David Harper v Mark Stacey - 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...

Let's make hay while that sun shines.

..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.

And I truly rock it!

WOLF WHISTLE

And giving you their top tips

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

Get in there!

THUNDERCLAP AND EVIL LAUGHTER

Today's auction extravaganza sets the dextrous dealer David Harper

against the purchasing powerhouse Mark Stacey.

-Coming up, our pair take to the skies.

-Oh, you...are kissable!

David chose the value in making people feel good.

And it's almost like a caricature of dolphins

so they put a smile on your face, don't they?

-They do.

-Let's have a look at your faces?

-Yeah, they do.

-There you go.

And Mark gets in a bit of a flap.

Oh! John, please. You can't do that to me.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Grab your seats for an enthralling action-packed auction.

Our persistent pair of prime purchasers are limbering up

to step into the ring, do battle and bid, bid, bid. Oh, yes!

It promises to be a feisty financial fight focusing on one factor -

who will take home the greatest profit and be crowned the winner?

First up, a dogged dealer who never shies from a hard haggle.

His wealth of knowledge knows no bounds,

his years of experience yield one-off wonders.

He is determined, he is indomitable. It's Devilish David Harper.

Waiting for an opportunity to pounce on a bargain.

His opponent is an antiques authority at the pinnacle of his profession.

His attention to detail is demon, his expertise extraordinary

and it's all topped off with a lightning quick wit.

-It's Mark "The Maverick" Stacey.

-The fun is about to begin.

Yes, you're not wrong there.

Both of our majestic marketers has a fiscal fire in their belly

and they need it.

Today's gladiatorial gauntlet is being run at the Chiswick Auctions

in West London.

Our bargain busters come armed with £1,000 of their own money to spend,

and when all is said and done,

any profits they make go straight to their chosen charities.

So, David Harper and Mark Stacey, get ready for a real battle

because it's time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

-David?

-Yes.

-What are you doing down there?

I'm doing what I should be doing, Mark.

-I'm looking for rather nice antiques.

-Where?

-I'll come down.

-I'll wait here.

So you've been hiding upstairs, have you? You've been watching.

You've been watching what I've been watching!

I've actually been marking every lot.

How am I doing? Are you scoring me well?

-I'm not going to go for any of them.

-Really?

-No.

-So, 0/10.

-0/10 for me.

-Story of my life.

-But it's a good sale, isn't it?

It's a great sale. You know what?

Because we're in London, it's a very high content of decorative pieces,

which is actually, we know, the market today so it could be good.

-Absolutely.

-I've got £1,000.

-Less commission.

You've got to build that commission in, so that is 24%.

Listen, I can't dawdle because I've got lots of things to check out.

-OK, walk that way.

-Happy hunting. I couldn't possibly walk that way.

Oh, they're feeling chipper!

But remember, our retailing rivals are not just fending off each other.

£28.

The room will be packed with would-be buyers

and the internet adds the menace of a worldwide bidding war.

So the boys must bid with their brains

and Mark has been using his grey matter to get one step ahead.

I've been rather cunning, you know.

What I've done is I've looked online,

so I've already written down in my little book at the back

several lots that I'm interested in having a look at.

Now, I'm hoping that will save me time and give me

a bit of an advantage over David.

Well, antiques is a touchy-feely business.

So, even though he swotted up online,

Mark's still got to get in there and get hands-on.

David, though, isn't daunted.

It's really interesting to hear Mark's strategy.

It doesn't work well in auction

because you are guaranteed to be outbid.

You need to mark dozens of objects, act like a jackal

and when something is going cheap, cheap, you get in there,

you snap it up, you buy it and you run.

And that is my strategy.

It's a bit early to be picking apart Mark's strategy, David,

but it shows just how seriously he's taking his mission.

Right, before the auction kicks off, our prize-fighters need a good rummage

and back upstairs, Mark quickly finds a striking Edwardian tobacco jar.

Modelled as, I suppose, a Native American, a chief.

These things are quite collectable now, you know.

Because they don't have the history, I suppose,

that the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe do,

they are fascinated by things from the 19th century.

But it is in with this mixed lot. I mean, I hate the flowers.

They are absolutely loathsome.

I think the best thing you can do with those

is take them to a coconut shy and throw balls at them and break them.

SHATTERING

Don't hold back, Mark! Tell us what you really think.

But the Native American is enough of a drawer,

to get circled in his catalogue.

Down in the main sale room, David's viewing a Victorian settee.

Now, one of my passions is antique upholstery

and here is a cracking example of a lovely, early 19th-century,

solid mahogany, cabinet-made sofa.

It has issues like most things at this sort of age, of course.

