can find something that's not in the catalogue.

You mean the bits that aren't online. Exactly, yes!

What about you? I'm used to auction sales.

I kind of know that I have to scour everything as quickly as I can.

You've seen both sides of the auction. The rostrum, as well.

Yeah, I've done the selling and the buying. Have you done lots of auctions?

I've just done the buying. A little bit of selling.

But good luck. I'll buy you a cream tea later. That's what they have down here, isn't it?

I'm sure. Or is it a Cornish pasty? No, that's Cornwall.

They might be comrades in arms now, but our traders will have to leave their friendships at the door,

as they'll need to be ruthless to secure the most profitable acquisitions.

Jonty has an investment strategy that he's only divulging on a need-to-know basis.

I've kept my cards absolutely close to my chest

because there are some really exciting things here.

But I'm not showing Paul my enthusiasm just yet.

No. So, with his poker face on,

Jonty's giving nothing away.

But Paul's got a plan he's happy to go public with

as he hopes to uncover some hidden stock.

As you see, all the activity is in the junk room.

People love that rummage around.

It's so exciting to try and land on something you might want to buy.

This is where I'm at home, amongst all the junk!

And that's because you can turn trash to treasure, Paul.

So you'd better get scavenging as there's not long before the auction kicks off.

Both our dealers have lots to look at

but it's the magnate from Morecambe who is the first to find some hot property he wants to invest in.

Jonty's not about. Look at this.

I love old books.

These are beautiful leather-bound books, but the subject is fantastic.

This is the history of the Indian Mutiny.

They are all beautifully illustrated,

which is what a lot of collectors go for.

It's in two volumes, I and II, and the estimate is 100 to ?150.

I'd love to buy that.

So, as Paul earmarks the books,

it's Jonty's turn to play the markets as he eyes up a Victorian toy.

It's a cast metal Hansom cab carriage and driver and horse.

It's decorated in its original form.

A lot of these toys have been touched up in the past.

They've been refreshed.

But collectors, dealers, are looking for objects like this in their original form.

In the catalogue, it's got an estimate of 50 to ?80.

I regard that as value for money.

So Jonty thinks he's spotted a sound investment

while Paul has uncovered some treasure that ranks high on his wish list.

I've come across a pair of epaulettes.

These are worn by a lieutenant on the shoulder of their uniforms.

They date from the 19th century and I've never seen any boxed, or as fine as these.

That is a great lot. Hopefully that's something I can bid for if it comes up.

So, as Paul gets ready for kick-off,

Jonty is still in the changing rooms eyeing up a collection of sporting memorabilia.

Inside here, we've got lots of football programmes

like Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In the catalogue, there's no estimate at all.

Which means it's probably valued below the ?50.

This is an area of collecting I'm really not sure about.

But I just have a sixth sense that this is worth having a punt.

Well, you've got to speculate to accumulate in this game, Jonty.

And now it's time to get match ready as the action is hotting up in the auction hall.

The market's open, the floor is filled,

and Paul is at his post ready, willing and able to start bidding.

But Jonty is nowhere to be seen.

That's cool.

He's still out the back, even though the auction's started.

A G-plan little coffee table here. Quite desirable, now.

But not our man from Morecambe, no.

He's in poll position to take an early lead.

In fact, Paul's not wasting any time

as he's already bidding on two Clarice Cliff bowls.

90. 100. And 10. 120.

130. 140. 150.

160. 170. 180.

At 180 here. Done, going, selling.

Fire away the bid at 180.

Fire away the bid at 180.

8856. Thank you.

With auction fees, those two bowls set Paul back ?222.12

and he's as pleased as Punch.

Clarice Cliff is probably the best known Art Deco potter in the British Isles.

This is a conical bowl which is extremely collectable.

The use of bright colour and geometry are the two key factors.

This is quite a rare pattern. It's the Bizarre range Fantasque.

The pattern is called Delecia. There's one problem.

DULL NOTE

There's a crack in there somewhere. I knew that was there anyway, because it came with this bowl.

It rings like a bell. That's how it should sound.

Yes, hearing you loud and clear, Paul.

Hopefully, both those bowls should ring up a nice profit.

With that, Paul has his first buy under his belt.

And Jonty still hasn't made it out onto the trading floor.

