Mark Franks v Philip Serrell - Foreign Antiques Market 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 insiders' view of the trade.

GAVEL FALLS

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 rocking!

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!

Today, dealing dynamo and all-round good bloke, Mark Franks,

and auctioneering antiques oracle, Phil Serrell,

battle it out in a Belgian buy-off.

Coming up...

Mark struggles to get a discount.

He thinks I've won the football pools, or the Lottery.

I am not a millionaire.

Phil swaps haggling for hustling.

Look at that!

I've just won.

And Mark shows us how to date an item.

-The bar code was introduced in 1972.

-Right.

And there's no bar code on this.

-That makes me think that it's pre-1972.

-Yeah.

Let's hit the road,

this is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

So here we go.

Let's get ready for a rip-roaring roller coaster ride of a show,

as our two plucky dealers

embark on an antiques voyage of discovery.

They're on the hunt for the very best bargains at super low prices.

The only tools at their disposal

are their wits, charm and knockout knowledge

and, no doubt, there'll be a hefty dose

of good old British banter, as well, especially from our first contender.

See you later.

He's an irrepressible cheeky chappie,

a real bundle of energy.

His wheeler dealing is out of this world

and he can turn a powerful profit from a pile of old wood.

From south London, it's Mark "Franksy" Franks.

Can you deliver them to England for me?

-No.

-No.

His rival is a selling sensation,

a man who's lived and breathed antiques for over three decades.

His expertise knows no bounds.

Flying in from Worcestershire, it's the scarved supremo,

it's Phil "The Fox" Serrell.

-I'm 40 year doing this.

-So you're getting the hang of it now?

Today our bargain busters are on the Continent,

chomping at the bit at the Sint-Truiden antiques market in Belgium.

This place has a lot to offer.

Plenty of outdoor stores and an enormous hangar,

packed with all kinds of collectables.

Our intrepid explorers each have brought £750 worth

of their own euros to spend and they have one sole objective,

to bring back riches beyond their wildest dreams.

Any profit they make will go to their chosen charities.

So let's do it !

Mark Franks and Philip Serrell,

it's time to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

-Matey, how are you?

-Hey.

-Good to see you.

Isn't it fantastic, eh? The sun is just rising in the distance there.

-Oh, I'm looking forward to this. I don't get out much.

-No, I can tell!

What are you going to buy?

No, think about it. No, no, go on.

More importantly, what are you going to buy? What are you going to buy?

-What you're not! Come on, get out of it.

-Oh, I like that.

Now don't be fooled by their early morning boyish banter.

This is a fearsome fight to the death.

And Franksy can't hide his competitive nature.

Now, Mr Serrell, you look a little bit worried.

We're not at some posh auction in Malvern, we are here in Belgium.

This is fantastic. This is the place to be.

I'm going to get around this fair as quick as you like.

I want to be done by lunchtime.

So Mark nips off and it seems that speed is the order of the day.

I do know that they set out here quick and they leave here quick.

I have got to go and shop till I drop, very, very quickly.

Excuse me, cheerio.

Yes, it sounds like Phil has been boning up on the market.

They're off and very quickly Mark falls hook, line and sinker

for a bric-a-brac bargain.

Two euro.

-Can I look?

-Yeah.

Four coat hooks, two euros.

A piece of timber, stick 'em on, suddenly you've got a saleable item.

-Best price?

-You say.

I don't know, really, I can't even bid you really from two, can I?

-One?

-Yeah, OK.

-Fantastic.

Thank you very much.

First blood, four coat hooks, one euro,

this will be the best profit of today, mark my words.

Well, that sounds like a steal, convert that single euro

back into sterling and Mark's hooks cost him 91p.

While Franksy started off outside, Phil's ventured out of the sun and

the first thing that catches his eye is an early 20th century book press.

Can I just look at the bottom of it? OK, that's fine.

That bit of wood is probably later, isn't it?

It might do better on a better piece of wood, mightn't it?

It's the sort of thing you'd sell to a bibliophile,

or someone who collects books. It's also quite a decorative lot.

What's your best price on it?

Best price 90 euros.

I was going to offer you 80 euros.

I paid 80. I can give it to you for 90.

OK, I'll have that off you.

I actually... Sadly, I quite like that.

Two, four...

The book press costs considerably more than Franksy's hooks.

Phil pays the equivalent of £81.82.

I'm really pleased with that. It's a great looking thing,

perhaps 1920s, a book press and this is going to sound bonkers,

but I actually think it looks really attractive.

It's almost got an architectural sculptural form.

Who knows, I don't know who I'm going to sell it to

but, if I like it, I'm just hoping that someone else will.

Each of our boys has bagged one item.