The lovely brocade fabric is coming away,

you can see it's been upholstered several times, the wood is rotting

so it does need a little bit of repair.

But just look at its construction - solid mahogany,

strung in satinwood, put in by hand, a sprung seat.

You can hear and feel the original horsehair in there.

What's it estimated at here?

£100-150 and it makes me want it really, really badly.

Blimey, that's a man in love.

But there's no time to get emotional about upholstery.

He will have to separate his head from his heart

when the horsehair lounger goes under the hammer.

Let's leave David fondling the furniture

because Mark's moseyed on and is cooing over a picture of a pigeon.

There is a branch of British folk art which specialises

in racing pigeons and I just think that's a charming subject up there.

It's not signed and it's not titled, which is a shame

because some people like to know the artist

and particularly whether it was a champion bird or not.

The oil painting has an estimate of £40-60.

So has the maverick spotted a real source of profit?

Devilish David's across the room and has found some rather unusual tables.

Now, here we have a pair of cracking 19th-century wine tables

but a lot of people in this business would look at them,

clock them, turn and run, simply because they are a marriage.

Now when we say a marriage,

that's two parts put together that didn't belong in the beginning.

So let's start at the base. That is screaming West, it's English.

Solid mahogany, probably originally a piano stool base.

Lotus leaf decoration, gadroon decoration circa 1850, 1860.

It should have had not that top when it was made.

These tops from China, from the Far East -

she was redecorated - were added much later.

They are unique and estimated at £80-120.

You take £100 to the high street today

and buy a pair of tables as good as that for that money

and I'll give you 1,000 quid.

There's no chance.

Well, these two are having no trouble ticking off trinkets to try for

once the all-important sale is under way.

And, as the big moment approaches,

Mark claps eyes on a Japanese charger that he thinks is champion.

It's quite fun this, you know.

We talk a lot about cloisonne in antiques

and normally the cloisonne work is very fine.

This is almost abstract.

You've got this very thick impasto enamel

going on here with the flowers.

But it has got the original label on the back.

Nagoya, Tokyo and au cloisonne.

I mean, it's just got a very sort of contemporary, modern feel about it.

It's probably '50s, actually.

Well, viewing time is soon over and the room is ready.

While David casually snacks his way to the start line,

Mark is checking out the competition.

It's a packed room of usual suspects plus live internet bidding.

Plus Bananaman over there.

-Lot number one.

-And the sale soon kicks off.

Now, what's the first lesson of auctions, everybody?

That's right, don't bid on something you haven't seen.

But Devilish David plays devil may care with convention from the outset

by showing interest in an unseen lot.

As bidding starts on a rare Chinese Air Force helmet

and various aviation headpieces, he's straight in there.

-£110, £120, £130, £140.

-£140.

Saying no now. I'm surprised. At £130 at the back of the room, take £140 now.

-Are you back in, Sam? £140 there, £150. £160.

-This is hilarious.

£170. £180.

Mark is stunned and can't resist a tactical heckle.

Go on, David. One more.

-£190 I'm bid, £200?

-Go on.

-I think you've got it, £210.

-£210!

-I'm selling in the room, £210.

-Thank you very much. There you go.

Well, so much for pouncing on the low priced bargains, Mr Harper.

Add in the commission and the high altitude helmet

and accompaniments cost him over a quarter of his budget.

£260.40.

It's got a heating system. It's got... Look at that!

It's got communications stuff. It's got a visor. Look at this. Leather.

My God!

Oh, yes. And we've got goggles. Can I get my goggles on?

Oh, the best 200 quid I've spent in years.

MUSIC: "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin

He's like a child in a sweet shop and while David plays with his boys toys,

our maverick turns his attention to a framed watercolour portrait.

It's estimated at £30-80.

£10, please. £10 on bid, I'll take £12 now. £10, take £12.

-I'm selling £10.

-I'm off and running.

Absolutely no competition from anywhere. Is that a good thing?

Nevertheless, Mark secures his first lot for far less than the estimate.

He pays just £12.40 including fees.

This is a speculative lot, this. I think it's got something about it.

It's a little bit avant-garde, it's a little bit contemporary.

It's in a frame, it can go straight up on a wall.

More research clearly needed by Mark on his moustachioed man.

And he soon buys his second item,

an ostrich egg engraved with a lion that comes with a gilt stand.

It goes under the hammer, thankfully not literally, for £28.

And Mark shells out £34.72 including commission.

So even though he's got two purchases under his belt,

Mr Maverick has still only spent a fifth of David's total outlay

for the helmet collection.

And while David plays with his pen, Mark can't stop himself.

That ever-so-subtle nod gets him the Japanese plate

that he looked at earlier.