He's dancing to his own beat, investigating the lots out back.

I've had a great look around the sale room.

There are a lot of really interesting things to purchase.

I'm so excited!

With so much potential profit to be made, The Hit Man can hardly contain himself!

MIMES: # I'm so excited

# And I just can't hide it... #

Come on, dancing queen!

Time to step away from the glitter balls.

There's an auction going on.

Your rival is off to a flying start

and he's lining up his second buy,

a bronze Art Deco light fitting

that's valued at ?150

and which is about to go under the hammer.

And I'm straight in. At ?120 bid. At 120. ?120 bid.

130. 140. 150.

Your bid at the back at 150.

Come on, put that hammer down!

I'm delighted with that!

That's a surprise. I didn't think I'd get that one.

Paul makes light work and secures his second purchase for ?185.10.

I've bought a real piece of Art Deco here.

It was very popular in the 1920s, 1930s

at a time when lots of the big houses were starting to get electricity to produce light.

What we've got, I'll just pop this down for a second,

we've got a light fitting here which hangs from the wall.

When lit up, all these wonderful frosted glass panels

will show up and I'm sure it will illuminate any house and help me to win this competition.

So Paul is powering through his purchasing,

storming into a two-nil lead

whereas Jonty hasn't even bid on a single item.

I wonder how Jonty's getting on. He seems to be very quite over there.

Keeping his cards close to his chest.

Well, there's keeping a low profile and there's not making an impact at all.

But at last it seems The Hitman has an item in his sights.

Coming up shortly is an Arts and Crafts copper tray.

If it's cheap, I might well have a punt on it.

Yes, and about time, too.

?40. 45. At 45.

And your number is? That's a good question.

666? That'll do!

No time, Jonty. No pressure(!)

5456. 5456.

It was a devilish deal. He walks away with his copper tray

for a fiendish ?55.54 with fees.

My first purchase is this really decorative copper beaten tray.

When I say beaten, it's hand beaten.

You can tell it's hand-beaten by the irregularity of the design.

The style is Art Nouveau.

That was a style very reminiscent of the late 19th century.

That, to me, represents great value for money.

And with that, Jonty is finally underway.

But the ever-vigilant Paul is keeping his eye on the rogue trader.

It looks like Jonty's revving up to buy something. Look.

I can feel the vibe coming from across the room there.

He's like a peacock with his feathers.

Yes, he's spotted all the signs.

The puffed-up chest, the attentive stare.

But what Paul hasn't guessed

is that Jonty is looking to swipe the soldier's epaulettes from right under his nose!

I like this.

So does Paul!

They're great, these.

Is a bidding war about to break out?

100. ?100 and away, now. And ten.

120. 130.

Paul's the first to strike.

At 150. I think I've got them...

At 150.

But just when he thinks he's got them in the bag,

in sweeps Jonty.

160. 170.

180. 190.

200. And 220 bid.

At 220. I can feel him bidding.

And Jonty's bidding hard. All guns blazing!

At 220, then. Let him have it. At ?220 I have now.

Let him have 'em. "Let him have it", he says.

At 240. Standing at 240.

That was a battle, wasn't it?

Not only was I battling the whole room, I was battling Mr Hayes!

I didn't really want to bid against him. I throw him a few crumbs now and again

just to cheer him up and give him a chance!

What? After running the price up, Paul? Yes, very charitable(!)

But Jonty seemed set on winning the epaulettes

and pays a whopping ?296.16 for the privilege.

These epaulettes are really superb.

Just look at the craftsmanship, look at the quality and the detail.

Everything you see here is silver, and we've even got gold thread inside this stylised rose.

The catalogue suggests that these belonged to the Lord Lieutenant.

Lord Lieutenants represent the monarch

in various regions of the UK.

I have a confession to make. I've never bought an object like this ever before in my life.

So I need to find my new buyers, my new market.

Will I make a profit? Well, we'll soon find out.

With victory snatched from the jaws of defeat, Jonty's brimming with confidence

and launches straight into another bidding brawl over the sports memorabilia

that he viewed earlier.

20. 30. 40.

At ?40 away. Selling at 40. At 40.

Jonty, thank you.

Scored! Yes!