Mark is using his fast and furious footwork to race around the market.

But he needs to stay focused if he wants to beat The Fox.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the craziest of them all?

Is it me, or is it Philip Serrell?

Well, all the evidence is pointing in your direction, Franksy.

While Mark messes about with mirrors,

Phil is getting on with the job in hand.

How much is the bust, please?

-350.

-350.

-It's quite nice. What's your very best?

-300.

OK, thank you.

For me, it's just too much money.

With the greatest of respect to him,

it looks a little bit like the Duke of Edinburgh

and I'm not sure how marketable that's going to be at that money.

Erm, if it was 200 euros, I could get closer to it.

Phil's a pro, always thinking about who he might sell to.

Franksy, however, is playing a whole different game.

Phil. Phil!

Phil.

He was supposed to be finished by lunchtime.

If he goes on like this, he'll still be here when the sun goes down.

Maybe it's just the extreme heat that's getting to him.

Phil has stayed at the stall with the bust

and bought something completely different.

He pays 100 euros for an Art Deco clock and garniture.

That works out at £90.91.

There are Art Deco clocks and there are Art Deco clocks.

I'm really pleased with this one.

It's so much lighter than the norm with that dark marble.

This sandy coloured marble, I think, is absolutely lovely.

It's got a French movement in there

and the clock strikes on the hour, that's an added bonus.

What a good-looking thing and I am really, really pleased with this.

Mm, he's full of beans.

All of Franksy's little games could be about to finally bear fruit.

He's spotted a tricycle.

Will it be the perfect vehicle for his inner child?

That's fun, look at that.

-How much?

-100.

100, my God.

Expensive, isn't it?

Nice, nice.

Kit form? Love it!

Can you do the price a bit lower? It's expensive, lots of money.

I'm very poor. Come on, good price.

80... What does that work out?

70 quid.

It's great fun.

No, I can't.

-Do I look like I do exercise?

-Go on!

There he goes, look at that.

Oh, yeah, I'm loving that.

Chase me, chase me, I love it.

-It's good, eh?

-It's good.

-60.

-Yes.

Yes! Good man! We have a deal.

Mm, that's a 40% reduction. Nice work, Mr Franks.

The currency exchange makes that £54.55.

Now while Mark turns back into being a big kid, riding around all over the place...

Whey-hey! Wo-ho!

..Phil is playing games of his own.

-How much is it, please?

-150. 140.

Keep going.

You said 150, 140, keep going.

It's a good price.

You've just lost!

It's mine for nothing!

-Oh, no, 130 is OK.

-It's not OK.

It's OK for you!

Hold on.

Now you go.

It has to be under 100 euros.

Look...

It's been sawn off!

But all these games aren't for nothing, Phil is interested in

the bar billiards table, even though it's been knocked about a bit.

What's your very best on that?

120. That's a good price.

-I'll come and see you later on.

-OK.

-I'll come and see you later on.

-What's your very best?

-100.

-100?

-It's very good.

I'll come and see you later.

And while Phil goes off for a wander and a ponder,

Franksy is still outside and he's spotted

another bit of treasure to possibly add to his haul.

-How much is this?

-40.

Wow! Is it all broken?

Damaged, is it wibbly-wobbly? Wibbly-wobbly.

Dernier prix?

30. The last price.

-Last price?

-Yes.

A deal.

-Yes?

-Deal.

Mm, the gentleman looked a bit suspicious of Mark there

but our main man isn't finished yet.

-Good price on this?

-For...?

-No, just this one.

-25.

This and this?

50.

-Yeah.

-Papa's smiling.

If Papa's smiling, I'm smiling.

# Cos when you're smiling

# The whole world smiles with you... #

Well, everyone's happy there.

Franksy gets a double purchase, the mid-20th century chandelier

for 30 euros and the jam pan from the early 1900s for 20 euros.

Convert all that back into pounds

and it's a combined price of £45.45.

So after a little messing around, Mark is now on track

but what's that flurry of activity done to the sums?

Both our boys arrived in Belgium with £750 worth of their own

euros to spend.

Mark "Franksy" Franks has already bought four items,

spending just £100.91.

He's got a chunky £649.09 left in his kitty.

Phil "The Fox" Serrell has struggled to buy.

He's made just two purchases but has spent a lot more, £172.73,

meaning he's got £577.27 left to play with.

So our hardened hagglers both have masses of cash burning

holes in their deep pockets but it's Phil who needs to pick up his game

and get more items under his belt.

Having already walked away from two deals,

he's not having much luck

so he decides to go back to the beginning and the stall where

he bought his book press and he enquires about a bronze plaque.

-How much is it, sir?

-This one is 100 euros.

-100 euros?