£40 to the checked shirt.

Take two now, £40. We got there in the end at £40.

Hopefully, I should be able to double my money.

Add in the fees and he claims the cloisonne for £49.60.

Mark's maverick bidding bonanza has seen him take charge of the saleroom.

David has a lot of ground to make up and he soon gets the opportunity.

Coming up next, 108,

is a boxed 1970s Georg Jensen sterling silver brooch.

And this is the first time I've seen it. It's a pair of dolphins.

Of course, Georg Jensen died in 1935 so...

these are obviously not made in his lifetime but they are

very, very stylish.

£110 I'm bid. £120, do you want? £130.

I can't go any more than that. Thank you. I've just bought at £120.

Yes, but that's just the hammer price.

Add in the fees and the cost rises to £148.80.

By buying all these unseen lots, is devilish David dicing with danger

or is he trusting his instincts to pinpoint prize profit makers?

So here we have a 1970s Georg Jensen pair of dolphins

and the company was formed in about 1904 by Georg Jensen

but he died in 1935.

But his style, his company ethos, the look continued

and still produces today.

Fabulous hallmarks on the back, Georg Jensen.

Number 317 and then hallmarked sterling.

But the big winner and something I didn't know

when I bought this brooch blind is the box,

the original stamped Georg Jensen box which makes a huge difference.

Well, once again, it seems he's come up trumps on an unseen item.

As David makes his way back to the floor, the next lot comes up.

An oil painting study of a racing pigeon. Who would want that? No!

-Oh, no.

-Oh, yes.

Mark's bidding from the outset

and goes way past the low estimate of 40-£60.

-£140, £150.

-Mark! You'll regret it.

Mark ignores David and carries on bidding...

and bidding!

£160, I'm bid. £170. £180. £170 there, £180, £190.

I'm paying far too much for this.

-£180.

-HE CHUCKLES

The problem is I paid a lot more than I wanted to for that.

-I don't fancy my chances.

-Mm, that's not good!

Including fees, Mark pays £223.20.

Far and away his biggest purchase yet.

Will he be cooing or crying when it comes to selling?

The auction action is really heating up. Let's see who spent what.

Both our boys started the day with £1,000 of their own money to spend.

David has only made two purchases but he spent a lot on them, nearly £410.

That leaves him almost £591 in his kitty.

Mark has bought four lots but spent a fair bit less,

just under £320, meaning he still has a beefy £680-odd to play with.

Back in the room,

our cash clash combatants are feeling the heat of the competition.

-How is it going?

-Is it tough or is it tough?

-It is tough! It is tough.

-And I mean, I noticed you bought the Georg Jensen.

-Yes.

-It wasn't cheap.

-It wasn't, I paid the money.

-£120.

-Plus commission.

-I know, I bought the racing pigeon.

-I noticed.

-I rather fancied it.

You know what? You need to be on stage.

-I've always said you're a perfect fit for radio.

-Oh, you're a charmer.

-I'll see you later.

-Good luck.

-Oh, look at them.

Behind the smiles, there's a deep-seated rivalry here

and David especially is thriving on it.

His next lot is, surprise, surprise, another one he's not seen.

-A leather holdall and carpetbag.

-£80, £85, £90, £95 my last.

-Yes.

-£100 in the room?

-£100 for a great big Kilim...

Oh, thank you very much, carpetbag. Haven't actually laid my eyes on it.

Another purchase in the bag.

Taking the commission into account, that comes to £124.

So, he's now thrown more than half his budget at lots

he's not looked at first.

-Daredevil!

-That is...delicious.

Little bit of damage there but it's got age

and normally vegetable-dyed so you'll find the colours vary

because made by nomadic tribes,

as they travelled around their districts,

they would pick berries - blues, reds, oranges, yellows -

so you can almost track where a tribe has been,

which is absolutely fascinating.

I mean, look at that.

You've got strong reds this side and really bold yellows this side.

I'm thinking classic cars, vintage cars, weekends away.

Looking good and looking different. And as for this one...

..we'll chuck it in as a freebie.

No time to get away just yet, David.

There's still more work to do.

Mark's next purchase is that Native American tobacco job

that he liked the look of.

At £28, anybody else?

Including fees, The Maverick pays £34.72.

Next up, David ventures into fairy tale territory

by buying a modern stone unicorn.

He pays £99.20 including commission but will it be hit or "myth"

when it comes to selling?

-David?

-Yeah.

If you want to, you know you can nip to any garden centre and get those?

He's only jealous because he's never owned a unicorn.

Well, he clearly doesn't want one.

Anyway, Mark stays within his comfort zone for his next bidding bout.