Yes, he scores. What a goal, what a comeback,

as he bags his sports programmes for ?49.36 including auction fees.

And there's no stopping him now.

He's going for the double, storming on to win a copper and brass powder flask for ?37.02 with fees.

Now, if you were a sportsman in the early 19th century

and you had your shotgun, you needed one of these to keep your gunpowder in.

This would have had a top, so I'm missing my top.

But it still has the spring mechanism where the top would have been.

It's an object that would, once upon a time, been in the pocket of a country gentleman

almost 200 years ago.

Yes, what a turnaround, as Jonty comes from behind

to take a four-two lead.

And he's not stopping for anyone as the Victorian Hansom cab comes under the hammer.

40. 50. 60. ?60 and away, now.

At 60, 70. Selling away. Going for 70. At 70.

That's a really good buy.

What a fabulous toy. I'm going to double my money!

And I'm going to tell you it's rude to point.

But he does get the Victorian Hansom cab for ?86.38 with fees.

Taxi for Jonty!

Hold on, no-one's going anywhere right now, Paul,

as it's time to find out which of our experts is trading their way to the top

and whose stock is plummeting.

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

Paul was first to buy, picking up two lots costing ?407.22

leaving him with ?592.78 for the rest of the day.

But then Jonty had a bit of a spending spree,

buying five purchases for ?524.46,

leaving ?475.54 in his kitty.

What a competition this is shaping up to be.

Paul took an early lead, then Jonty came from nowhere,

zooming into first place.

Our man from Morecambe must get back in the game

and start splashing the cash

before The Hit Man leaves him for dead.

Especially as Jonty already has plans to put more money in silver.

I'm about to bid on hopefully two pieces of silver.

The first item is a Georgian silver skewer.

The estimate is 50 to ?80.

If I can get it for ?100, I will be very, very happy indeed.

The lot after that is a pair of Victorian bon-bon dishes.

The estimate in the catalogue is 120 to 140 for those.

Those are worth 200 to ?300 on the open market without any problem.

So watch this space!

Start me where you like. Start at 50. Bid 50. Thank you, sir. ?50 I have now.

50. ?50. 60.

70. 80. 90. 100.

In the room standing at ?100.

Against the internet. Standing right there.

Perfect. ?100.

?100 for a meat skewer. Actually, it sounds quite expensive when you say it like that!

It's too late for regrets now, Jonty,

as he gets his silver skewer for ?123.40 with fees.

And he's straight on to the next

as the silver bon-bon dishes are up for grabs.

130. At ?130 now. 130.

Selling, going, away at 130. At 130.

# And I get the

# Sweetest feeling

# Honey, the sweetest... #

It's bon-bons all round at Jonty's house!

You'll be lucky! Jonty shares his profits with no-one.

And The Hit Man gets his silver dishes for ?160.42 with fees.

Now, this is a really charming, simple object.

It's so old. It's 1811.

Assayed in Scotland. Wonderful hallmarks.

Contrast this object with my pair of bon-bon dishes.

Less than 100 years later.

Decoration moved to something really ornate.

These were designed, of course, to lay on the table, to look very impressive,

but they also have some weight to them.

I paid ?160 for these.

And that's ?160 of really good Victorian silver.

Because they're a pair, I know that I can make a profit on them.

So, after those sweet deals and having now bought seven items,

Jonty's got some time on his hands.

So he wanders over to see how his other half is holding up.

Ah, now, then. No pressure, Hayes?

Are you feeling hungry, Jonty?

You bought a meat skewer and a bon-bon dish!

Some nice bits of silver there. Yeah, I'm pleased about that.

I'm surprised, because silver is usually outbid, isn't it?

But that was affordable. That was good. How are you getting on?

I'm struggling, mate. Are you?

But I'm persevering. It's not over till the fat lady sings.

No, we'd never count you out, Paul.

You'll rally a revival.

His fortunes could be about to change right now

as the next item has really struck a chord with our man from Morecambe.

This is the one lot I want to buy out of all the items I've seen here today.

It's a 15th-century-type missal, which is a song sheet, on vellum, which is pig skin.

Straight in at 50. 60. 70.

80. 90. 100. Standing far away and selling at 100.

# Hallelujah #

I've got that. I'm absolutely delighted with that. That's amazing!

