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

'This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,

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

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

Hey-hey! 'And gives you the insider's view of the trade.'

HAMMER BANGS Who's there?

'Each week, one pair of duelling dealers

'will face a different daily challenge.'

The original cheeky chappies. 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, things get heated in the auction room.'

I'm feeling daggers coming into my back.

'Eric tells you how to hit the bullseye.'

But these bulls, you know, they're very highly collectable. I've seen these making over ?1,000.

'And Kate shows another string to her bow.'

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

'Yes, welcome, antiquarians and thrill-seekers, to yet another knick-knack knockabout

'and a chance to witness your favourite antiques experts

'battling over the bric-a-brac and clashing over the collectables.

'And today, it's the turn of two of your top auction heroes.

'First to pop his noddle on the block is a man who's lived and breathed the antiques industry

'for more years than he cares to admit.

'He is the connoisseur's connoisseur, the grand master of wheeler-dealing.

'It's the one, the only Eric 'Knocker' Knowles!'

I'm really going to have to get a move on.

'And coming face to face with Eric is the first lady of antiques.

'From the outside, she looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

'But inside beats the cold heart of the hardest haggler in the business.

'It's Kate 'Absolute' Bliss.'

Variety is going to be the name of the game today.

'Both our auctioneer experts are going to be in familiar surroundings

'as it's their auction challenge.

'Our gallivanting gaveleers are packing ?1,000 of their own hard-earned cash

'and have rocked up at Cottees Auction House in Wareham in Dorset,

'where there are two sales happening simultaneously.

'With thousands of antiques on sale in the main hall

'and thousands more furniture and bric-a-brac items going under the hammer elsewhere,

'our experts will have to work quickly and methodically

'to make sure they know exactly what's what and don't miss a bargain.

'At your stations, Kate Bliss and Eric Knowles,

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

Good morning! Morning! Fancy seeing you here!

I'm very well. Well, this is probably as well.

Here we are in Wareham at the auction rooms.

You been here before? I haven't. Lovely little corner of Dorset, though. It is!

So, we've got ?1,000 to spend. We've got ?1,000! That's a lot of money!

Well, it's not going to be easy to spend it in so far as this is such a busy auction.

I know. There are actually two auctions going on simultaneously.

Yeah, lots of different buildings. We'll have to be on our toes

not to miss items. Exactly.

I think I'm going to go for really quality items here, cos there's a real mixture.

We both know that this is sort of not an exact science,

so I think it's just a matter of like it, see it, buy it if you can.

'Yes, there you are. Like it, see it, buy it if you can,

'the formula to auction success encapsulated in a sentence. Marvellous.

'But with two simultaneous auctions, our experts will have to stay focused and keep moving.

'So, what's Kate's plan?'

Eric's already gone inside and he's battling with the crowds

to try and view things. But I'll let you into a little secret.

I came down here a couple of days ago when the sale was on view

and had a really good poke about.

Now, Eric could've come down but he wasn't here when I was here.

So I'm going to get in and see what he's up to.

'Ooh, Kate, you're a one! Well, there's nothing in the rules

'that says she can't turn up a couple of days before

'and it shows the lengths these experts will go to not to lose face.

'Good tactic, though, cos even an old hand like Eric seems rather daunted by the size of the auction.'

There is an awful lot to see, so it really is a case of

ferret and find it

and, erm, go for it.

'Yes, more wise words. Ferret, go for it.

'I'm not sure why he's talking about rodents, but he goes scurrying off to have a good old browse.

'Kate, who has had the luxury of a previous viewing, is on the fiddle.'

It's catalogued quite simply as a violin bearing label for Joseph Guarnerius.

And at first glance, it looks pretty tatty.

But if you take a closer look,

you've got the missing components here largely in the case.

It's got a label inside, just as the catalogue says, for Joseph Guarnerius.

And Guarnerius is actually a very famous violin-maker.

He's up there with Stradivarius.

But there are lots of violins that have the Guarnerius label

which weren't actually made by him.

They're just simply in his style.

So this could be quite a good fiddle. So I'm going to have a bit of a punt on this.

'So, that could be a real hidden treasure Kate's discovered there,

'but we'll have to wait till the bidding begins to find out if she's successful.

'Eric has set his sights on a treasure of his own

'and it is, of course, ceramic.' COW MOOS

This may be, sort of, a Herefordshire bull,

but in all fairness, he started off life in Stoke-on-Trent,

because it was made by Beswick.