-Yes.

May I get something off your stand that I saw earlier?

I might like to buy both items from you.

Oh, here we go. Phil picks up a bronze lady's head

to add to the deal.

-They could be very similar in age, couldn't they?

-Yeah.

Have you looked this man up?

-No, I have not time to see what it is.

-OK.

What is your best price on this?

100 euro and I can give you this as a present.

OK, so if I put that in at 80 euros

and that in at 20 euros, that would be a fair deal, would it?

OK, I'm going to buy those off you, my friend.

Ah, one of the oldest tricks in the book,

buy two things together to reduce the price.

That total spend of 100 euros works out at £90.91.

I was really pleased to buy these. This was my double whammy lot.

I think this is really cool, bronze plaque of a girl playing a lyre.

It's signed down here by, I think, Josee Denis.

If I can find auction records where he might make £100, £200, £300,

that's really going to help me sell it.

This is really sweet. Look at that.

I think it's a bronze bust of a girl - really, really stylish,

on a marble base. 20 euros! It's for nothing.

I'm really chuffed with that.

The Fox is genuinely pleased with everything he's bought so far

and clearly thinks he'll be making premium profits

when he sells back in Britain

and that double deal suddenly means he's level pegging with Mark,

who can't keep away from the children's playthings.

He's spotted a game of targets.

Now this is interesting.

This is a toy.

It's like tin plate, so it's thin tin.

I'll show you what I'm going to have a quick look at, is the box.

I'll tell you what I'm looking for, I'm looking for a bar code.

There's no bar code on this, which makes me think it's from the '60s.

I love the images on the front, look.

Why am I interested?

I'm not really keen on guns, my children were never allowed guns

but what I'm interested in is,

its original box and original packaging.

This, to a toy collector, will have a value.

If it didn't have the box, it wouldn't be worth a fiver.

What's your best price, please, your lowest price?

Best price is 20.

Yeah, OK. Good, yes. Deal.

Well, that was child's play.

The price is aimed just right, no need for a haggle.

Mark snaps up the target game for £18.18.

There's still a lot of money floating around this challenge

but both our boys are reluctant to spend too much.

200 at a push.

350, too much.

Phil's still paddling around inside but not finding much.

Maybe it's time for a change of scene.

I'm really pleased with what I've bought so far

but boy is it ever hot in here.

I still haven't looked outside yet so now is the time to get out there.

Mr Franks, sir. I'm just going out, are you just coming in?

I've been out there, it is seriously hot out there, mate.

It's seriously close in here. Where's the best place for me to go?

Start in the far corner, there's a stall with some good stuff on it.

It goes downhill from there. What about in here?

There's a guy down there got a bar billiards table

which I really looked at and I was interested in it but, for me, it was too much work.

Is there going to be more profit if I do some work?

-Go and have a look.

-I'm the man.

-See you in a bit.

-See you later.

So Phil gets himself outside to scour a whole array of new

stalls but, all of a sudden, the heavens open

and everyone's diving for cover.

It's wet.

One-minute our pair of prize fighters are moaning about the heat,

the next minute there's torrential rain.

# Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade... #

Well that really is torrential.

That's going to put a dampener on Phil's change of tack.

As some stallholders struggle to protect their wares, others give up

completely and decide to pack up and go.

Philip Serrell might be quite a lot older than me but is he wiser?

I've done the outside of the market,

I'm now in. I'm bone dry.

Mr Serrell, I hope you can swim!

Don't you worry about Foxy,

he darted back inside the moment the rain started

and since then he's come across another customer who recognises him.

Oh, yes, Phil Serrell big in Belgium. Who would have thought it?

But this man wants to show Foxy something he's bought.

-Is this something you want to sell?

-I want to sell this.

-You want to sell it?

-For a change, I want to sell something to you.

Oh, it's an umbrella, that's very, very apt, isn't it?

I'll let you pull that out.

So that then screws into there.

I can do a Gene Kelly here, can't I?

MUSIC: Introduction to Singing in the Rain.

Can I be really rude, how much did this cost you?

-One euro.

-This cost you one euro?

-How much do you want for it?

-I want 15 euros.

What about 10 euros, I'll give you 10 euros.

That's er...

-My maths isn't very good, that's a lot of profit.

-OK.

Is that all right? You're a gentleman.

Well, there's a turn up, Phil could do with a few more Belgian fans.

He pays the gentleman the equivalent of £9.09.

There's a bit of a slight worry in that you're not sure how old it is.

It looks to me like it may well have been reproed.

I don't really mind that because for 10 euros, it's no money at all.

If it is old, it's going to be no older than perhaps 1920s.

I bought it off Jean-Pierre.