And with that heavenly purchase, Paul is back in the game

as he buys his 15th-century missal for ?119.50 with fees.

What an interesting lot this is.

It's a vellum missal or "hymnal" as it's been described.

It dates from the 15th century.

We're looking at the 1400s here.

It's a type of song for a chorister.

Of course, it would be sung during Mass.

It's all been done by hand in Latin.

But what I love about it, if we turn to the back,

we have very early music.

Can you see the way the notes are done in blocks?

And it's written in Latin.

But I think I've got the gist of it. It goes...

AS CHORISTER: # This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

# It's a programme about buying and selling antiques

# On today's show it will be Paul Hayes against Jonty Hearnden

# Paul will win

# Amen #

Hmm. After that divine intervention, Paul's full of confidence.

So he wades in for the two Illustrated History of the Indian Mutiny books

that he's been patiently waiting for.

90. 100. And ten.

Come on. 120. 130.

Come on! Put the hammer down!

130.

Yes!

Paul gets his books for ?160.42 with fees

and there's no stopping the eager bookworm

as he's about to bid on two more collectable volumes.

?50 is bid here. At 50.

60. 70. 80. 90.

100. ?100 and away.

I've bought them. Against the internet. Selling at 100.

So the comeback king strikes again and Paul spends some serious cash on his books

as they set him back ?123.40 with fees.

I've got Volume I and Volume II.

The complete set of Forty-One Years in India.

This is Field Marshal Lord Roberts.

He played a major role in the Indian Mutiny. He was there in the late 19th century.

Beautiful. 1897.

There's always a demand for good quality books.

So the writing's on the wall with these, Jonty!

What a page-turner this is becoming

as with those two purchases, Paul is making a storming come-back.

Jonty must be quaking in his boots.

Oh. Evidently not.

But Jonty would be foolish to write off the battling bidder Paul

as he's still in the auction room with his nose to the grindstone.

He has his eye on another set of books

that he's been biding his time for.

Are you opening a library, Paul?

This next lot is quite a personal thing to me, actually.

My father was a big lover of poetry

and his favourite book was the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

There's a beautifully bound example here.

And also some Beatrix Potter as well.

Five pound is bid here at 35. 40.

Five. 50. 60. 70.

At ?70, standing far away. 80 seated.

90 in the room, standing.

They've past the estimate of ?80

but our decisive man from Morecambe knows what he wants and he's not backing down.

Standing. 120. 130.

Selling away at 130. There you go!

Absolutely made up with that.

Yes, it's a book-buying bonanza

as Paul clinches his third set

which includes his dad's favourite and a biography of Beatrix Potter.

With auction fees, they set him back ?155.35.

I bought this little collection of books, but I bought them for these two.

The first one is the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

Very romantic, beautifully illustrated and beautiful condition.

That's a good selling item.

This one is The Tale of Beatrix Potter.

She wrote her stories about Peter Rabbit to her niece

and she wrote them from a place near me in Ambleside.

I'd love to find out where she was writing these items

and see if I can find anybody in the Lake District with an interest in Beatrix Potter.

With enough books to fill a shop,

Paul decides he's all bought up.

So with both our dealers done and dusted for the day,

it's time to check out the figures and see who's brokered the best bargains

and who's crashed the market.

They both started the day with ?1,000 of their own money to spend.

Paul hopes he's done enough with his six lots

at a total cost of ?965.89.

While Jonty has bought one more item with a total of seven purchases

spending ?808.28.

Our dynamic dealers had to play hardball today

to get the best deals.

But now it's time for them to take stock of each other's stash.

Good day at the office? I really enjoyed myself today.

Did you manage to buy all the items you bid for, Jonty?

No, is the answer to that one! Absolutely not.

I certainly didn't, cos you bought one of the lots I was after. I was run up by you!

Tell me about this.

This is a 15th-century missal or hymnal.

Do you know what it says? No, but I am going to get it translated.

I can translate it for you. Go on.

# I paid too much for this #

What did you pay for it? Just over ?100, but that's very nice of you!

Are you pleased with everything you've bought? Definitely, yes.

I think there's a good chance I'm going to win this one. Is there now?

I think there's a good chance. Good luck.

Fighting talk! Yes, I think so!