But these bulls, you know, they're very highly collectable.

I mean, some are worth very little and some are worth an awful lot.

I mean, I don't know what the record price is, but I've seen these making over ?1,000.

'?1,000? That would be Eric's whole budget blown on one little bull.

'Meanwhile, Kate is also taking the bull by the horns

'as she gravitates towards a silver purse.'

This is silver, it's not silver-plate, and it's engraved

with leafage scrolls and initials on the front here.

Have a look inside, ooh, and look at that.

That has a lovely leather interior

which almost is in mint condition. We've got a hallmark down here.

And that is dated for Birmingham, which is where the silver was tested to check it was silver,

and the date letter S, which is 1917.

Might have a little go at that. Where's Eric gone?

'Well, Eric is still browsing

'and has found a little something that reminds him of his rival,

'an old 19th century auction notice.'

This has got my competitor's name written all over it,

because if she hasn't spotted that,

I might have a go at it.

Because this is all to do with Ledbury in Herefordshire, which is a lovely town

not a million miles from where the Absolute Bliss hangs out.

So, 92. We'll have a go on that.

'So, Eric's slowly building up his wish list of lots he'd like to take home.

'But with so many items on display, he's struggling to cover the whole auction.'

Time is of the essence. It's about to start so I've got to get going.

'Yes, there's a palpable air of tension over the place as the auctioneer readies himself

'for the impending proceedings. Even our seasoned experts are feeling the strain.'

I have to say, I'm quite nervous! Well...

I feel quite excited! Normally I feel really relaxed. Oh, he's going to kick off.

He is. OK, then, shove over. OK, all right. OK, OK.

'Yes, Kate is battling with her butterflies,

'but it's too late to back out now.

'There's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide as the starting pistol fires and the auction kicks off.

'And before Kate can even catch her breath, Eric has decided to bid on something that's caught his eye.'

?20 bid. I'm going to go on some prints.

They're a bit out of fashion but they're 1851.

?20. ?20 I've got.

20. 25 now behind. 25. 30.

Selling at ?30. HAMMER BANGS

Thank you. First blood.

'So, success for Eric. His first purchase in the bag,

'?35.40 after fees for two prints of the Great Exhibition.'

What I've bought, in actual fact,

are two prints by a man called George Baxter.

But they're quite special to me because these prints are showing

some of the exhibits in the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park

on 1st May 1851.

You've got the emboss insignia there of Baxter.

George Baxter, one of the best print-makers of the time.

'So, Eric off and running. And not resting on his laurels,

'he's straight back into the fray for a bit more bidding.

'This time he's on home territory - a job lot of ceramic jugs.'

35, sir? 35 I've got. 35.

HAMMER BANGS 35. He's got them! He's got two things! Thank you.

Talk about quick out of the blocks, Eric!

'Yes, Kate rattled by Eric shooting out of the traps like a dog with two things.

'So, what's he bought?'

I find myself with five jugs.

Now, I've got to say that these two are in such a state

that they've got no great commercial value,

but they all date to around about 1860.

And at this stage, I've got to do my research,

but just looking at the sort of decoration on here,

I've got a sneaky feeling that they're not actually Staffordshire.

I've got a sneaky feeling that these might be Welsh.

And that adds a certain kudos to them.

When I say 1860s, the thing that tells me

that these pots date from that period is the style of decoration,

the colours that have been used and the shapes.

If they're Welsh, they're going to be worth that little bit more.

'Yes, Eric paid ?41.30 including fees for the five jugs

'and his buying spree doesn't stop there.

'He bids and wins a third lot and pays another ?41.30

'for an Edward VII commemorative panel.'

I've bought this printed panel which celebrates His Majesty King Edward VII

at different ages.

The colours are pristine, it's not faded, it's a little gem.

'So, Eric's happy with his royal gem while Kate is trailing in his wake.

'Having started out all confident, she's had the smile wiped right off her face. Round one to Eric.'

So that's three lots to my credit.

But it also has the psychological effect on the opposition.

They see you steaming ahead and it puts them into a mode,

that well-known mode that we've seen on this programme so many times,

the panic mode.

ALARM BLARES

'Yes, Eric knows how to rattle a cage when he wants to.