-There's a Victorian watercolour that has an estimate of £60-80.

-£30.

£30, I'm bid, in the middle of the room. I'm going to sell it for £30.

Got it. 30 quid.

I'm happy. I might have to sit down with the excitement.

Oh, was that a swoon, Maverick?

With fees, he pays £37.20 for the painting. Far below estimate.

That could well stand him in good stead.

It's painted in the late 19th century.

But the scene is 17th century.

You've got a Cavalier standing here looking rather cross.

His wife is looking rather upset holding her head into the chair

and I think it's absolutely charming.

Back in the room, it's the moment David's been waiting for.

That Victorian sofa is next up.

He's so excited, bless him,

it's like he's about to ask someone out on a first date.

Estimated at £100-150. It's absolutely for nothing.

£85, £90 seated, £95, £110, £120, £130...£140.

£130 standing, take £140 now. £150, £160, £170, £180, £190...

-Someone's bidding me up, yes.

-£200, £210?

-Yes.

-£220.

At £210, standing in the checked shirt. Take £220.

Sitting cheap at £210. It's going to go. £210, it's selling.

Wow, £210 for that sofa.

I think it is absolute... Oh, sorry.

I'm getting too excited. There you go!

Oh, steady yourself, David. He's hooked, isn't he?

And the Devilish One's adoration costs him.

Way over estimate at £260.40 including fees.

David's furniture flurry continues.

He's soon bidding on six Georgian style, mahogany dining chairs.

-£12, you want?

-Yes.

-£14?

-Anyone at £12 has a say? £12.

-Thank you very much.

He buys them for just £14.88 including fees.

That works out at less than £2.50 a chair.

He's got to make a profit, surely?

These things are Edwardian or maybe into the 1920s.

But made really and honestly as well as a late 18th-century chair.

Handmade, hand cut, hand fluted. Just ridiculous.

So there we go - they came, they saw and they certainly conquered.

Their bidding battle is over, but who will come out on top?

Both David and Mark started the day with £1,000 of their own money.

Devilish David bought six items for a chunky £907.68.

Mark The Maverick spent less than half that. £391.84 on his six items.

That is a massive difference in investments,

but who's paid out most wisely

and who is going to regret their big spends?

Do you know, David? You do buy some odd things, don't you?

Well, do you know, Mark,

to me, you see, that looks like Camp City to me.

-This is Action Man territory. Isn't it?

-I would agree with you.

-Thank you.

-Action Man tat.

-What?

-I do love your Georg Jensen brooch.

-I thought you'd like that.

-I think that is lovely, a good name.

-Quite a lot of money though.

-It was the money.

There will be a trickle of profit, if I'm lucky.

-And you stole that unicorn.

-Didn't I just, Mark?

-The flowery things, I hate.

-Well, why did you buy them?

Because they were part of a job lot.

Were they freebies? Were they thrown in?

No, it was this, which is a really interesting

little box and cover of a Native American chief.

The thing I paid a little bit too much for...

I know what you're going to say. I saw it happen.

You really went for it, didn't you? It's been a struggle.

-But we got there.

-But I think I've got a fabulous collection of goods.

-Course you do, David.

-Thank you.

And I wish you well with the therapy.

-Will you indulge me just before you go, please?

-Yes.

-Would you mind?

It's just when I saw these,

I just thought the colour would suit you absolutely perfectly.

-Here we go.

-Please go for it.

I'll wear the leather. You can...

Oh, you are kissable!

You are stunning, Stacey!

Stunning.

Well, it is now time to put their thinking caps on

as our worthy warriors change up a gear.

They must take their prime purchases

and turn them into stellar sales making mighty profits,

and this is no easy task.

They will have to scour the country for the very best buyers

using their contacts, their contacts' contacts and anyone who will listen.

But it's one thing to arrange a meeting,

quite another to make an actual sale.

Until they shake on it and the money has changed hands,

no deal is truly sealed.

Time to look over their luscious lots.

But in Brighton, Mark isn't feeling all that enthusiastic.

I found the auction incredibly tough.

I ended up really scrabbling a bit, to be honest with you.

I mean, I'm pleased with a couple of the items but generally speaking...

I'm rather disappointed I couldn't get more of what I wanted.

I'm really pleased with the cloisonne plate, Japanese.

The rest of it, I'm afraid, is really tough.

My mixed collection of items -

well, I bought it really for the Native American tobacco jar.

The other items just came with it

and I shall get rid of the flowers somewhere.

The watercolour, I love.

I haven't done any research

but I think it is a charmingly done Victorian watercolour.

The pigeon, I'm afraid, is a great disappointment.

When I've unpacked it,

it's nowhere near as nice as it looked up on the wall.

And I'm going to struggle...

..dare I say, to find a home.

The watercolour, I'm going to contact the gallery

as there's a label on the back.

And who knows? I might have found a missing masterpiece.

I really was scrabbling over this auction.

I bought an ostrich egg engraved with a lion

on a rather nice gilt stand with three dolphins,

which is the sign of Brighton.

-But there's no sign of a buyer yet.

-Oh, come on, Maverick!

Positive mental attitude.

There's a long way to go and absolutely anything could happen.

Back in his lair in Barnard Castle, David is feeling much more excited.

Only two objects here I think I actually planned on buying.

The stone unicorn which I think is a bit funky, a bit different.

Mark Stacey hates it which makes me like it even more.

And the second object I did plan on buying was the sofa. Oh, my gosh!

One of my first loves.

Early 19th-century mahogany, satinwood stringings.

Oh, it's just absolutely delicious and, at £260, it is a bargain.

So let's move on to the objects I hadn't even seen when buying.

And first of all, I'm going to talk about

my favourite purchase from the auction has got to be

the high altitude pilot's helmet which is just mind-blowing.

Carpetbag. That is a cracker. The also-ran leather bag, not so good.

The chair, well, one of six, £14.

Finally, the rather lovely silver Georg Jensen brooch

which is absolutely delectable.

So here we go, an eclectic collection of objects

which will take me, no doubt, on a very eclectic journey.

Well, David's first potential deal suddenly falls into his lap.

Before he's so much as lifted a finger, two charming ladies,

Maria and Penny, walk into his shop looking for a present for their aunt.

And that Georg Jensen brooch catches their eye.

It's 50 years old, probably. And it's still contemporary.

-It's three-dimensional.

-It is, yes.

And it's almost like a caricature of dolphins,

-so that they put a smile on your face, don't they?

-They do!

-Let's have a look at your faces.

-They do, they do.

-There you go.

They've got a smile on their face, we have.

Well, shall I put an extra smile on your face?

-With its original box, which is incredibly rare...

-Mm-hm.

-£230.

-£220?

-Shake my hand.

-There you are.

You've bought it, thank you very much indeed. Thank you very much.

-So I do, of course, want it gift-wrapped.

-Well, listen.

-This is so much more than a bag, sir!

-OK, here you go. Gift-wrapped.

There you go. Come and give me some money!

Well, that went swimmingly.

The dolphins bring in a profit of £71.20. What a stroke of luck!

Mark is quick out of the blocks as well

and he doesn't have to go far for his first potential sale.

He's taken his Native American tobacco jar to Hove

to meet American abroad, Enrico.

The piece owes Mark nearly £35.

-Enrico, how are you?

-Mark, welcome aboard.

-Lovely to see you again.

-Super. Please come in.

I will.

I dated it to around about 1910.

Do you think these were made to export to the United States?

I think that virtually everything

that was made in Germany at that point in time

was exported all over the world,

but something like this would have been directed at the US market.

Yeah, I think so. I said around sort of £40-£60.

I mean, now you've seen it, would you be happy to make an offer?

I think because of the damage to the feathers,

I'd place it at the bottom of that estimate.

Yeah, I think that's fair because there is a bit of damage there.

If I got £40 for it, I would make a bit of a profit on it,

which is always helpful, isn't it?

Super.

Well, I'm glad I found the right buyer for it.

Thank you for taking it off my hands.

Well, thank you for bringing it to me.

Mark went on to sell the other porcelain items from that lot.

The cherub on the shell sold for £15

and the flowers that Mark hated so much went for £5.

Add that all together and Mark makes a total profit of £25.28.

Nice going, Maverick!

That's my very first sale from the auction

and I knew Enrico would like that.

It's about finding the right buyers and he loves quirky items

and I didn't half make a decent profit on it as well,

so I'm jolly happy too.

Oh, look, he's got the spring back in his step.

And he's right - it's all about finding the right buyer.

David is hoping to hit the heights with two of his pilots' helmets.

He bought them with the Chinese high altitude mask for £260.

Now, come on, it's highly unlikely

I'm ever going to find a fighter pilot to buy these helmets,

so you've got to think out of the box.

So, here we are in Harrogate. Look at this window display.

A funky optician's selling funky glasses

on all of those great heads.

None of the heads have helmets. They need them desperately.

-There he is. Jonathan, how are you?

-Good afternoon, young man.

-How are you?

-Very good. Great to see you.

Nice to see you, David. So, we've got one cloth and one leather?

Yes, now, that is a MiG fighter pilot's inner helmet.

The fabric bit, right?

So, it's got all of your communications there.

I mean, that is a serious bit of kit.

Try it on. Let's see if it fits you.

Wow! You look amazing.

This one, apparently, because this has got a longer lead,

this is for a bigger cockpit.

That's for a very close, confined cockpit.

Have you got these kind of aviator glasses?

Oh, my goodness me!

-What's the cost?

-Do you want one or two?

-The pair.

-The pair.

So, you buy one for £150 and you get the other one thrown in for free.

I mean, I'm just like a walking charity.

-Deal.

-Fantastic. Thank you very much.

Well, Matt's soaring sales patter has done the trick,

but David's not in profit yet.

Can the high altitude helmet help him get there?

He needs another £110 to break even.

He heads to the Lake District, near Lake Ullswater, actually,

to see if he can tempt Steve who collects all things unusual.

Get your hands on that, Steve. Talk to me.

-It's got a bit of weight to it as well.

-It has, hasn't it?

So, what have we got here, then?

It's a suit-wearing helmet,

so the guy would have to wear it almost like a spacesuit.

A full pressure suit.

And he's right up there on the edge of the stratosphere

so a real serious piece of kit.

I've never handled anything quite like it.

Look at all those tubes!

Hopefully, you won't be handling it much longer.

-What would you do with it?

-I'm going to hang it.

So, you look at that seriously as a piece of art?

Yeah, I mean, if you think about the workmanship,

the science behind it as well.

-What would you like to pay for it?

-I'm kind of looking...

What? £190.

-Really?

-Mm-hm.

-Bit far away there.

-Go on. Where are you at?

A couple of hundred quid on top of that.

-Oh, a couple of hundred quid? What?

-£390-ish.

£290.

Um, I mean, I've sold a couple of other bits for that one.

I'll meet you about in the middle at £350.

-Middle of what?

-Your £290 and my £390.

It's a bit in the middle, but sort of in favour of me.

-£320.

-£340.

-£325.

-£330.

-£325.

-Done. Give me the money!

Wow! That was a hyper haggle!

Add that to the money that he pocketed for the bits he sold at the opticians

and David has a happy helmet haul of £475

and that launches a stratospheric profit of £214.60.

Heavens!

So, that instantly piles the pressure on Mark.

He has got his feet on the ground, though, this time in South London.

He's brought his mid-20th century Japanese charger

to see Victoria and Laura

who specialise in 20th-century art and design.

The plate cost Mark almost £50.

-The grand reveal.

-Beautiful, gorgeous colours.

And when you think of cloisonne,

you normally think of that very delicate Chinese and Japanese ware,

which is all very pretty and small and precise.

This is, I think, 1950s.

The firm itself are quite well-known and it's all marked.

It's got the original labels on the back, which I quite like - Tokyo.

And cloisonne. I've never seen one before.

I described it as cloisonne on steroids.

THEY LAUGH

Cos it really is a splash of colour, isn't it?

So, what do you think?

Well, I actually think it's very nice.

-It would go really nicely as well.

-Yes, it would go beautifully.

I mean, could we say £150, then?

-We'd like to negotiate a little bit.

-All right, £149!

Bit more than that.

What do you think now you've seen it? Make me a little counter-offer.

-£100.

-£100.

Oh! Do you know, if only I could find a chair that I could sit on.

I was hoping for a bit more. I mean, I can come down a little.

Well, what's your lowest?

Shall we try and sort of...?

What if I said £130?

I think...

Well, why don't we split the difference? Why don't we say £125?

£125? I'd be very happy with that. Would you be happy with that?

-We'd be happy, I think.

-Yeah.

Then we can have a group hug. £125.

Well, I think that's what you call a successful sale.

Very successful! He's more than doubled his money.

The plate serves up a very useful profit of £75.40,

which goes a long way towards breaking level with David.

So, Mr Harper certainly has no time to sit back and relax.

He's near Darlington with his six Georgian-style chairs,

but, let's be honest, they've seen better days,

which might be why he got them for just under £15.

So, will potential buyer Sandy give him a profit?

Needing a little bit of care and attention.

-Need a bit of waxing, don't they?

-A bit more than waxing!

Bit more than waxing?

A bit of wax will go a long way, I've got to say.

-But good quality.

-It is mahogany, though, isn't it?

-Solid mahogany.

-Mahogany. Exactly, yeah.

Are they all solid or is there one wonky one?

No, you've got a little bit of a wonky one.

You've got a bit more of a wonky one.

We're going in, like, a grade from good to dreadful.

These old chairs have certainly seen some heavy-duty dining.

David's trying his hardest, but will Sandy bite?

£10 a chair, Sandy.

It would seem churlish to barter with you at that price.

-At £10 a chair?

-Yes, I would feel a little bit embarrassed about it.

So, can we go with that? £60 for the six?

-Go on, then.

-Good man.

-Pleasure.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Come on, I'll give you a hand in.

-Good man!

Always nice to help people out.

The chairs provide a comfy profit of £45.12,

not bad for a lot that he hadn't even clapped his eyes on

when he bought it.

Mark also pushes on with his steady selling.

He takes his Victorian watercolour to a restaurant in Hove to meet Sue

and The Maverick very nearly doubles his money again.

He shakes hands on £70,

brushing in a picture-perfect profit of £32.80.

So, both our boys are going great guns, slamming in the sales.

Let's see who's in the lead.

David has seen off three of his lots so far,

making a total profit of £330.92.

Mark is trailing behind, though.

He's also sold three of his purchases,

but his profit is significantly lower - £133.48.

But there's still plenty of time to reap the riches.

However, David takes a hit on his stoneware unicorn.

A man in Barnard Castle gives him £100,

which brings in a very meagre profit - just 80p.

Bad news for David, but excellent news for Mark.

But David's hopes remain high, particularly with his next item.

It's the Victorian settee he absolutely adores.

He's had it delivered to a 17th-century wedding venue

in the nearby village of Lartington.

So, will the owners, John and Shona, think it's to the manor born?

David paid just over £260.

-Go on, try it.

-I'm quite heavy at the moment!

-She looks fantastic.

-It's a good time to try.

Can I get out? It's all right, isn't it?

-It's not bad.

-Very comfortable.

Now, stay there because I've got an added extra. Wait there.

So, you can have them with cushions or without.

-Perfect.

-Looks good, doesn't it?

-Yes, very comfortable.

-Try it out, John.

-Give us a range.

-£500-700.

I'll stand back with you to admire.

-I think we could do £450.

-She looks so lovely.

I'm shocked. I'm utterly shocked. John, I'm shocked.

I tell you what I would do. I'd meet you somewhere near £600.

-You said 500-700.

-I know.

-That's in the middle, isn't it?

-What about five?

-Shall we settle on five?

-Five...

How about 550?

-We'll settle on 550, shall we?

-Shona, thank you so much.

-Deal. Sealed with a kiss.

-Thank you. Thank you, John.

No, thank you.

Now, all we need now is a nice glass of champagne.

-Not you, of course.

-Not me, sadly.

Where are the servants? Never a servant when you want one.

Yeah, a house like this must have servants.

Well, staff or no staff, the Victorian sofa serves up

a luxurious profit of £289.60 and David deals Mark a crushing blow.

So, that really piles the pressure on The Maverick.

He doesn't get much luck out of the watercolour portrait, though.

He sells it to a woman in West Sussex for £20,

bringing in a profit of just £7.60.

And this is the point at which Mark pulls out the big one -

his pigeon painting that cost him just over £223.

So, it's all the money and he's a bit worried about this one

so he puffs up his feathers and flies along the coast to Peacehaven.

He's meeting pigeon fancier John who has a lot of unusual breeds.

So, will The Maverick race home with a profit

or are his birds about to come home to roost?

-These are my birds, Mark.

-Gosh, they're fabulous!

The colours are wonderful. They're purring away there.

Or cooing away, I should say.

They're all making happy noises at the moment

so before we get them unhappy, shall I show you, in the flesh, the picture?

-I'd like to see it.

-I loved it.

I thought there's no problem.

There must be loads of pigeon fanciers around.

Loads of, you know, pubs with the word "pigeon" in it. And no luck.

But can you tell us anything about it?

So, the actual painting is Victorian-style.

I'm not saying it is Victorian.

No, I'm not convinced it's Victorian.

Because what we've got today is we've got lots of very good artists.

There's a lady down in West Sussex who does do this style.

I must admit, I agree with you.

I think it was painted later than that.

Is it something you think you might be able to make an offer on?

It's something that I would maybe use

in maybe some of my talks and displays.

How much could I make you part with?

Well, unfortunately, Mark, probably not as much as you would like.

Do your worst, John.

I mean...

-I mean, I'm talking about £25.

-Oh!

John, please, you can't do that to me!

-£25? My gosh!

-How about £40?

Can we go a little bit higher to save my embarrassment?

I don't think I'm ever going to become a pigeon fancier after this.

I have got 30 mouths to feed, Mark.

It is a nice painting.

If I just help you a little bit and if I said £50...?

I'm not going to get you any higher than that, am I?

I think I'm going to have to take your £50, John.

-Shall I shake your hand?

-Please. Thank you so much.

Oh, Mark, that's a devastating loss! £173.20. Hideous!