With the buying over, there's no time to rest

because the real fight for the spotlight is about to begin.

The auction room tussle for treasure was just the warm-up

for the punishing schedule that is the selling spectacular.

In Morecambe, our bidding big-shot is surveying his spoils.

I'm delighted with what I've bought.

The first one I'm really pleased about is a pair of Clarice Cliff bowls.

The lamp, this is a bit unusual.

It's got a piece of glass missing,

but that's easy enough to have made.

This lot here were a collection of books.

One of them being the Beatrix Potter.

We have two books here on the Indian Mutiny.

These are the memoirs of Field Marshal Lord Roberts.

One of my favourite items has to be this hymnal.

This is a manuscript of a song that would have been performed in an abbey or perhaps a church

in the 15th century.

And finally, we have two books here of the Indian Mutiny.

These a little bit dog-eared, well-used, well-loved.

But I still think there's a bit of profit and that's what it's all about.

Indeed, it is, Paul.

Cold hard cash is the name of the game.

In Oxfordshire, Jonty knows this all too well

as he assesses his profit-making auction haul.

I have so much metalwork here, it's quite extraordinary.

But to me, it's all precious metal.

I've got my epaulettes, which are solid silver.

They're just so beautiful.

And I've got my very tiny meat skewer

which is really good quality.

I've already looked into and done a bit of research

on my cast-iron toy.

It's come all the way from the United States of America

and it's about 1890 in date.

My silver bon-bon dishes, I know I can get those away, cos they're really beautiful.

I'm really excited about the programmes.

I took a bit of a punt on those

because I've never traded with this sort of thing at all.

I just love them. I love a bit of footy, so I thought I'd have a go.

My tray I'm really excited about cos that's all hand-beaten.

Should be a profit in that.

And also I love my little cask. It's really decorative.

Every item here is so different

but perfect for me cos I'm into profit.

Brimming with confidence, Jonty's hoping to be a money magnet.

Our auction house heroes now put away their wallets

and take out their contact books,

transforming into selling superstars turning their purchases into profit.

Remember, till they've had a handshake, no deal is truly sealed.

Paul is first out of the blocks,

wasting no time opening his campaign.

He's done his research and got the inside story on a specialist in the Lake District

who knows his puddle-ducks from his tiggy-winkles!

I bought these fantastic books from an auction in Dorset

and I'm taking me to the quaint backstreets of Kendal in Cumbria.

I'm here for a reason. There's a wonderful little book shop here

which specialises in Beatrix Potter books.

Hopefully, he's interested in this little lot here.

Paul's collection of books cost him ?155.35

but will he be able to squirrel away some profit when he meet Lyndon,

an antiquarian book dealer.

Do you know anything about Margaret Lane?

Do you know much about her in particular?

She was a journalist, very interested in female writers.

She wrote that just after Potter's death.

It's about Beatrix and the writing of the books and her life, really.

Is it something you'd have an interest for?

Yeah. It's still something that people want to buy.

It's a first edition of the first biography of Potter.

Start me at ?155.

I can do better than your money back. Smashing.

I understand that you've got to sell at a profit.

How do you see them? I think about ?200.

Great minds think alike. I was thinking of asking ?200 for them.

That's a fair price. Shall we shake on that, then? Yeah.

Thank you, Lyndon. An absolute pleasure.

Yes, text book sale there, Paul.

That deal leaves him with a profit of ?44.65 and an early lead.

Jonty is in Oxford to make a sale,

but the dreaming spires are bringing out his softer side.

Oh, Oxford, seat of learning.

How humbling and inspiring.

How the great and good have passed through your cobbled lanes.

How inspirational!

Inspirational?

Inspirational to make a profit, more like!

Yes, that's the real Jonty, the poet of profit,

here to take a punt on his first sale.

He's hoping to sell his Victorian Hansom cab, which set him back ?86.38,

to John, who runs a shop that specialises in toy models.

I've done a bit of research on this.

I've discovered that it's American. Yes, it is.

Pratt and Letchworth. We get a lot of American tourists. OK.

In America, they're very popular.

So, yes, it's something we'd probably display in the window,

probably telling people how wonderful it is and how much they'd love to own it! Price.

Right. ?160.

How about 110?