'Has he got Kate in a flap? Well, she's still looking for that first buy

'and instead of bidding on her specialist silverware,

'she's straying to Eric's territory - ceramics.'

The next lot to come up is a lot with two pieces of Poole pottery.

I'm sure Eric will be interested in this and I'm sure he's spotted it.

If they go for the right price, I think I can find a collector. Here they are.

5. Oh, 55?

55, then.

60, just come in, 60.

?60 now. 60 bid.

'Yes, Kate weighs in at 60, but Eric not bothering to bid. That must be worrying her.'

At 60. That's my final bid. ?60. If anybody else comes in, I'm not going again.

HAMMER BANGS First purchase!

'Yes, first purchase! ?70.80 with fees.

'But telling that the prince of pottery didn't raise an eyebrow.

'Has she paid over the odds?'

These are two examples of art pottery.

They date from the 60s and 70s in terms of pottery and you can tell that by looking at the base.

Now, what we've got here with this vase is an example of Delphis Ware.

So we've got the dolphin mark, which dates from 1966 until 1980,

and then we've got a funny little squiggle here and that is the decorator's mark.

I think it's got a great retro look.

For the right collector or retro enthusiast, I think I can get a profit.

'So, Kate off the mark, but you've got to wonder, if it's ceramic,

'if it's got profit potential, why didn't her rival bid on it, hm?

'Well, maybe he's up to his mind games again.

'Yes, these two will try any trick in the book to get one over on their opponent.

'Now, remember that old auction poster Eric had his eye on?'

?10 for it. 10 at the back. 'Well, Kate doesn't want him to have it.'

Straight in. 15. 20.

25.

30. It's with the gentleman in the middle at ?30.

38.

Take it! LAUGHTER

38 I'm bid. I'm out. Thank you very much. Back to the lady, then.

It's ?38. At 38. HAMMER BANGS That's mine.

'Ooh! Kate get the sign for ?44.84 with fees,

'but has Eric just bumped the price up?'

I'm not looking over there because I'm feeling daggers coming into my back.

'Yes, Kate hard as nails, but even she is starting to buckle under the strain.

'Mind games - Eric's forte.

'So Miss Bliss decides to try her luck in the other sales room

'and quickly wins a pine chest for ?64.90 with fees.'

Now, this is a modern pine piece

but I'm going to paint it and then try and sell it.

And I got it for 55, which I don't think is too bad.

'Yes, Kate there hoping to paint a brighter future when it comes to selling.

'Now, back indoors and Eric has slipped to the back of the room. What are you up to, Eric?'

Going to be going on a lot which involves Staffordshire pottery.

I'm speaking like this because people can hear me

and I don't want to alert them as to what I'm going for.

'Eric knows that as the crowned price of pottery, just his mere presence in the room

'might set off the other bidders. So, a bit of sneaky bidding.'

?50 bid. 50. 5.

60. 5. 70. 5.

80. 5.

85 at the back. ?85. In the room it's 85. 90 anybody else?

HAMMER BANGS 85. 230.

'Yes, the pottery figures are his. ?85 at the gavel.

'That's ?100.30 with fees. But are they worth it?'

I'm very pleased with my purchase

of the milkmaid and the cowman. As a subject, these figures are always popular.

If you look at the faces, they're very beautifully detailed.

That tells me that they were made in Staffordshire

in and around about 1855

or 1860, so they are early.

'So, Eric's seduced by the charms of the ceramic figurines.

'But ceramics isn't his only weakness.

'After missing out on a collection of Cadbury's memorabilia,

'he buys it off the winning bidder for ?50.'

So, what did my ?50 buy me?

Well, it bought me this very interesting book

on The Century Of Progress, 1831 to 1931.

I've also got a couple of tin boxes,

which probably date to the 1950s.

I've got also the Sixty Years Of The Bournville Experiment.

All in all, I'm very happy,

because me and chocolate have always got on.

'Oh, really, Eric? Well, if that's the case, at this midway point,

'let's see who's picked up a luxury selection

'and who's hanging around the pick and mix.

'Remember, both our experts started the day with ?1,000 of their own money to spend.

'Eric Knocker Knowles has so far splashed out ?268.30 on five items,

'leaving him with ?731.70

'still in his kitty for the rest of the auction.

'Kate Absolute Bliss is lagging behind slightly,

'having only bought three lots and spent just ?180.54,

'leaving her a weighty ?819.46 still to spend.