He paid one euro for it

and I reckon there's a little bit of a profit in that.

I wish I had seen it before Jean-Pierre did.

So our boys have five items each but neither of them have spent

anywhere close to their budgets and time is starting to run out.

A whole load of traders disappeared with the sun

and it won't be long before the rest have packed up as well.

What a crazy day, this morning the sun was shining, there was

hundreds of stalls outside.

The rain came down and everyone starts packing up.

I've got money to spend,

I'm struggling to find anything worth buying.

There's still lots of stuff here but most of it is a bit low-grade for me.

I'll carry on looking. We've got to start crossing our fingers now.

So Mark heads off to hunt down some high-grade haggling

and Phil continues at his usual pace.

But it's Franksy who's on sparkling form.

He's spotted more chandeliers.

Now Joseph is asking 200 euros for two chandeliers.

He thinks that I've won the football pools, or the Lottery,

and I'm a millionaire. I am not a millionaire.

150 euros.

-150 euros.

-150.

That's quite a lot of money but it's two chandeliers.

-It's complete.

-Complete.

He's got a lovely smile, look at him smile, look.

-Lovely smile. OK.

-OK.

-150, we have a deal.

-OK.

Well, maybe it was the smile that did it but in one fell swoop

Mark pays more for those chandeliers than all his other items combined.

Convert the cost back into sterling,

it's £136.36.

Let's hope that's high-grade enough for him.

-Can you deliver them to England for me?

-No.

-No.

HE LAUGHS

Simple answer to a simple question! And with that,

Mark makes a calculated decision to throw in the towel!

It's always very tempting

when you go to an antique fair to spend every penny in your pocket.

But sometimes the mistakes you make by spending more money

on stuff you don't want... I've bought all that I want now.

Anything else I spend, I'm just going to be buying work,

and stuff that's not saleable.

I'm going to stop while I'm ahead. I'm done.

So, Franksy's finished, but The Fox forages on!

-How much is that, please?

-25.

-25?

-Yeah.

Would you take 20 euros?

-Vingt euro.

-Yeah? Thank you very much indeed.

-Merci.

It's very easy to date, it's 1945.

Well, that's what the little label says on there!

But it's just, you know, that is not a work of art,

that is not Chippendale, that is not Sheridan, it's not Hepplewhite.

But what it is is a cheap bedside table for somebody.

If there isn't a profit in that, I think I'm probably going to give up!

Oh, Phil, don't do anything rash!

He pays £18.18 for the pot cupboard, and that's Mr Serrell

done and dusted. So, has he ended on a high?

Do you know, you come over here expecting to find

all sorts of things and when you don't see them,

you tend to panic a bit.

I'm quite pleased with what I've bought, but trust me,

there wasn't a lot else for me to have a go at.

I'm going to be really interested to see what Mark's bought.

Well, we'll soon see when they compare their wares.

But before that, let's find out how much they spent in total.

Both our trading titans arrived in Belgium

with £750-worth of their own euros to spend.

Mark "Franksy" Franks ended up striking six deals

and handing over £255.45, only about a third of his budget.

Phil "The Fox" Serrell paid out only marginally more.

His six purchases cost him £290.91.

So, neither of our boys spent very much money.

-But will they still be able to make decent profits?

-Well, look at that!

-How did we do that?!

-I don't know!

We've turned a glorified Belgique boot sale into

-a little mini antique market!

-We've done all right, haven't we?

How did you find the weather?

I don't know, I've been wet, dry, dry, wet, wet, dry... It's sunny now!

When I was out, I should have been in, and when I was in, I should have been out! Story of my life!

The story of my life, too! I love your woman, I love that little bust.

-She's lovely, isn't she?

-Mmm, elegant.

-What's your favourite item you've bought?

-It's an umbrella.

-That's an umbrella?

-Yeah. If I showed you, I'd have to kill you!

Yeah, it's like a little umbrella, it all folds out.

My new best mate, Jean-Pierre,

bought that for one euro out of a box of rubbish outside.

-You probably walked past it!

-I probably did!

-And I gave him ten euros for it. What about you?

-You big spender!

-My best buy was my four coat hooks.

-Yeah.

-One euro.

-What, each?

-The lot.

-The lot?!

-The lot.

-What's going to be your best profit?

That'll be my best profit. But my favourite item is probably the trike.

-That's cool, isn't it?

-It's fun, isn't it? It's fun.

I really, really like it. 60 euros. I think it's a winner.

-Cos the thing is, you are not a big kid at heart, are you, really?

-No.

No, I've got toys!

HE LAUGHS

-Anyway, come and have some chocolate!

-Kids! Who'd have 'em?

So, armed with a bagful of Belgian chocolate,

Mark and Phil head back across the Channel.