No, no, that's way too low for me. I'll come down a bit.

You will? Yeah. OK. 140 I'll do.

How about 125?

You wouldn't do a fiver more for me?

130 is definitely a deal. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you very much.

Jonty makes it look like child's play as that sale nets him a profit of ?43.62.

But in West London, his rival is on the march.

He's found an antiquarian book dealer in Chiswick

who could be interested in his first set of Indian memoirs

that set him back ?123.40.

I've brought you along Forty-One Years in India, two complete volumes. OK.

Is this a work that you're familiar with? Yes.

It was printed in 1897, but they actually printed lots and lots of them.

But they sold huge numbers.

What can you tell me about it? These belonged to Viscount Gormanston

and I believe he was out in India with Field Marshal Roberts.

He's made some pencilled notes himself.

Now, does that make any difference?

The provenance helps it

because it's going to lift it and make it that bit more interesting

than the more ordinary copies out there. OK.

The last copy of this we sold

was in very similar condition

and we sold for ?75. Oh, wow.

And it does turn up fairly frequently.

But I have actually got someone who's looking for a copy of this at the moment.

And I think that will appeal to him.

Realistically, I think the most I will be able to pay you

and it really is my best offer, is ?100.

Do you know what, I think I'll accept your offer. Thank you very much.

Well, that didn't quite go to book, and Paul makes a loss of ?23.40.

OK. So those books aren't as rare as I thought.

But what really helped and what saved the day there

was the provenance, and that was all-important.

So I may have lost the battle, but I haven't lost the war just yet, Jonty.

No. Paul took a gamble, and this time it didn't pay off.

But our man from Morecambe won't be beaten by this set-back.

Jonty is also in London, where he's found Mike, a specialist in metalwork and Art Nouveau,

the perfect dealer for the copper tray that cost just over ?55.

But can The Hit Man carry off a profit?

Where do you think it was made?

It's definitely English. It has a sort of Celtic feel about it. Yes.

From the tooling, could be Birmingham Guild area.

What would you suggest that people do with objects like this when it comes to cleaning?

Leave it alone. Golden rule.

Unless you have an absolute professional who really knows what they're doing,

leave it alone.

These kind of things do turn up. Yes.

Normally in a bit more battered condition than this.

I need to know kind of what you need to get for it. What I'm after?

I'm looking at 180, something like that.

DEALER LAUGHS

I'm nearer the 100 mark, to be honest.

If I say 120, are we done?

I'll tell you what I'll do. Split the difference, 110, got a deal.

Sold to you, sir.

Thanks very much.

So that brings Jonty a profit of ?54.46

but Paul's not going to let his rival just blaze on ahead.

He's in an antiques centre in Preston to see a fellow dealer.

And he's brought his Art Deco light fitting, which cost him ?185.10

plus ?4.99 for a new panel of glass.

Bronze, and it's frosted glass.

It's got a very French look about it, hasn't it? Yeah?

What makes you think it's French? The panels, the glass.

Um, it is, it's a nice thing.

Very decorative. I can imagine that with a light behind it. Yeah.

Would you polish that up to a brass colour or leave it with that patination?

I would probably just very lightly polish it to give it a shine.

A little bit of depth.

It stands me about ?190 all in. Is there a margin there for me?

I wouldn't want to pay you much more than the 200 mark to get my hands on it.

Can we say 210, maybe? I'm happy enough at 210. Right.

Shall we shake on that? Yes, absolutely.

Right. Well, that's now yours. Lovely to see you.

All sweetness and light. Our polished pro makes a profit of ?19.91

and gets one up on Jonty.

But never to be outdone, The Hit Man is ready for his next deal

and he's armed with double trouble.

He's in Oxfordshire to see Andy, a jeweller,

with his two bon-bon dishes that set him back ?160.42.

There you go. Thought those would be just up your street.

They're turn-of-the-century. What do you think?

I think they would be quite saleable for me. You like those?

Yeah. So it's down to price.

OK. Well, they're cheap. Are they?

260 quid. Probably a little bit steep for me.

I was probably thinking more about ?190 mark.

I bet you were!

I can go, say, 225. I'll be happy with that. There's something in that for me, then.

I'm happy with that.

Tres bonne, Jonty. That sweet deal nets him a profit of 64.58.