'But there's plenty more auction action to come as the bidding continues.

'Both our experts are in the main saleroom.

'Kate may be behind at the moment, but one of her star lots

'is about to go under the hammer.'

The next lot is that violin I was telling you about.

Now, if it was a proper Guarnerius, it would be worth millions.

In fact, one sold four or five years ago for $4 million US.

But it isn't a proper Guarnerius, it's a copy.

And I'm really hoping nobody's had a proper look at it.

160 here. 160.

170. 170 in the corner.

Fingers crossed, get the hammer down. Yes! 170. I'm really pleased with that!

'Yes, Kate's delighted. That would be quite some profit

'if she did sell it for $4 million,

'as it cost her just over ?200 with fees.

'And Miss Bliss goes straight on to bid for the silver purse she spotted earlier.'

Selling in the room at ?80. HAMMER BANGS

'?94.40 including fees on the silver purse

'and Kate is going from strength to strength.'

I'm pleased with that because I think with a little bit of cleaning up,

I've got a buyer in mind.

'And she's not the only one who's quick-fire bidding.'

?45. HAMMER BANGS

'Eric gets his bovine Beswick figurine for ?53.10 including fees.'

I've just bought myself a Hereford bull.

'And goes on to successfully bid on a job lot of fireside items.'

Sell at 85. Are we all done at 85? HAMMER BANGS

I've got a bit of a hunch about these two pieces,

cos it's all in the design.

And the design in profile

is very reminiscent of an important designer

working in the late 19th century called Dr Christopher Dresser.

These were my two reasons

for spending that little bit more than the under-bidder.

'Well, Eric paid ?100.30 including fees for the fireside set

'and he appears to be on fire at the moment,

'bidding on all and sundry.'

?40 then. HAMMER BANGS Thank you. 230.

'He walks away with a nostalgic framed pair of soap adverts

'for ?47.20 including fees.'

Anyone else? I'm out. HAMMER BANGS

Same buyer. Thank you very much.

'Followed by another pair of soap adverts for the same price.'

Just short of 100 for the two, but they're in nice order,

they're in nice frames and they're full of Victorian sentimentality.

'Yes, sentimental Eric is buying like there's no tomorrow.

'So what's Kate's up to? Well, she's now bought all the items she targeted.

'So as there's still a bit of money left over, she's having to loiter around,

'ready to pounce on anything that's going cheap.'

This lot has some quite interesting photographs of World War II biplanes.

I'll just see what they go for.

?15 for those. 15 bid.

15. 20 now.

Selling at ?20.

HAMMER BANGS Yes! That's with me!

'So, Kate gets an unexpected bonus,

'a set of early unframed photos for ?23.60 including fees.'

Now, I've had a punt at these old prints.

They're all of First World War and later aircraft.

But I think these, actually, mounted and framed,

could have a real look about them, could be really smart and stylish.

'Yes, just like you, Kate. And with that last-minute purchase, both our dealers call it a day.

'So, while they pause to refuel, let's have a look at the final tallies.

'"Oh, yes, let's."

'Both our trading titans started out with ?1,000 of their own money.

'Eric ended up buying nine lots at a total cost of ?516.10.

'Kate lagged behind on the spending stakes, buying just six lots,

'and spent a little less than her rival, forking out ?499.14.

'So, as things stand, it could be anybody's game.

'But before we get onto the selling, let's find out what Eric and Kate thought of each other's purchases.'

Well, I think it fair to say that with any auction,

we've both been through the mill today, haven't we?

It's a bit like a rollercoaster ride, isn't it? But I think you've got more for your money.

The reason I'm holding these objects here

is that this sort of chocolate ephemera, this is my ticket to Nirvana,

and Nirvana for me is a chocolate factory somewhere near Birmingham.

I have a bone to pick with you, Knocker Knowles, on my auction notice. Yes.

Because you were bidding against me on that.

Let's get one thing straight, I started the bidding.

So none of that bidding me up business.

I started the bidding. Anyway, listen, let's not lose sleep on that one. Let's part friends.

'Now, with the auction house action vanishing into the mists of memory,

'it's time for our experts to put away their wallets and get out their contacts books

'as they prepare to sell all of their items for as much money as they can manage

'and make the biggest profits. Before they hit the road,

'our tussling two must assess their lots.