They've already proved that when it comes to haggling,

their skills and courage cannot be questioned.

But they must now show that they're equally audacious

when seeking out stellar sales.

So, will they muster a king's ransom with their retailing repartee?

Well, let's hope so.

They can set up all the meetings they like, but until they've shaken

on it and the money has changed hands, no deal is ever sealed.

Back in south London, Mark is in his warehouse yard,

assessing his acquisitions.

Now, when I was in Belgium, this is what I bought.

What a lovely little lot.

I've got a pair of chandeliers, they've got a bit of age.

They've got to be 80 years old. When they're lit, they'll look fantastic.

The guy wanted 200 euros, I got them for 150.

There's a profit in that, I'm sure.

I've only got to find the right buyer.

Now, my favourite item is the trike. That is wicked.

I would like to have bought ten. It's fabulous, it's such good fun.

Lovely old jam pan, that's got to be 100 years old.

It's a no-brainer, isn't it? It's a lovely looking thing.

I'll polish it up, put some plants in it.

I've only got to find somebody with a lovely patio.

Not content with two chandeliers, I bought another one!

And that's got to be 60, 70 years old.

And that, hopefully, will polish up, straighten up, and sell itself.

Now, four coat hooks for one euro.

That's got to be a world record, hasn't it?

Four items for less than a pound.

I'm going to stick them on an old bit of timber like this,

colour it up, knock it out, make a huge profit. What have we got here?

A toy game. It's in great condition.

There's a lot of toy collectors out there.

People trying to re-live their youth - no offence!

But I think it's still got a chance.

All in all, I think I've done rather well!

Phil is in his saleroom in Malvern, and he seems equally happy.

I think I've bought some really cool things.

How can that not make me a profit?

Cheapest little pot cupboard in the world.

And do you remember how it rained while we were there?

And the guy bought this for one euro out of a box of rubbish

and I had to give him ten euros for it.

But there's still got to be a profit in that.

I love these sort of Art Deco-y bronze plaques.

I think they'll do well. And this clock, that's got to be a winner.

But for me, my favourite piece of the lot was this book press.

It's just a great bit of sculptural form, really.

And all I've got to do now is try and find a book shop...

press them into buying it!

So, they get on the phones, trawl the internet,

and talk to everyone they know.

Because they need every bit of info out there to find the perfect

buyers and make maximum profits.

Mark has set his sights on selling his target game first.

He's in Epsom to see toy collectors Jim and Danny.

So, will they want to take a pot-shot at it?!

And will they give Franksy a profit on the £18-odd that he paid?

Covering it with that blanket, he clearly wants a big reveal!

How are you doing, boys? You all right?

-Here, Jim, set your eyes round that.

-Oooh, whoa! Holy smoke!

Open it up, take a look inside. It's quite impressive.

Go on, take it out and play with it.

OK, right.

-What happens, does the pin come through from the back of that?

-Yeah.

-Aha!

-There we are!

-Grand. And it's working, so brilliant.

-The bar code was introduced in 1972.

-Right.

And there's no bar code on this. That makes me think that it's pre 1972.

-Yeah.

-Condition? Good?

-Condition is good.

-Is it something you'd be interested in, Danny?

-Yeah, definitely.

It tickles me to bits.

I tell you what, Jim, you have a word with Danny,

you work out the price you want to offer me...

-I won't listen.

-OK.

-30?

-We'll test him out at that and see how we get on.

-How are we doing?

500...no!

THEY LAUGH

-30 quid.

-Do you know what? How about 32?

-32, I don't know about that.

-Oooooh.

-A pound each.

-A pound each. Yeah!

HE LAUGHS

-Are you happy with that? Danny?

-Brilliant.

-Jim?

-Lovely.

-Lovely deal.

Yes, Mark shoots into profit straightaway. £13.82.

As Phil sticks to doing his retail research at his computer,

Mark is out and about on the phone.

A child at heart, a caged animal wanting to run free!

Oooh! Aaah!

Although he can't charm everyone!

Franksy sticks with his boyhood bargains for hopeful sale number two.

Oh! I nearly went over the back!

It cost him nearly £55,

but will bike shop owner Tom have a try on the tricycle?

So, Tom, we've had a little chat on the phone,

and here is the trike that I described to you.

-Do you want to have a look at it?

-Yeah, absolutely. It's all good.

It's in good nick, nothing wrong with it.

It's got an adjustable seat.

That comes out and you can just put it in different positions,

depending on how tall you are.

So you can put it right forward for a kiddie.

-So, come on, then, tell me what you think.

-It's fairly basic.

Nothing much to go wrong with it.

It all seems to be working and in good nick. Where does it come from?