And with that, let's see how our selling supremos are faring.

Who's the leader of the pack, and who's fallen at the first hurdle?

So far, Paul has sold three items and made a profit of ?41.16.

Selling superman Jonty has also sold three items,

but he's notched up ?162.66 in profit.

So, at this stage, Jonty is taking a convincing lead

but this race isn't over yet.

And a church in Morecambe may hold the answer to Paul's prayers.

He's found Father Tom Davis, an ecclesiastical scholar,

who he's hoping will see the value in his 15th-century missal.

I'm quite excited about it, really. Great!

It's actually from vespers, evening prayer, for Sundays.

Unfortunately, it starts towards the end of the first line

but it's actually the hymn O Blessed Creator of the Light.

And it's on vellum. You get the idea that it's pre- the dissolution of the monasteries

which was about 1538.

Who would have used such a thing? What was it used for?

This would probably have been used by a community of monks.

It would have been sung in what we call the ordinary tide,

which is the period between Epiphany and Lent.

And then after Pentecost until Advent. Wow.

The reverse, is that part of the same sort of hymn?

No, it then follows on

and the Latin says, "Let my prayer come before you, oh Lord,

"like incense in your sight."

And then it leads into The Magnificat, the great hymn of Mary,

"My soul doth magnify the Lord."

I've never been this close to something like this before in my life!

Makes two of us, then!

It's really quite amazing.

If I were to ask you a couple of hundred pounds? I'd probably go 150. OK.

I will accept that, Father, if that's OK with you?

Thank you very much.

And that leaves Paul with a profit of ?30.50.

You'd better watch out, Jonty. Paul's got divine providence on his side!

But in this beautiful game, it seems both our dealers are blessed.

I was sorting through my football programmes

and came across a bit of a gem.

Here it is.

It's a souvenir programme

for the Ali/Cooper fight from 1966.

I paid just under ?50 for the whole collection.

But I'm hoping this will be worth an awful lot more money than that.

Now, I've come to a farmyard.

And in some of these buildings is a boxing club.

I've come to meet John, who runs the club.

He also collects boxing memorabilia.

Will he be interested in this?

So, in Oxfordshire, in the green corner,

Jonty Hearnden taking on John,

a boxing enthusiast.

This will be an epic battle. Dealer versus collector.

Will The Hitman come out on top? Let's have a clean fight, gentlemen.

Do you collect Ali as well as Cooper stuff?

I collect all boxing memorabilia. I'm very interested in the period.

This is a very iconic fight. The 1966 fight between Cooper and Ali.

Absolutely. It was their second meeting. Have you ever seen this before?

I've never seen one of these before, no.

It was Cooper's one chance at the World Heavyweight title.

He'd previously had a fight with Ali where he'd lost in the fifth round, stopped due to cuts.

But he famously knocked Ali down in that fight.

So everybody was hoping he'd unleash that 'Enery's 'Ammer again

and bring the title back to the UK.

Will I stand a chance of selling this to you? That's the important thing.

It would go very well with our memorabilia in the gym.

So here we see it's five shillings. But it's a bit more than that now!

I bought it for 50 quid.

What about if I gave you...110?

You know what? I'm going to take it, because I don't want to pick a fight!

That's very good of you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Brilliant. That's a knock-out blow to me.

Somebody ring the bell. That's a fantastic hit of a profit for Jonty!

And boxing clever, he sells the rest of the memorabilia

to a football programme collector for ?100,

netting him a total profit of ?160.64.

Paul had hoped to draw a profit from his second set of Indian books

by selling them to a print collector for the illustrations.

But he was unable to find a buyer.

So he took a calculated decision to sell them to an antiques book dealer

for a loss of ?60.42.

But Paul's quick to draw a line under this and move on.

He's travelling to the Yorkshire Dales hoping to score big

with his two bowls that set him back ?222.12.

He's found Colin, a world expert on Clarice Cliff pottery

who's brought along some of his own personal collection.

How important is shape, when looking at a Clarice Cliff?

Absolutely. There are three important things. The pattern, the shape and the condition.

They dictate the value.

What can you tell me about these two items I've brought along?

It's a different colour scheme going on here.

This is a traditional-shaped bowl. It's a pattern called Blue Chintz,

which is quite saleable.