'Back in Kate's Herefordshire headquarters,

'Miss Bliss is drawing up a road map to success.'

So, I've got my pine tall boy. I'm going to paint this and I've decided on the colour.

It's going to be what's known as matchstick, which is a lovely cream.

And I've lined this up for a vintage shop

that deals specially in painted pine, so this is going to fit in really well with their stock.

My Poole, it's the key symbol on the base,

this little mark here, which is the mark of the decorator,

the paintress, which is really crucial.

So I'm hoping somebody is going to be collecting that mark, that decorator.

Next is my lovely silver purse. Now, the thing that really appealed to me

when I saw this at the auction was the immaculate condition,

not of the outside, cos it's a little bit tarnished, but that would soon clean up really nicely,

but of the inside, because it's the interior leather which is absolutely pristine.

My auction notice was a bit of a gamble.

That Knocker Knowles bid against me, so I paid far more than I wanted to for it,

but it's quite interesting because it refers to Ledbury in Herefordshire

which, of course, is not a million miles from me at all.

And I know The Feathers Hotel.

For my First World War biplane photographs, I'm going to go for an aircraft enthusiast

and hope that I can pass them off as really stylish furnishing prints.

Now, I've got one piece missing here and that is my lovely violin.

Now, the reason it isn't here is because I've sent it off to a restorer to have a look at it,

and if she can put it together for me, I've got a buyer in mind.

So all in all, Knocker Knowles, the plan is in action.

'So, Kate's scheming away, but over in his Buckinghamshire base,

'how confident is Mr Knowles feeling?'

Erm, I've been somewhat eclectic

in what I've managed to purchase.

Now, as for the sort of chocolate memorabilia,

I'm hoping that what I've got here

is going to be of interest to the Bournville Museum

from an archive point of view.

What about my Hereford bull? I'm hoping to find somebody who's a breeder.

And then we've got Edward, Edward VII.

I'll probably be looking for a royal memorabilia collector.

And finally, I've got my 1851

Great Exhibition prints by George Baxter.

Very important to keep the mounts

and they've been there since the 1850s.

So all in all, I thought that my day at the auction

panned out quite nicely.

So I'm quietly optimistic.

'Bullish Eric's other eclectic collectables include three pottery figurines,

'the pair of Pears prints, the china jugs

'and the fireside items.

'So both our dealers spread their wings and take to the sky

'as they fly off in search of a profit,

'knowing that no deal is sealed until they've shaken and the cash is in their hands.

'And first off the mark is Kate,

'who's tracked down the perfect potential buyer for her auction notice.

'She's come to the market town of Ledbury, having cleverly concocted a plan to sell it to Edward,

'a hotel manager who she hopes will bid high enough to make some money

'on the ?44.84 she paid for it.'

Now, I have brought you an auction notice

and I understand you've got quite a few of these. We have got a few hanging up around the place.

I've also got one here to show you. Ah!

Oh, I see. Now, this is very similar to what I've got

because we've got valuable freehold property being advertised

and the auction for it is here at The Feathers in Ledbury.

Yours is dated 1838, I see.

But mine is slightly earlier.

The auction was held here at The Feathers, Ledbury,

31st January and it's dated just down here, 1822.

And here we've got lot one, a dwelling house, having capital cellaring.

And you've got the people who are actually holding the auction down here,

Messrs Holbrook Son, attorneys at law.

There are quite a few Holbrooks around Ledbury still. Oh, are there? That's interesting.

So, Edward, I'm looking for about ?100 to ?150 for this.

I would probably be looking for around the 100 mark, rather than the higher estimate.

Could we say 125?

I'd go up to 110. 115? 115.

Wonderful. Great deal. Thank you very much.

'Going once, going twice, and sold for a profit of ?70.16,

'giving Kate just the flying start she was looking for.'

Well, what a great result. Thank goodness I outbid Knocker Knowles at the auction,

because I've managed to return the auction notice back to its home in Ledbury

and I've got a great profit.

'Yes, well done, Kate. But don't celebrate just yet

'because Eric has his own plan to make a right royal profit

'from the King Edward print that cost him ?41.30.

'He's taking it to Margaret, a collector of royal memorabilia,

'whose house is stuffed with more kings and queens than a pack of cards.'

Well, I have to say that when I bought this particular print, I thought of you.