# Every loser wins

# Once the dream begins... #

There's no way round it.

That is one of the biggest losses in Put Your Money history.

Well, it's not my best sale.

I've made a huge loss, but I have made a new friend

and I've learned a lot about pigeons, so it's not all bad.

Yes, you can put a positive spin on it all you like,

but that could have just sealed your fate.

David rounds off his selling spree back where it all began

in Barnard Castle.

The carpetbag and leather holdall sell for £135,

giving him a slender profit of £11.

So, everything - and I mean everything -

comes down to Mark's last item,

the engraved ostrich egg. And he basically needs a miracle.

But, as we always say, anything could happen.

Mr Stacey is in Guildford to meet Dave

who's the chairman of an organisation that raises money for local causes.

Mark needs hundreds and hundreds of pounds.

-I sent you some photographs, David.

-You did.

Because you're connected with the Guildford Lions, aren't you?

Yes, I am, yeah.

And I thought this egg might be something of interest to you.

I'll hand it over cos you haven't seen it in the flesh.

I haven't, no. It's lovely, isn't it?

Well, I liked it cos it's quite delicately carved or etched

and it's got all the staining in there

and he looks actually a kind of friendly lion.

He does, yes. Yes, he does.

-It comes with a little...

-"Drawn by Hugh."

By Hugh. Whoever Hugh is.

And it comes with this little gilt metal stand

with three dolphins on it, which is quite fun.

Dave, I think in the e-mail,

I suggested an estimate range of around about £50-80.

Now, how do you feel about that?

I think that's...we'd be interested in that at the lower end.

Could I possibly sort of push you up to, say, £60?

-Is that possible?

-I think...

Yes, I'm sure we could do £60.

-Could we manage at £60?

-I'm sure, yes.

That gives me a little bit of extra profit as well

and hopefully this will roar at the auction.

-Ho-ho! Wonderful!

-Did you get it?

-I got it. I saw what you did there.

-He will be the king of the auction.

-Fantastic. Thank you, Mark.

-Thank you.

While Mark's still in the mood to make jokes,

the ostrich egg makes £25.28,

which, to be frank, won't make much difference.

It's almost time to reveal the final figures.

Not sure we're in for much of a surprise, though.

Before we do, let's remind ourselves of how much they spent at auction.

Both our boys arrived in London with £1,000 of their own money to spend.

David was daring in his bidding.

His six lots came in at a total cost of £907.68.

Mark was much more cautious.

Six lots for him too, but a relatively modest spend of £391.84.

Any profit that David and Mark have made from today's challenge

will go to the charities of their choice

and, if you haven't worked it out already,

it's time to reveal who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

-David, hello.

-What a beautiful day.

-How are you feeling?

-I am very, very nervous.

-You're not.

-I am, David.

You've got a nervous look.

Now, the auction, I'm afraid, wasn't very good for me.

-Really?

-No.

-Anything in particular?

-Well, one thing in particular.

-Which one?

-The pigeon.

The pigeon? Didn't half shout out on the day as well, didn't I?

-I know. And you?

-Um, the helmet.

I've never bought anything quite like it. I did two sales.

Sold the soft helmets to one guy - great guy with an opticians -

and the helmet itself is now living in a lovely cottage

in deepest, darkest Cumbria as a piece of art.

-David, you do go on, you know.

-I do. I go on journeys. Journeys.

Well, go on and open your box, will you?

-Are you ready?

-BOTH:

-Three, two, one.

-Mark Stacey!

-I know.

-What?

-Well, I don't know how you've done it.

Red means bad.

-I don't know how you've done it, David.

-Red is bad.

I know, it's very bad. I'm surprised it's only that bad, actually.

-How did you get so bad?

-I lost over £170 on the picture.

I almost feel like I'm going to collapse with joy.

-Will you buy me a drink?

-I will buy you a drink.

-Do you want a couple of bottles?

-Oh, poor Mark! Give that man a hug!

That's an extraordinary victory for David.

His bulk-buying worked a treat.

The great thing about auctions is the variety of objects.

So, from a beautiful, early 19th-century sofa

to a Chinese fighter pilot's helmet, it is just absolutely bizarre.

Well, what can I say about the auction?

It wasn't my finest moment, as they say.

Everything I wanted, I couldn't get,

but I did make some reasonable sales.

I mean, I managed to sell the ostrich egg

and the watercolour, I found a very good buyer for.

But I did make a huge loss as well,

and David just seemed to find the right people hidden in the country

who wanted a Chinese helmet.

So, Mark will be a man on a mission tomorrow

as our two traders battle for the ultimate accolade in antiques television.

Take cover, it's the mighty showdown!