OK. That comes from 1932.

It's part of the Fantasque Bizarre range.

This one, unfortunately, has a chip. How does that affect its resale?

It'll cost quite a lot to restore it, and restored will reduce the value as well.

So it does knock it down quite a chunk.

How do you see them? What's it worth?

I'd be looking at paying somewhere in the region of 250 for the pair.

If I asked you for 270 for them? Yeah, that's fine.

Is that all right with you? That's fine. That's fine.

It was a bit too quick, there, wasn't it?

Shall we shake on that? Yeah. That's lovely.

Thanks. Do we have to do the Charleston or just shake?

And that nifty bit of jive talking nets Paul a profit of ?47.88.

But Jonty is also a silver-tongued selling star

as he sold his Scottish meat skewer to a jeweller in Oxfordshire

for a profit of ?36.60.

And there's no stopping The Hit Man

as he marches across the countryside to his next sale.

I've come to Hungerford in Berkshire

to show my epaulettes and my gunpowder holder

to a dealer who might be interested in buying them both.

Now, I paid just under ?300 for my epaulettes.

And just under ?40 for my gunpowder holder.

The question is, will I make a profit at all, because I fear I've paid too much money for these.

Jonty's arranged to meet Pete, a dealer in militaria and shooting paraphernalia.

So he should be the right man for both objects.

What do you think of those? Very nice.

Do you like those? Very nice indeed.

That's in remarkable condition. Can I check the other one?

Absolutely. They're really in perfect condition.

I love the inside of them. Turn them around and look at this lovely Moroccan leather here.

It's perfect. The important thing is that the wires are in good condition.

Yes. That's the most important thing.

They're very good. Very good indeed.

The question is price.

I paid ?300 at auction for them.

You did? I did.

How about if we say...325?

You've got a deal. We've got a deal. Brilliant. Thank you so much.

And Jonty thought he wouldn't make a profit.

But that sale nets him ?28.84.

Will his second sale work out as well?

What do you think about that?

I think that should be up your street.

Yes. You've got the measure in the top, which is damaged, I'm afraid.

That does affect the price. The cost of replacing parts to these is quite expensive. Right.

?50 I want for that. Would you go 40?

I'd be happy with that, yes. Absolutely.

You've got a deal.

And that sale nets Jonty a profit of just ?2.98.

I managed to squeeze a profit. The Hit Man's done it again!

And with that, our dealers are all sold up.

They fought hard and sold hard,

but now there's nothing more our battlers can do.

Their fate has been sealed.

And we'll soon find out who's won the war.

Our eminent experts each started with ?1,000 of their own money.

Paul splashed out ?970.88 including restoration costs

and bought six items.

Jonty bought seven items in total

and spent ?808.28.

But the only question that matters now

is who's made the most profit?

All the money that Paul and Jonty have made

will go to the charities of their choice,

so it's time to find out who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

Hello, Jonty, how are you? How you doing? Great to see you.

Enjoy the auction sale? Yeah, quite difficult. We were battling against the world there.

Battling against you!

No, I was battling against you with those wonderful epaulettes.

What was your favourite item?

Remember the Hansom cab and little pony? Yes.

I paid just under 90 quid for it and sold it for 130.

I was pleased. What about you? Brilliant. My favourite item was the 15th-century song sheet.

What an amazing thing. I found a gentleman who knew what song it was

and what it related to the church. Fascinating. And a bit of profit.

Shall we see how we got on? You say when.

OK. Ready? OK.

Wow, look at that. Whoa!

The books didn't quite pan out the way we wanted them to. Well done.

Well done to you. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

You made a profit. Congratulations.

Jonty was victorious today because he took a chance on the sporting memorabilia.

And then dealt Paul the knockout blow.

Auction rooms are my bread and butter,

but sometimes I find them really difficult to buy at.

Which means I am doubly pleased because I made profits on all the items I purchased.

I struggled, really, on the two sets of books.

I think that was my downfall.

I was bidding against the world, though. A great auction house.

The internet was bidding and I think I got carried away a little bit.

But you live and learn!

Well, tomorrow, Paul gets the chance to redeem himself,

as the duelling duo go head-to-head at a Lincolnshire antiques fair.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd