David Harper v Mark Stacey - Showdown 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'm truly rockin'.

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! EVIL LAUGHTER

Today, the dastardly duke of dealing, David Harper,

takes on the prime powerhouse of purchasing,

Mark Stacey, in our climax of the collectibles.

It's the Showdown.

Coming up, David seeks help from an unlikely source...

Wag your tail if you think he should sell it to me for 40. Hello, Bodhi.

There, you see! Look at that!

..Mark finds a right royal rarity with Hollywood connections...

These were gifted to Princess Grace of Monaco on her engagement.

..and David shows us how to tell if something's original.

Have you noticed that the Chinese characters are

not absolutely dead centre? That's a giveaway.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome to the ultimate antiques challenge,

a high-octane, supercharged, nerve jangling mission to

make as much money as humanly possible.

Our two daring dealers have certainly got guts and

determination, otherwise they wouldn't be here,

because the Showdown is not for the faint-hearted. Oh, no.

It's for thrill-seekers, adrenaline junkies,

people who walk on the dangerous side of life.

Let's meet them.

First up, it's the toughest of traders, a man who

instinctively knows what he wants and will do anything to get it.

He's the colossus from County Durham, the prince of profit,

the dealer with a dark side...

This is the kind of thing that could shock your pants off.

His challenger is a heroic haggler,

a man with a sharp focus that matches his extraordinary expertise

and, if looks could kill, he'd be the last man alive.

He's the behemoth from Brighton, the one-line warrior...

I'm just going to fly with it.

The Showdown pitches our prize fighters against each other

across their regular purchasing places -

an antiques fair...

a foreign market...

an auction...

and a car boot sale, but this challenge has a twist.

At least half the items they buy must be sold at

the terrifying Showdown auction.

So, they need pickiness in their purchases,

but they do have plenty of cash to splash, £1,000 of their own money.

Any profit they make goes to the charities of their choice

and, at the end of the day, whoever makes the most money is the winner.

Simple as that!

So, here we go.

The pinnacle of their careers, for the last time, David Harper

and Mark Stacey come together to put their money where their mouths are.

-Oh, ho, ho! How exciting is this?!

-How are you?

-Are you raring to go?

-I'm raring to go.

-This is the big one, the big Showdown.

-The Showdown!

"Welcome to the mighty Showdown. The rules are simple..."

You'll be all right there.

"You must each buy two items at every one of your regular

"Put Your Money challenges. You have £1,000 to spend.

"You can sell up to four items wherever you want.

"The rest will be sold in an auction

"in direct competition with your opponent." Which is you.

-"The winner is the dealer who makes the most profit."

-Which is me.

Quite possibly, but I doubt it and it does say here, "Good luck."

-Oh, that's nice of them.

-That's surely not me to you, is it?

-Yes, I think so.

-Really?

-Come on, you are charitable.

-You gave a penny away once, didn't you?

-No, I did, but

it was a mistake. I took it back. Yeah!

Good luck. Happy hunting.

Oh, look at them! Like coiled springs ready to burst!

Into round one, the antiques fair.

Our dynamic duo are starting their mammoth missions at the

hot and sunny Norfolk Showground just outside Norwich.

And, like at all their locations, they each need to find two items

they think will bring in the big money.

And it's our devilish friend who sniffs out the first possible deal -

a vanity case that's being guarded by the lovely Bodhi.

It's for a gentleman, this one. It's Chinese, made about 1880, 1890.

And it's for a chap to go around travelling on business.

Quite a vain chap, I've got to say,

because there's your mirror with original mercury glass there.

Look at the pitting and, if that was in a dark light with candlelight,

you'd see star effects all over the glass there, which is the mercury.

Now, the handles look very plain and very flat with no decoration

and you think that might be a sign of cheap quality - not at all,

they're designed like that so the whole thing closes neatly.

I'll tell you where it really needs to be for me.

-40.

-I can't do that! I can't...

-Bodhi, what do you think?

Wag your tail if you think he should sell it to me for 40. Hello, Bodhi!

There, you see, look at that!

-60.

-Go on, let's have that for 60.

Well done, thank you very much, that's good.

-HE LAUGHS EVILLY

-Well, Bodhi's tail fails to nail

the cheaper sale and David pays a little more

than he wanted for the Chinese vanity case.

Across the fair, the Maverick has spotted something

and he's wondering if it could help him soar way ahead.

-It's actually a stunt plane.

-Oh!

-So, there's no remote, unfortunately.

So, it needs a remote in order for it to go up and around.

And they seem to think it was about 40 years old.

-It's attractive...

-It is.

-..it's colourful.

And it's almost got a sort of interior design look about it

as well, actually. If you've got a big loft apartment or something.

-That's right.

-For me, a really safe price...

-Yes.

..I think 50 quid.

Hmm. I think I'd like 70.

HE INTAKES SHARPLY

Shall we agree 60?

Jeff, you are nice.

-OK, I'll shake your hand at 50.

-This is really cheeky of me.

Can you...

-put a reserve on it for me...

-Yes.

-..for about half an hour?

Hmm. Mark's confidence hits turbulence and

he delays the decision.

I've asked him to reserve it.

Oh, but I can't. Reserved it? £50, that's not 50 million, is it?

I'm just going to buy it, you know. I'm just going to fly with it.

Yes, Mark gets a firm grip on the joystick and pulls himself

out of the tailspin and accepts the price of £50.

Sir, you're a gentleman.

MUSIC: "I Believe I Can Fly" by R Kelly

Yes, chocks away and tally ho.

So, our boys have one item each, but no time for relaxation.

Mark's next potential purchase is already afoot.

He's spotted a novelty pincushion.

-Could I possibly have a look at that little clog?

-Yeah.

Oh, it's rather sweet, isn't it?

1914 and a good maker as well, actually, Levi and Salaman.

So, what would be the best price on that, do you think?

I could do it for the round 100.

DOG BARKS

I think the dog was on my side then, you know.

-SHE LAUGHS

-95.

-95.

I do like it, actually. I like it a lot.

Well, that's it. I've pinned my colours to it.

Thank you very much. £95.

I'm keeping the pins for £95!

The pincushion sews up Mark's antiques fair forage.

And David soon makes his second purchase

and it's another item from 19th century China.

He snaps it up for a fiver and, despite the staples holding it

together, he's much more interested in the back than the front.

The character mark on the back is really well painted.

It's painted in red, which is

a bit rarer than the standard cobalt blue

and I can tell you that the majority of Chinese pieces that you'll

find here in the West have no character mark

and it's the Chinese market made pieces,

they're the ones that are making fortunes, potentially, in auctions.

This is the kind of thing that could shock your pants off.

So, let's see.

Blimey! Hold on to your pants, everybody,

we don't need any nasty surprises in that department.

So, they're done with Norfolk. Let's see how much they've spent.

Both our experts started out with £1,000 of their own money.

David has been charmed by the Chinese.

He spent £65, leaving £935 in his kitty.

Mark, however, has spent more than double that - £145.

That gives him £855 for the rest of the Showdown.

And there's no time for a breather. Straight into round two,

the foreign market.

Our prime profiteers convert their remaining pounds into euros

and head to Belgium to the town of Tongeren.

Now, neither of them has ever been here before,

so it's a real voyage of discovery. It's David who pounces first.

It's an artist's easel, but a really posh one, dating...

I would say, from probably the 1920s, 1930s with your carrying handle,

but the label...oh!

"Christopher John, Hawthorn Gallery, Herefordshire." Huh!

-So, it's an English one.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Look at the dovetail.

I mean, this is dovetails that you would find on a really good

piece of furniture, so this thing was made for an artist with a bit

of money, so quite possibly an artist who was making money

in his lifetime, which is really quite rare. What's that?

Is that eight euros 50?

-No.

-No?

-85.

-85!

Would you give me a handshake if I said 65?

-70 and it's as low as possible.

-OK, give me your handshake.

Thank you very much indeed. It's a good buy.

So, David goes all the way to Belgium to buy an English easel,

but he's clearly delighted with it.

Converting the euros back into sterling,

he pays £63.64.

While David's moved away from the Far Eastern finds,

Mark is now the one charmed by the Chinese.

He's found a tea caddy being sold by someone who's a little camera-shy.

This is a lovely looking shape, isn't it?

I mean, it's got very sinuous lines on it.

I love the little lion's paw feet as well.

It should be a tea caddy, I think,

but it's got traces of a line inside, I think you would

have had two compartments for putting your green and black tea in.

It has got a key, which I don't think is the original.

But this is Chinese lacquer. How much is this?

90 is the best price.

90 euros, I mean, if I get on my knees...

-and beg.

-No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I don't think I'm going to get my way, do you?

I'll try and look sad.

Oh, I do like it a lot. Go on.

All right, 90 euros.

Oh, Mark!

He tried all the tricks in the book, but the price didn't change.

After the currency conversion, the Maverick pays £81.82.

Both experts need one more Belgian buy

and David's soon looking at a side table.

OK, so I can tell instantly it's oak, but, um,

it'll be quite light I would imagine. Yeah, it is. So..