Do you know anything about it?

I bought it when I was in Belgium, at an antique fair.

And the guy said it's from the '60s.

But I know it's not, because I noticed on that nut there,

it's got a rubbery bit on the inside.

And they weren't invented then, were they? Them sort of lock-in nuts.

Lock nuts, yeah.

I would say it's probably mid-'90s, early thousands.

Going by the wheels and the way it's built and the way it looks,

I'd say that's probably about the right time for that.

-Is it something you'd be interested in, Tom?

-I think I would be, yeah.

-What are you looking for?

-I don't know, make me an offer.

-80 quid.

80 quid. I like round figures. What about 120? 110?

-Meet in the middle, one.

-It's a small profit...

-Give you a cut, yeah.

..but I think it's a fair price. You've got a deal. Gentleman.

Thank you very much.

That's another profit!

The trike wheels in £45.45 and that takes Franksy way out in front.

But The Fox has been stalking around,

working hard to rain on Mark's parade.

He's just outside Malvern and is hoping to sell his umbrella

to Catherine, who deals in vintage clothes and accessories.

I went to Belgium, and we went to an antique fair there.

-And a guy bought this out of a box of rubbish for one euro.

-One euro?!

-Yeah. And I gave him ten euros for it.

-Very generous!

So there's profit down the line, here.

You can see the theme developing.

-And that just screws onto there like that. ..He said hopefully!

-Pretty.

-I'm guessing that it's probably...

-So unusual.

..a parasol, rather than an umbrella.

I would say a parasol, yeah.

It's hardly going to keep you out of the rain, is it?!

Not when you're this big, it's not!

And age - I thought this might have been repro, '50s, '60s or whatever.

-Cos it's in very good condition.

-But this, I thought, was perhaps '20s?

You see, I think this may have a bit of synthetic in it.

-That feels a bit synthetic to me.

-And what does that mean?

-So I put it more '40s/'50s possibly.

-Really?

-This is what, Chinese or Japanese?

-I would say Japanese.

-It's a pretty little thing.

-That sounds promising. Do you like it?

-I do like it.

-D'you want to buy it?

-I would love to buy it.

-Make me an offer I can't refuse.

-Oh... £30?

D'you know, I'm tempted to say I can refuse that, but it's such

a good offer, cos I mean, it cost me in pounds - £9.09.

-I've been had.

-No, yeah...

Well, you have now. Thank you, my love!

So, Phil's chance find comes good,

he more than trebles his money and makes a profit of £20.91.

That's typical Serrell - it's raining

and I've just sold an umbrella! Great!

Oh, Foxy, you win some, you lose some.

And Franksy's hoping to win big with his hooks.

91p these equate to - how good is that?

He gets a piece of MDF he has lying around his warehouse

and takes it to the carpenter next door who routs the edge.

It's a quick job and Mark buys him a bacon sandwich to say thank you.

Franksy then gives the panel a lick of paint.

Get a picture?

Would you be doing this, Fox?

Are you getting your hands dirty? I think not.

Once the paint's dry, he fixes the hooks onto the panel

and works in some wax to give it that shabby chic look.

Oh, yes, folks. Remember, you saw it here first.

He sells it to a furniture shop in Banstead for £17.50

and taking the price of the bacon sarnie into account,

Mark makes £14.79,

showing you can make a profit from pretty much anything.

Phil is a little way behind old Franksy, but he's hoping to squeeze

a profit out of his next item, the book press that cost nearly £82.

He's brought it to a hotel just outside Broadway in the Cotswolds

and he's meeting the restaurant manager Gareth.

D'you know what? That looks like it's been there all its life, doesn't it?

-Kind of balances out nicely, doesn't it?

-It does.

It is an interesting thing.

-It's a book press, it's used to compress the paper.

-Oh, right, OK.

But I think that's got quite a cool, architectural form.

I would say that's probably 19th-century.

It's French and you don't have to be an expert to know that,

you just have to be able to read cos it's got Paris written here.

-A bit of a giveaway.

-It is, but I just think it's a really cool thing.

-Do you like it?

-I think it fits in nice...

Nice bit of rustic wood

to fit in with the rest of the character of the property.

It does a job.

And it does fit in with everything else you've refurbished.

-Very much so.

-Would you be interested in buying it off of me?

I am sure we could come to some sort of arrangement.

Well, what about if I asked you for 175?

What if we went in around about 120?

-You're getting warm, I like your style. What about 160 then?

-No.

-150?

-No.

See, I've come down two now, it's your turn to go up one.

-OK, I'll go up to 130.

-Is that your best?

-I think that is my best.

-That's your very best?

-Yes.

-Go on, you're a gentleman.

-You sure?