That's lovely, isn't it? Well, I thought so.

Oh, I do like that, yes. And the colours are nice and strong. Aren't they?

When you think how old it is, they're very good, aren't they?

I think what's incredible is the fact that you've got him in all the stages of his life,

from being a baby, a small boy, all the way through. Yes.

It's amazing how when they were small, they looked very girly.

Well, it was quite traditional to put them into small,

very effeminate dresses. Yes, definitely.

I think it's in pretty reasonable order. I think it is.

Original frame. Yes. And that's very important. It would be awful if it was in a modern frame.

Oh, no, that would kill it. I would not have wasted your time. No.

My starting gambit is around about sort of ?80.

I think ?80 would be fine, actually. Are you sure? Fine for me.

You are sure? Yes, I think it's lovely. OK, well, there you go.

Thank you for thinking of me. Not at all!

'So, the print brings in a princely profit of ?38.70

'and Eric feels like a king.'

Well, a fair profit but at a fair price,

and at least Edward VII's going to feel very much at home amongst his own.

'With this symphony of selling underway, Kate is next

'with a plan to sell the violin that cost her just over ?235 including restoration.

'She's taking it to her old school

'with a mind to sell it to director of music David.'

So, David, this is the violin. So, it's got a label inside here

for Giuseppe Guarnerius.

He was Stradivarius's greatest rival in Cremona in the 18th century.

But, of course, this is based on his design. Just cos it's got a label inside,

doesn't mean it's exactly by him.

And, of course, it's a lot later than the 18th century. I think it's probably very early 20th century.

What do you think? I think you're absolutely right.

If it was a genuine, we would be looking at huge money.

Sadly, I don't think it is genuine.

I think it's possibly French and it's probably around the turn of the century,

maybe early 1920s.

'But before he's willing to commit, David wants to test the violin

'by giving it to his star pupil, 17-year-old Hannah.'

SHE PLAYS VIOLIN

Well, I think you can safely say, David, the standard has seriously gone up since I was here.

What do you think of it? Erm, I think it's got some peg issues and some string issues,

but it could sound nice with some sorting out. Mm-hm. OK.

Well, David, I'm looking for around ?350,

particularly, actually, as Hannah has made it sound so amazing.

Yes, I'm not sure it's worth quite as much as that.

We'd obviously need to change the strings

and have it reset up again.

Erm, I think I'd be happy round about the 300.

Mm-hm. How does that sound?

Could I ask for just a wee bit more? Say, 320?

Well, go on, as it's you.

320? 320. Wonderful. Thank you very much.

'Yes, the sale of the violin brings in a profit

'to the tune of ?84.40

'and Kate shows that she has more than one string to her bow.'

SHE PLAYS TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

'Will you put that cat down?

'Right, Eric is not one to play second fiddle to anyone.

'In a spectacular move, he's sold the china jugs to Diane

'from Pontypridd for a profit of ?108.70.

'Now he's descended on Sydenham, South London, with the George Baxter prints.

'He paid ?35.40 for the prints that date back to the Great Exhibition of 1851

'and Eric has cleverly targeted the chairman of the Crystal Palace Foundation

'as a possible buyer.'

What I've got are two prints of the sculpture gallery.

They've got their original mounts for George Baxter.

Baxter prints are very classic because they have the roundel here

and the rounded top edges. Yep. But they're very nice pictures.

Now, the question is, would these make a welcome addition

to the Crystal Palace Foundation's collection? Indeed, yes.

When it came to price, I was looking for somewhere around about ?55 or thereabouts.

Maybe, I don't know, ?20 each?

If we could go in at 45,

I think we've got ourselves a deal. I think 45 is reasonable.

'Eric makes ?9.60 on the sale of the prints,

'which brings us to the halfway point of this selling extravaganza.

'So, let's find out who's charging ahead

'and who's in need of a recharge.

'Eric has sold three items and already has a healthy profit

'of ?157.

'Kate has sold one fewer, and after the restoration costs of the violin,

'is ever so slightly behind with ?154.56.

'It could hardly be any closer

'as our supersonic sellers step back onto the stage,

'each hoping to get that one sale that will leave their opponent for dust.

'But it's Kate who flies over the horizon next.

'She's in Hamnish, Herefordshire, with the aeroplane prints.'

I spent just under ?24 on my aeroplane prints

and I've had them all mounted up and I'm really pleased with how they've turned out.