OK, so it's very thinly cut oak, isn't it?

The way you can tell it's oak, it's the colour and the grain,

and it's been cut in a very expensive way to get that almost

-fossilisation on the top, hasn't it?

-Yes.

So, it's been cut a quarter across the grain, so it's a very expensive

way of cutting oak, but this is from the period of Art Deco, isn't it?

-Yes, yes.

-And it's a period I've got to tell you I love.

45.

-45..?

-Yes.

-..euros?

-Yes.

OK...

would you take 30?

-35.

-OK, I'll have it. Thank you very much indeed.

-OK.

Well, David obviously reckons he's onto a winner here.

He pays the equivalent of £31.82.

Mark's second Belgian beauty

is an incense burner, but, he spent an awful lot of money on it,

over a quarter of his budget.

So, is he pleased with his enormous spend?

This is a little, late-19th century bronze incense burner

and it's got what we call Champleve enamel.

It's very similar to Cloisonne, the manufacturing is similar,

and it's got this wonderful sort of Arabic type feel to it.

I think it's made for the Persian market,

probably the Turkish market, but it is, in actual fact, French.

It's signed on the bottom F Barbedienne.

They're a French foundry, they were famous right through

the 19th century, but, when you look at the quality,

it's all there, actually.

And that rounds off our time in Tongeren.

As our boys head home, let's look at the figures.

Both our experts started out with £1,000 of their own money.

David Harper is going steady.

He spent just over £160 so far, leaving nearly £840 in his kitty.

But Mark is today's big spender.

Very nearly £500 gone, leaving another £500 in his back pocket.

So, it's straight onto round three, the auction.

Our challengers are back in Blighty entering the saleroom at

Chiswick Auctions. They've already scanned the catalogue, but there's

nothing like a good look at the lots to get the bidding juices flowing.

David has homed in on some striking chairs.

I desperately, with everything I know, want to own these chairs,

so I'm going to attempt to buy them

because they are absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Their design is fantastic,

very well made and they are just screaming sophistication.

It's really not that clear, is it,

but could it be that David quite likes those chairs?

The Maverick, however, is going royal.

I like these. These are a set of cups and saucers,

they're French porcelain, but, you see the initials there,

R H with the little crown above? In the catalogue,

they say they're the initials of Prince Rainier of Monaco.

Of course, his wife, Princess Grace, was a huge American superstar

before she married, quite literally, into European royalty.

It might only be a principality, but everybody loves a royal family, but

I'm sure there must be not only a huge Grace Kelly fan club

out there, but there's also...

one or two queens I know in Brighton who might like it as well.

Yes, the Maverick's a smart buyer,

always thinking about who might give him a profit,

but, as the auction gets under way,

Mark's interest is sparked by an advertising mirror featuring

a different royal figure, King George V.

50, 5,

60, 5,

70 and 5,

80. That is won at 75 and done.

£75.

I paid a little bit more than I wanted to.

The estimate was 80 to £180.

Add in the auction fees and Mark pays £93.

I mean, this is what I've bought - "Colman's by appointment

"to His Majesty the King." Then you've got the royal cipher

and a portrait of King George looking very young.

So, I'm hoping it might make sort of £150 or so

and I'll still come out of it with a bit of a profit.

Well, Mark's soon back in position as

the Prince Rainier cups and saucers are up next.

Starting at £50. I'll take 55 in the room, at £50.

55 is bid. 60.

65. 70. 75.

£75 there, at 75.

HE MUTTERS TO HIMSELF

I've got them, I've got them.

Oh, a big relief for Mark there.

Including the fees, the regal tea set costs £93.

So, Mark has, so far, reigned supreme at the auction,

but David is just biding his time

until his beloved red leather chairs come up

and, when the moment eventually comes,

Mark's by his side to offer words of encouragement.

I think they look like cheap hairdresser's chairs.

Do you?

290. All done? 300 there.

310. 320.

330. 340. 350.

360.

370. 380...

Hmm. David's straight into a pricey bidding battle.

410. 420.

430? At 420, I bid over there to that gentleman. 430?

At 420, I think it's worth more than 420.

-430, 440...

-Oh, yes!

450. 460.

-450 I'm bid there.

-460.

-460.

470?

-460.

-That's very good of you, thank you very much. 460.

I'm absolutely delighted, I think, though. Just delicious.

Ooh, he enjoyed himself there!

Once the commission is added in, David pays a whopping...

..well over half his budget.

Let's hope no-one else thinks

they look like they belong at the hairdressers!

"Devilish" David goes on to make a snap purchase, a Victorian style

mahogany dining table and chairs that he hadn't even seen.

He pays £124 with fees, so, what does he reckon to his blind buy?

Instantly, you know that its design was first penned in about 1850,

1860, so mid-Victorian. Solid mahogany.

Lovely turned and fluted leg on big solid brass casters.

Sadly, for us, this thing is about as authentic as these plastic

grapes, cos this is a reproduction made yesterday,

but it doesn't matter because it's an absolute stonking bargain.

£100 plus commission, about 125.

There is profit to be had in this baby.

And, with that, the gavel comes down on our trip to Chiswick.

So, after three rounds, let's check out the total spending.

Both our experts kicked off the Showdown

with £1,000 of their own money.

David forked out a huge amount at the auction

and has now spent nearly £855.

He takes just over £145 through to round four.

Mark has spent almost £686 on his six purchases,

leaving £314 odd in his kitty.

So, we've made it through to the fourth and final round,

the car boot sale at Ford Airfield in West Sussex.

There's so much to look at,

this place requires the eyes of a hawk and super-quick feet to

pinpoint the profit makers, and our Maverick's not mucking about.

He makes straight for a pair of marble-top tables.

These are quite nice. These are a pair of French-style...

hall tables, or...

plant stands, I suppose. They've got sort of rouge marble tops...

and they're very much in an 18th century style,

but I don't think they're anywhere near the 18th century.

They're probably...

..sort of early to mid-20th century, really.

You couldn't take 200 for me, could you?

-You're right. I couldn't.

-Oh!

I could do 220 though.

For £220 for a pair, there must be a profit in that.

At £220, Mark does the deal and he's barely put his wallet

away before he stumbles on something else.

This is a very pretty little box.

It looks 18th century, it's got this sort of rounded,

rectangular form, hand-painted with the flowers. Very French-looking.

But it's a very decorative little box. Boxes are very collectible.

Mark buys the box for £40 and, quick as a flash,

he's got his two car boot items.

So, David has got some work to do and,

if you thought he'd moved off the Chinese stuff, think again.

That is probably an early 18th century style charger.

It's certainly Chinese.

You've got the cobalt blue and it's featuring the ever-present dragon.

Now, let's look at the back and let's see what it says.

OK, well, I can tell you. Double ring implying an imperial piece...

Have you noticed that the Chinese characters are not

absolutely dead centre?

That's a giveaway. That text should be absolutely centralised.

Despite that, David is still happy to pay £35 and,

before he leaves the stall, something else catches his eye.

It's a pot lid and I think it's absolutely gorgeous,

dating to about 1840, 1860, there's a royal coat of arms on there.

These pot lids are amazingly popular.

How much is the anchovy paste pot lid?

-Ten.

-Ten!

-Ten.

-Oh, he wants to be a fiver.

-He wants to come home for a fiver.

-You want it to be a fiver!

-I want it to be a fiver.

-Oh, go on.

-Do you want it to be a fiver?

-Oh, go on, then.

-Go on, then. I'll give you a fiver.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-You're welcome.

-Fantastic!

And that puts a lid on our heroes' haggle-a-thon.

They've bought like billyo and they've hardly taken a breath,

so, let's see how the final figures stack up.

Both our boys came to the Showdown with £1,000 of their own money.

David spent big on his eight items. The total cost was £894.86.

Mark spent even more!

£945.55!

But, before the supreme selling starts,

our bargain busters deliberate over their Showdown spends.

-How you feeling?

-Good! It's the end of the Showdown!

-I know.

-It's almost sad, but not!

-No, I'm not sad at all. I'm relieved.

Remind me, what's your favourite pieces?

Oh, I think it's the Chinese fest.

You know, I've gone along, again, the Chinese avenue, which I always do.

-Yes.

-But there's other things on the periphery as well...

-Is there?

..some interesting objects, yes.

-Well, I am pleased with my little enamel box...

-Oh, nice.

..and my little pincushion in the form of a clog in silver.

-Oh, very pretty.

-That's rather nice.

I think it's going to be some fun and games ahead.

It's going to be fun and games. The auction's always exciting. It can be

devastatingly disappointing, but it's always exciting.

-So, shall I see you there?

-David, it's a date.

Well, there's a long way to go before that date.

Our titans of the trade have lots of decisions to make first.

They must choose which items to sell privately

and then use their little black books of buyers to

hunt down the very best deals and now, more than ever,

they need to build up a bumper buffer of profit.

Absolutely anything can happen at the Showdown auction and,

if it all goes wrong, they'll need a nest egg to dip into.

Remember, until they've shaken on it,

and the money's changed hands, no deal is ever sealed.

Back at his base in Barnard Castle, David assesses his stock

and you won't be surprised by his favourite purchase.

The delicious chairs designed by Eileen Gray. These two...

at the money I paid, are a stonking bargain.

A fantastic Art Deco table here from Belgium, screaming continental.

Uh, the pot lid, well...

it's a bit of fun and there are pot lid collectors out there.

I handled a pot lid recently that made £3,000

because it was incredibly rare.

This one...

I paid a fiver. It's probably worth a fiver, so there

might be a pound or two profit in it. Not much fun there.

The fantastic Rolls-Royce quality artist's easel,

I had some fun trying to put it together to get the thing working.

I've attempted it on several occasions, several of my friends,

family and, now-no-longer-friends, have tried to put it together.

So far, no-one has succeeded.

So, David's already decided that all his other items will be

sold at auction.

That's his 19th century Chinese vanity case, the damaged

19th century plate, the reproduction dining table and chairs,

and the Chinese charger.

Mark has returned to Brighton, so what does he make of his haul?

"What a fine assortment," you're saying to yourself.

I wish I was! Well, actually, I'm quite pleased with some of them.

I'm really pleased with this little porcelain trinket box.

It's French, very much in an 18th century manner,

but it's probably late-19th century.

I love it, because it's a very good lot for an auction.

The Chinese tea caddy also, I really like.

It's not complete inside, but it's got a good interior design look

as well as a collectible antique, mid-19th century.

The tables...well, I don't normally buy furniture,

as you know, but I like them because they were a pair.

They've got a French style. What I've got to try and find

is a good buyer, of course.

Now, the cups and saucers, apparently gifted to

Princess Grace on her engagement, so a real royal connection there.

The Barbedienne Turkish style incense burner, that's a tricky one.

I paid an awful lot of money for that.

If I can't find good profits on these, I'm going

to jump in my plane...

and fly somewhere warm.

So, out of that little lot, Mark is planning to send the trinket box and

tea caddy to auction along with his 1914 silver pincushion

and his early-20th century mustard mirror.

So, as Mark continues to find buyers for his other four items,

"Devilish" David puts himself in the hot seat first.

His red leather chairs set him back a whacking £570,

so, will private buyer Kelly like them enough to give David a profit.

-I knew of Eileen Grey, the designer.

-Yeah, exactly, yeah.

-She designed these chairs, this very shape, in about 1920.

-Yeah?

-It's unbelievable. So modern for the time.

-For the time, yeah.

-Shocking.

It was before it's time, really, when you think about it,

-looking at it, like.

-Totally.

Well, you're obviously a man that appreciates quality, Kelly.

-I do, yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Do you pay for it? That's the question.

Yeah, I can pay for it. It just depends on what you want.

So, um, I think I bought them right. Um...

I need to make a margin of a profit...

..a thousand quid for the pair.

-Yeah.

-I'm thinking.

-Would you take 900 for them?

-I think you know what

we're going to have to do to compromise.

Gentleman's agreement, we just bust it in the middle.

Absolutely bang on. 950. Thank you, Kelly.

Well, that's a massive mark up.

The chairs bring in a luxurious profit of...

So, "Devilish" David has hit some dizzy heights already.

Can the Maverick match the momentum with his Princess Grace porcelain?

Do you know where I am? Of course, Brighton Pier.

And I'm here to meet Jason for a very special ride

and sell my cups and I'm hoping to spin quite a profit.

Mark is appropriately meeting Jason by the tea cup ride.

The porcelain tea set owes him £93.

-Hiya.

-Hello, darling. How are you?

-I'm all right, how are you?

-We're at the pier, Brighton.

-Yeah, a lovely day.

-Look...

-Take the cup.

-Mark, you've not even dusted it, dear!

Well, then that's authentic. These were gifted to Princess Grace...

-Grace Kelly?

-..on her... Yes, of Monaco, on her engagement.

-So, how many are there?

-There are five cups and saucers.

-So, I was rather hoping for a nice round figure.

-Oh! 20 quid each.

£200 for the five, you see.

HE INTAKES SHARPLY

-That's an awful lot of money, Mark.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

What about...

-125.

-Oh, that's a little bit mean, Jason.

-Is it?

-Yes.

-Really?

175.

-But, I'm edging!

-You're edging? Yeah, but not enough. Why don't we

-meet in the middle then.

-160.

-That's not in the middle!

-Uh, 150.

-150.

155.

Would you be happy with that?

52.50!

152.50!

-Oh, I'm not going to argue with you...

-All right.

Lovely. Done.

Princess Grace does Mark proud.

He profits to the tune of...

..and then he and Jason celebrate with a good ride on the tea cups.

How lovely!

Mark also makes a very good profit with his bronze incense burner.

He sells it for £350 to a man in Colchester

and ends up with a profit of...

So, Mark's moving along quite merrily,

but, in Camp Harper, things have taken a terrible turn for the worse.

David was about to meet a potential buyer for his easel,

and he became the victim of crime.

Fill us in, David.

I've got some horrible, horrible news.

My lovely painter's easel, the thing that I couldn't work out,

I had it in the back of my car.

I went to visit a gallery, I put it

next to the railings just for 30 seconds, getting other things

and out of my car, and I turned round and it had gone.

It's been stolen.

So, I've put in the call to the Put Your Money games-masters to find

out what I do, I've called the police, I'll make a report,

and I am genuinely, absolutely, just...

well...gutted.

Poor, poor David. He loved that easel as well!

Now, no-one saw who took the easel and the police have no leads

so, in the interests of having a fair competition,

the Put Your Money games-masters have decided to refund

David for the amount he paid for the item, but,

while he doesn't suffer a personal loss,

he can't make a profit either, and that's one devil of a set back.

But, David's not one to let things get him down. Oh, no!

He picks himself up

and sells the pot lid for £10, doubling his money,

so that's a profit of £5.

Unaware of all this, Mark continues along his merry way.

He's at a hotel in Eastbourne hoping to sell his marble-top tables,

which he's already had delivered.

He meets the owner, Neil, in one of the rooms,

but will he give the Maverick a profit on the £220 he paid out?

-Neil, what are you up to?

-How lovely to see you again.

It's lovely to see you. But I thought they were interesting,

cos they're French style.

I mean, they're probably sort of 60, 70 years old.

So, this is a Victorian four-poster I bought a couple of years ago

and they really go quite well with this scheme. What do you think?

Well, I'll tell you what I'm amazed with, actually,

is the colour you've chosen here, which I didn't know,

-picks out the red and the gold in this, doesn't it?

-Yeah, absolutely.

And I just thought they had a really good look and pairs are good.

I was rather hoping for, you know...

the £300 mark.

And Neil likes them so much,

that's what he agrees. The tables serve up a profit of £80.

So, each of our boys has just one item left to sell privately.

David gets in there first.

He takes his Art Deco table to show Trudy,

who lives just outside Barnard Castle,

but she has no idea what he's bringing her.

-I want you to sit down first, close your eyes.

-I'll sit down.

-I promise you...

-Close your eyes,

and get prepared, Trudy. OK, open your eyes.

Ooh...

-That is very, very pretty.

-Hmm.

-Mmm.

-I like it a lot.

-Art Deco.

-Yeah.

-1930s.

-Right, OK.

-Very continental in its Art Deco style.

-Yeah.

I think it's very plain, very simple, very classy...

and I think it looks really nice in here.

She might like it, but Trudy drives a hard bargain. After a long,

drawn out haggle, she pays £40 giving David a profit of just...

So, the last thing to sell is Mark's plane.

But, as if this challenge didn't have enough twists

and turns already, the Maverick has had a sudden change of heart.

You remember that model plane I bought that I was so happy with?

Well, I can tell you, I've tried everywhere.

I've tried model plane clubs, flying clubs,

pubs with the name plane in it, aerodromes, everywhere,

and, although I got close, there's still no first class ticket.

So, the only option I have is to put it onto the auction.

I can just hope it takes off and flies.

So, that puts Mark in a very risky situation.

Another item to sell at the unpredictable Showdown auction.

More on that in just a minute.

First, let's tot up the figures so far.

Leaving David's stolen easel aside, he's struck three deals

and made a profit of, very nearly...

Mark has also sold three times, but profited less at this stage,

making almost...

And that's where they lose all control over their fate.

Everything else will be sold at the mighty Showdown auction. Oh, yes!

They're in the hands of the auctioneers

and bidders at the Diss Auction Rooms in Norfolk.

And, just like everyone else selling here,

Mark and David will pay all the salerooms' usual fees.

They could win big or they could lose everything.

So, are they feeling the pressure?

-Good morning, Mr Harper.

-Good morning, Mr Stacey. How are you?

-Auction day...

-Excited?

-We are in Diss.

-I know.

-Have you been to Diss before?

-Never been in my life.

-Well, I promise one thing.

-What's that?

-I won't diss your items.

-You've been thinking about that for weeks, haven't you?

-Yes.

I can't remember what items you bought.

-No, I couldn't sell that plane.

-Oh, the plane's in?

Yeah, I tried everywhere.