-Absolutely. Thank you very much indeed.

-That'll go really nicely.

Mm, Phil had to press Gareth quite hard there

and skulks off with a profit of £48.18.

So, let's see what that does to the figures.

Mark "Franksy" Franks has so far agreed three sales

and made £74.06 profit.

Phil "The Fox" Serrell is trailing, but only very slightly.

He's sold two items for £69.09 profit.

So, it's a tight old tussle with less than £5 in it.

Both our haggling heroes need to dig deep and give it all they've got

and that's exactly what Mark's doing with his jam pan.

He's spent £10 on some plants to jazz it up.

Percy Thrower, eat your heart out!

In total, it now owes him just over £28.

I'm here at a pub called The Hope.

I have faith that Roger the owner will have some charity.

Let's see how we get on.

Ah! Oh!

So, come on then, Roger...

There's a lot of things you'd understand and notice about it.

-The old rivets there.

-It's well-battered.

Very well-loved, probably, I'm estimating 100 years old,

made of brass and I've planted it up, hopefully to The Hope's taste.

-Hopefully Hope, get it?

-Yeah.

So what you going to rush me for this then?

The equivalent of a few pints, you know, I don't know.

-50 quid, how's that grab you?

-Cor! I'd want it full of jam for that!

MARK LAUGHS I don't know, come on, make me an offer.

These plants are very nice, it's going to go boom-boom-boom...

-As you've gone to all the effort of planting it up...

-Yes, sir.

..I'll go 25.

-Can you squeeze to 30? Come on...

-You're a terrible man, you are!

-..I'm doing a lot of hard work just to get out of jail.

-Oh, go on!

-Deal?

So, Franksy gets out of jail, but the cell door was only just ajar.

The jam pan cooks up a profit of £1.82.

So, it's over to Phil who's only £7 behind Mark.

He's travelled to an antiques centre in Leominster with the

bronze plaque that cost him nearly £73.

So, will one of the dealers, Stephanie, like what she sees?

-I think it's pure Art Nouveau.

-It's a lovely colour.

But what I love about it is you've got that lyre there and that's

sort of like a pure Regency symbol and then you've got Pegasus here...

-That's a winged horse, isn't it?

-Yeah, that's right, yeah.

But it's almost like all of this...

-That's like a thought cloud, isn't it?

-Can I have a look at the back?

You help yourself, my love.

-It might be better than the front.

-Oh, my goodness me!

-It's heavier than I thought.

-It's bronze, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-I quite like that.

-It's got a nice look.

-I like the Pegasus theme.

-Do you? Cos you're horses, aren't you?

-Hmm.

I think as a decorative thing... it's worth...

-Is it worth knocking the door of 150 quid?

-Mm.

-I think you're right...

-If I can just stop you there.

What happens here in dealing is you see, a little tip...

If you're talking to someone to have a deal and they go £100,

if you then don't say a word, somebody's got to break the silence.

And normally they'll come back with a better offer,

so that's just a little trick, that one is.

So, I think that's worth 150 quid, what do you think?

Mm, it's different if I knew the subject,

but I don't know the subject.

-Mm.

-Come on, start again.

-I just did, it's your turn now.

100, I was thinking, would be all right.

-These chairs are all right to sit on, aren't they?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Go on, 120.

-Go on, you're an angel.

I'll take your hand on that, thanks very much.

Phil's bronze brings in a profit of £47.27.

And before he leaves the antiques centre,

he sees if he can slam in another deal.

He takes his Art Deco clock garniture to see Andrew

who's another of the dealers.

The clock owes The Fox nearly £91.

You see tons of them in much darker marbles, don't you?

But none in this sort of quite light...sandy colour.

It is a nice colour, it sets off well on this.

It does, it looks the business there, it looked worth more there.

The big question is, does it work?

I think the truthful answer is it worked last time it was used.

-It went the last time it worked.

-And it's right twice a day!

-ANDREW LAUGHS

-Any damage - lumps or bumps?

Don't think so, I think it's absolutely fine.

You know, very often you see these being sold on their own and that

being sold on their own, but to have a garniture...

I think that's really nice.

I was hoping that it might be worth topside of 150 quid.

Right, do I do a sharp intake of breath now

-or shall I leave it till later?

-Shall I pull up a chair?

-ANDREW LAUGHS

-What am I going to get for it?

Hopefully I'm going to get 150, 160 for it,

-so there's got to be a little bit in it for me... £130.

-I'll take that.

I think you've been very, very kind

and that's a really important thing to remember in this business

because I'm not selling Andrew a clock set,

what I'm selling him is a profit.

If he buys something off me and doesn't make a profit out of it,

he's never going to buy anything off me again,

so always leave something for the next man.