I'm about to see Gordon, who's an ex-pilot. I really hope he's going to like them.

'She paid ?23.60 for the prints

'and spent a further ?12.50 getting them framed. So will Gordon help her find a profit?'

Gordon, I've brought you this set of five prints of biplanes.

The thing I love about these prints is that they are really atmospheric,

particularly this one, which is in flight,

and you can see the gunner standing up there in the cockpit. Yeah, indeed.

We've got a De Havilland scout aircraft behind us there. That's quite an early one.

Very, very early. What a design! The pilot sitting up at the front here in all weathers

with his goggles and trying to keep warm in his sheepskin.

So, do you think you might be interested in purchasing the set?

Well, they certainly look in better condition, some of them,

than I anticipated. A little bit of water damage.

Condition isn't fantastic, you're right. This one's quite badly marked around there.

But I'm hoping, you know, I've mounted them up, they're part of the history.

You need to have the atmosphere that they give off, I think,

to sort of get you back into that time.

Well, for the set of five, I've had them mounted up,

I'm looking at around the ?200 mark. How does that sound to you?

I'm thinking more around the 150 mark myself.

Mm-hm. Erm... 150 sounds fair to me for the five.

Grand. Great. Done. Thank you. Wonderful. I really hope you enjoy them.

'Kate zooms off with a profit of ?113.90 for the prints.

'But she's not finished there. Oh, no! Our Kate is one busy bee.

'She sells her pottery bowl to a Poole collector

'for a profit of ?89.20.

'She then moves straight on to shifting her pine tall boy.

'She's spruced it up with a bit of leftover paint

'and is taking it to Nick, hoping he'll want it for his vintage furniture shop in Herefordshire.

'Kate paid ?64.90. Will she get a profit?'

So, what do you think of this tall boy? Cos I think it looks pretty much at home in here. Yeah, it does.

I think it's a good, saleable item.

I thought it would be ideal for a children's bedroom. It's that sort of size.

You've got a little shelf inside here which is quite good for storage.

And then you've got three good-size drawers below.

So it's all good to go, really.

It's great. It absolutely perfect for kids' rooms

and people want something that's not too expensive, sensibly priced.

I'm looking for roughly 250, something like that. How does that sounds?

That's a bit more than we'd like to pay. Right.

Erm... Ideally, we'd like it more around the 200. OK.

Could I say 210? Go on, then. All right, that sounds great. Super. Thank you.

'Kate makes a healthy ?145.10 on the tall boy.

'But Eric is burning up a profit, too.

'He makes ?109.70

'selling his fireside items to an antiques dealer in Brighton.

'And when it comes to selling his nostalgic chocolate fare,

'sweet-toothed Eric has come up with the perfect plan.

'He paid ?50 for the chocolate memorabilia,

'so will he be able to make a sweet profit from Colin of Cadbury's?'

When I came across these items, the first thing that hit me was condition.

First of all, we've got The Building Of A Modern Business, 1948.

We've got Royal Visits To Bournville, 1919, 1929 and 1939.

And on top of that, I have got not one box but two boxes.

So I'm hoping that I bought wisely

and I'm hoping that they're going to be of interest to you.

The booklets are in absolutely fabulous condition.

With the souvenir tins,

from 1902, we opened up our visitor's department

and as a souvenir of their visit,

we gave them a box of chocolates. Right.

And we've estimated there are approximately three million people

actually took advantage of the factory tour.

So there's a lot of these around. You're being polite.

I'm being polite. All right. But are they things you'd like to add to your archive? That's the question.

They certainly would be. OK. I estimate ?5 each.

That's 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.

I'm just wondering if I might nudge you a little bit? 45.

?45. Colin, I'm prepared to sell these for ?45, OK.

It's a deal. Put it there.

'So, Eric makes a loss of ?5 on the chocolate collectables.

'But he soon cheers himself up with a bit of choccie-making.

'Yes, he should be called Eric Chocker Knowles.

'Oi, you've spelt your own name wrong there, Eric!

'Lucky he's selling antiques, not spelling them.

'Anyway, Kate is down to her final item, the silver ladies' purse.

'She's come to London with a cunning plan to sell it to Daniel,

'who's setting up a new shop selling silverware.

'It cost her ?94.40 at auction.'

This is just the sort of thing that you buy, so I heard.

Have a little look at it. It's a lovely little silver purse.

Hallmarked quite clearly down at the bottom here. Oh, it is.

1917, I think, Birmingham. Birmingham, 1917.

The leather is actually lovely.

So often they can dry out and start splitting.

And it's lovely that you haven't cleaned it. In fact, running my fingers across, you can feel

where they've engraved it, it's still a little bit sharp, so you know it hasn't really been used.

10, 15 years ago when I was selling these, the only people that ever bought them were collectors.

But things are slightly changing now. I love these little rings.

You could just imagine, you know, beautiful kid gloves. That's right.

And this just going through the finger, very elegant. Yes.

Being very girly. Exactly.

Right, OK. So the piece is absolutely lovely.

So what sort of price had you been thinking about?

I was thinking, because it is in such good order,

and you know as well as I do that it's quite hard finding these pieces in good order... That's true.

I was hoping towards the ?200 mark.

It's the sort of thing I think one of my regular dealers would come in

and it would be offered to me between about 140 to 175.

175 is good for me, I would say.

I was looking for around there.

Well, that's working out pretty well, then. Brilliant. Thank you.

'Yes, Kate makes a profit of ?80.60 for the silver purse

'and it takes pride of place in the new shop,

'which means that Kate is all done and sold up.

'And our Eric is not far behind her.

'He's sold the ceramic figures to Mark, a collector of Staffordshire pottery,

'for a profit of ?19.70.

'But no sooner was the money in his wallet

'than he went and made a loss of ?19.40

'selling the pair of Pears prints.

'Which brings us to Eric's final item, the china bull.

'He's targeted Hereford breeder Phil as a potential buyer

'for the bull that cost him ?53.10.

'And so we have a story of one beast...

'..against one man. One potential sale.'

By way of introduction, who's this? This is Flynn. Flynn.

And Flynn is a Hereford bull. He's a Hereford bull, yeah.

And how old is Flynn? Flynn's three, nearly four.

So as a breed, how far do they go back? They started in about the 1700s.

OK. I'm trying to make a comparison with my bull,

because this is my Beswick bull.

How does that stand up? Well, he reminds me very much,

and we're just down the road from the Vern, and he's a Vern-style bull.

Well, mine's got horns and Flynn has not got horns.

Well, the ones with horns are a newer sort of...

Carry on. Carry on. I'm enjoying this.

..a much newer thing coming along.

I was looking somewhere in the region of around about the ?150 mark.

But you come at me with what you'd be happy to pay.

Well, I was thinking more like 50 or 60 quid, really, to be honest.

If I could get, for that bull, ?100,

I'd be selling it to you at half the price, I promise you.

Go on, then. Is it a deal? Go on. OK. All right.

'So Eric charges off with a profit of ?46.90 for the figurine.

'And that brings this magnificent bullfight to an end.

'But before we learn which of our matadors has tamed the mighty beast of profit

'and which one is running for their life,

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

'They each started the day with ?1,000 of our their own money.

'Eric bought nine lots at a total cost of ?516.10.

'Kate bought just six lots, and after some repairs and restoration,

'spent ?546.64.

'But the question remains, who has made the biggest profit?

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

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

How we doing? Mr Knowles. Good to see you. How are you?

I'm very well, thank you. How did you do, then?

Well, I did well with my three graduated pottery jugs

cos I bought them for ?41 and I then sold them for ?150.

Did you? You tinker! What about you?

Well, do you remember that rather sad looking fiddle that was lying around the auction house?

I don't remember a violin. I remember something that looked like firewood. But carry on.

Well, I bought it for just over ?200, had it restored

and then sold it to my old school

for ?320.

Where does that leave us at the end of the day? Let's find out.

Are you ready? Count us in. (BOTH) One, two, three.

Go.

(BOTH) Ooooh!

Trounced! Pretty good. Well, pretty good from your point of view.

So... Tell you what else. What's that? That auction commission is a killer.

'So, Kate's today's winner, having made money at every turn.'

I took a bit of a gamble with some of those things I bought.

It's never easy to know exactly what things are going to go for at auction,

but I'm really pleased that it paid off.

Well, I think it's safe to say for me that when it comes to auctions,

I'm probably better off taking them than bidding at them.

'But Eric gets to defend his honour once again tomorrow

'at a UK antiques fair in Newark.'

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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