I'm sure it's going to do a nosedive,

-but I'm hoping it's going to fly high.

-Oh, these puns!

Mark, I'm going to miss your puns so badly.

Now, Mark just said he wouldn't diss any of David's items.

Well, we'll see how long that lasts, because, before the bidding

begins, our experts have one last chance to size up each other's lots.

It's about 100 years old or so,

but it's a bit old-fashioned as far as I'm concerned, uh,

and I think he paid a lot of money on it, £90 odd -

I would never in a million years pay £90 odd for that.

I don't know what David was thinking of paying £5 for this plate.

I mean, look at it.

It's all broken and it's part of a set

and I don't think it's even that old,

but he might have been clever, you know,

because a lot of the bidders here won't have viewed this and if they

see it going cheap, they might think it's perfect and bid a lot more.

Edwardian, beautifully hallmarked, these things are incredibly popular.

I love it.

He paid £95 for it and it's worth that all day long,

but the auction estimate is only 25 to 40, so tricky.

Looks like he's in for a big fall.

However, that thing should make the money all day long.

This, of course, has got no great age at all to it, it's quite modern.

It's a big decorative lump though and the colours - yellow and blue

and white are very popular. He paid £35 for it.

I think that's all its money, myself.

Mark paid, I think, 50 quid for it.

I, personally, would pay £200 for it all day long,

so I think it is absolutely for nothing.

It's a vanity box. It does need a little bit of work, but

that can be a good thing at auction,

because it looks private, so the buyers will think this has come

from a deceased estate and that'll create a bit of extra excitement.

Chinese lacquered tea caddy on dragon paw feet - it's Mark's, it's

not mine and I'm so disappointed, it's illustrated in the catalogue.

The only good thing for me is that it's missing its original

canisters, which will devalue it dramatically.

However, sadly, it's gorgeous and he might well be in for a profit.

Well, let's see shall we,

because the tea caddy's the first of our lots to come up.

It owes Mark nearly £82.

48. Gallery. 50, 5, 60, 5...

Oh!

-Gallery now at 65...

-No.

-A corner bid at 65, where's 70?

£65 isn't a lot. 65...

-Sounds terribly cheap to me, David, don't you think?

-Are you all done?

Hmm! That's not the start he was hoping for.

After auction costs, Mark makes a loss of £28.98.

-That's unlucky. Genuinely unlucky.

-I think it should have made more.

And that puts both our boys on edge.

David's damaged 19th century Chinese plate is up next

and he's feeling tense.

I feel nervous and I only paid a fiver.

-Chinese plate, 20 to start.

-It can't be.

-Go on!

-10 to start if you must.

-Oh, no, Mark!

If you get 10, you've doubled your money.

-15, 18...

-Go!

-20, 2, 22...

-Yes.

-25.

-They've got taste and style.

-I've lost you at 25. Where's the 8?

-At 25, surely worth more...

-Come on.

-..at 25 it will sell.

-Yes!

-They haven't seen it.

-Yes!

Hmm! Mark's not convinced, but,

after fees, David makes a profit of...

The attention turns back to Mark for his mirror.

This may be in the county where that particular mustard brand is made,

but will that help? Mark paid £93.

They've estimated it at £30 to £40.

-Well, you're in the right place.

-You would think so, wouldn't you?

-30. 20 I'll take.

-(Gosh!)

-20 to the lady...

-Oh, you're in, you're in.

£20, it's bid at 20, I'll take the two.

-At 22...

-Oh, David, this is silly, surely...

-Come on, you're all right.

-30, 2...

-You're away, you're away.

-38, and 40.

-At £40, it will sell.

-There we are. You see, David?

-Another flawed strategy.

-Don't worry. All experience, Mark.

Good and bad. Bad and good.

David's not helping Mark's mood, is he?

Take out the fees and the mirror makes a massive loss.

So, morale is low in Camp Stacey.

Will his £50 plane take off? It's up next.

-45 is now...

-Here we are, you see?

48, seated, and 50 gone, 55, and 60.

-Oh, well, it's a profit.

-65 and 70. 70's now standing at 70.

It's still for nothing.

Come on at £70, at £70 it's still good value.

-At £70, any advance on this one?

-Here we are, do you see?

-I should be absolutely thrilled.

-You should be.

-Which, of course, I am.

Well, he should be thrilled.

The plane lands with a much-needed profit,

but, after fees, it's only £7.10.

David's reproduction table and chairs are next.

Both our experts think they should do well. Mr Harper played £125.

-I start at £140.

-BOTH: Ooh!

-£140 I have.

-Come on.

At 140, for table and chairs, that's very good value. Where are you? 150.