You're a gentleman.

So, Phil may have left room for the next man,

but he winds up making a decent profit himself - £39.09.

The Fox has sneaked out in front.

But Franksy's pulled out his big guns - the glass chandeliers,

which at £136-odd were far and away his most expensive Belgian purchase.

Mark's invited antiques dealer Nick over to his warehouse

to see what he thinks.

Nick, we've known each other a long time and I've seen you buy

and sell many a chandelier,

-and when I saw these, I thought of you.

-Thank you very much.

They're not bad.

I mean, at least there's no major sort of damage which is the killer.

If any of these side bits are damaged or the actual bowl at the top there,

if any of that's damaged it can be a nightmare, can't it?

-Well, one - I've got to get them rewired.

-Yeah, I know.

-Because they're not working.

-No, I know.

Well, the all-important question is...how much do you want for them?

-250 the pair, how does that grab you?

-It doesn't grab me at all.

-Oh, all right then.

-It doesn't grab me at all.

We've played this game before. What's your best offer, Nick?

You're not one for playing games, are you?

-My first and final offer.

-Do I need to sit down?

Do I need to go and take a deep breath?

-You might need a little cold compress.

-Yeah, go on.

-Two.

Even-stevens, two. Are you happy with that?

-Have you still left a small margin?

-A very small margin, yeah.

You have my hand, you have my heart. You've got a deal. Thank you, Nick.

Just to clarify, they've agreed on 200, not just £2!

The chandeliers hang up a profit of £63.64.

Nick also buys the other chandelier, the wibbly-wobbly one,

to use Franksy's technical term.

That one also needs rewiring and Nick pays £40

and Mark makes another profit of £12.73.

So, it all comes down to Phil's last two items.

He makes light work of his pot cupboard - he sells it for £40

away from the cameras to a man in Malvern, making a profit of £21.82.

His last item is the bronze lady's head.

Foxy takes it to show Mohammed

who has a shop in the Portobello area of London.

Mohammed is known locally for buying anything and everything,

but these cost Phil just over £18, so will it be profit or bust?

-How are you?

-Hi, Phil. Nice to see you, how are you?

What have you got today?

Well, I'm hoping you've got a bit of space in your cabinets

for this lovely girl, isn't she lovely?

-It's not the type of girl I would go out with.

-She's Art Deco, isn't she?

She looks the period, yes.

If you'd like to buy it, I was hoping to get 60 quid for her.

60 is too much. £35.

Mohammed, have one more last attempt at an offer I can't refuse.

My best offer...

Then the girl of my dreams will become the girl of your dreams.

What about...£40 cash?

-Gentleman.

-Thank you, Mohammed.

So, did the lady's head make anyone's dreams come true?

We'll find out soon.

In the meantime, she pops in a final profit of £21.82.

And there we have it, Phil and Mark are all sold up,

but before we reveal today's winner,

let's remind ourselves of what they spent in Belgium.

Our princes of profit both started out with

£750 worth of their own euros.

Mark Franks struck six deals,

but only spent about a third of his budget - £267.25

and that includes the cost of the bacon sarnie and plants.

Phil Serrell only paid out marginally more.

His six purchases costing £290.91.

All of the money that Mark and Phil have made from today's challenge

will be going to charities of their choice.

So let's find out who is today's

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

-Franksy, how are you?

-All right, mate, nice scarf.

-Lovely...

-Oh, I know. Nice jumper.

-Thank you.

-These charity shops are good, aren't they?

-They are good. I wind it over a barrel!

-What?

-A foreign market.

-Yes, wasn't it?

-Did you enjoy it?

-Yeah.

That book press, I did like that, I'd bet you done well with that, didn't you?

Well, what was really lovely, I found a hotel that's being refurbed

and they had a place that was just for it...

But those coat hangers you bought, less than a pound,

what's all that about?

Got a bit of scrap timber, did a bit of work to it, bingo bango,

and I sold them for the right side of 15 quid.

Come on, let's have a look then. Let's have a look at the damage.

Three, two, one... Go!

-How much is that?

-Oh, there's not a lot in it, is there?

That's a close call, isn't it?

That's not bad, yet again, pipped to the post.

Yes, neck and neck all the way through,

but Phil took the lead right at the end.

That was a really, really close call.

You know, all I can remember about that market was it absolutely

hosed down. But I think we bought some good things jointly.

You know, it was a close-run thing.

I thought I had a really good chance, but he has got the experience

and knowledge and he did pip me to the post.

So, you win some, you lose some. Hat off to Mr Serrell.

Will they be so evenly matched when they slug it out again tomorrow?

Let's hope so because it's the climax of the week,

the mighty Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is showdown.