-Yes.

-150 I have. 160.

-Go on!

-170.

-Good.

-180.

In for 90 at £190, doesn't seem a lot. 190, new bidder.

-200 to round it up. 210.

-Yes!

-220.

-Yes!

With me at 220, the whole lot at 220?

-Excellent.

-A chunky profit for the dining set.

£60.60 once fees are taken.

Things don't go quite so well

with his Chinese gentleman's vanity case.

The hammer price is exactly what he paid himself.

I thought it might make a bit more.

Ooh!

So, once fees are subtracted, David makes a loss of £11.40.

Will he have any more luck with his Chinese charger?

David paid £35 and has high hopes.

If it runs away, it could seal the Maverick's fate.

-Start me at 50.

-No bids on it.

-Thank you, sir.

-Oh.

-You've got 50.

-50 in the gallery there.

-55 downstairs. 60, 5, 70, 5...

-Oh, my God!

-80, 5, 90...

-5.

-It's brand-new!

-Unbelievable.

-And 10. 120.

-Unbelievable.

-It's brand-new.

-It's the market!

£120 on a brand-new plate.

After costs, David's take-home profit is £64.60.

The market are private buyers.

They want that fresh, clean, immaculate condition object

they can just go and put in their room today and it'll look fantastic.

Great.

-Happy?

-Yeah, delighted.

-Good.

Hmm. Mark Stacey there overjoyed for his opponent.

So, David's items have all sold,

which means the Maverick's last two lots must make good.

The first to come up is his £40 trinket box.

32. 35. 38. 40. 42. 45.

-45 is bid...

-Oh!

-Oh!

-48, new bid or I'm out. 48 in the room.

-Oh, gosh, come on!

-That gets you about your money back.

-In the gallery. Are you 5, sir?

-It's 50 in the gallery.

-£50, so, I've got a little bit of profit.

And it really is a little, as in tiny!

Deduct the fees and Mark's trinket box makes 10p. That's right, 10p.

It's getting better, isn't it? It's getting better?

-It's getting better!

-Well, it's getting better, yes.

Positive thinking helps!

-A profit is a profit.

-Better than a loss, I suppose.

So, it all comes down to Mark's clog-shaped pincushion.

He paid £95, so, will the bidders in Diss pay

hundreds and hundreds of pounds?

-80, 5, 90, 5, 100...

-Wow.

-110...

-Oh!

-That's just got out of it.

-The sale away for £110...

-Well done.

Um, no, he hasn't. The mental arithmetic lets him down.

Yes, it's another loss. £3.90 down after fees.

So, all in all, that was a pretty bruising encounter with

the folk of the fair county of Norfolk, but, that's it.

Everything's gone. In a moment, we'll reveal the magnitude

of today's money mountains, but, first, let's look back

at how much lolly our lads laid out.

Both our boys started out with £1,000 of their own money.

"Devilish" David spent a fair whack of that - £894.86.

But, Mark, the Maverick, spent even more...

Every penny of profit that David and Mark have made from today's

challenge will go straight to the charities of their choice.

So, let's find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Showdown champion.

-David Harper.

-DAVID LAUGHS

Well, I loved... Mark, I think as we both did.

I think we loved the auction.

It was just, you know, a great day out, really good results,

it was just a win-win-win all round.

-David, where we at the same auction today?

-Probably not.

-No, I don't think we were, were we?

-No, you didn't have a great time.

No, no, but I'm glad you include me in your celebratory,

enthusiastic approach as usual.

-Shall we get this over with?

-Oh, dear.

BOTH: Three, two, one.

-Oh, oh!

-Oh, David, £520.42 compared to my less amount.

-Yes.

-Well done.

Well, thank you.

So, David takes the Showdown hands down, but our experts

have been building up their profit pots over a week of challenges.

They've struck 135 deals in total, so let's reveal the overall winner.

Three, two, one.

Oh! Oh, oh!

-Oh, £2,000, David.

-And a pound.

-You must be really pleased, David.

Ha, ha! I don't think I'll be seeing you again, will I?

-You certainly won't.

-Ah, Mark Stacey, gracious in defeat.

Between them, they've made almost £2,500

and every last penny will go to their chosen charities.

All of my profits are going to Cash 4 Kids.

They do exactly what you think they do,

they raise much needed funds for children all over the country.

I'll delighted to be able to give over £400 to Ty Hafan,

a hospice in South Wales that do such sterling work looking

after people who are terminally ill.

It's been a week of no-holds-barred combat.

Our excellent experts have really put their money where

their mouths are and showed they can make

a convincing profit from buying and selling antiques

when their own money is on the line.