Eric Knowles v Catherine Southon - 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'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's titanic tussle is an auction extravaganza between ceramic

specialist Eric Knowles and the lady who's no stranger to the

auction room herself, Catherine Southon.

Coming up, Eric finds that if you chat, you could fall flat...

Yes.

I was too busy talking to you. I missed my lot!

..while Catherine shows us how to spot a genuine antique...

That is much nicer than this side.

That's because this side has probably been in the sun.

..and Eric has a brush with one of his icons.

JW Waterhouse. Great hero.

He has always been, for me, the man.

This is Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

Welcome, one,

welcome, all, to Nottingham for a hair-raising,

spine-tingling white-knuckle ride of a show!

This battle of bidding, buying and bartering sees two towering trophy

hunters go head-to-head in their eternal quest for maximum profits.

They'll be tested to the absolute limit and only one person can win.

So who will swagger off with gallons of glory

and who will creep away, snivelling, to hide in a dark corner?

First up, the Lancastrian lad who's risen to become antiques

aristocracy.

Our rosy dealer has decades of experience

and the finest eye for detail.

But don't be fooled by his warm character.

Behind the smile is a cut-throat dealer that's streets

ahead of the pack. It's the hero of the hour, the Prince of Porcelain.

It is Eric "Knocker" Knowles!

I am not a number. I'm a man!

But he has a thorny competitor today.

All the way from the Garden of England,

our Kentish lady is as shrewd as a shrew but won't be tamed.

When there's something she wants, wild horses can't hold her back.

And to cap it all, she spent years

working at some of this country's most famous salerooms.

It's the brainy beauty with a bargain bent.

It's "Cunning" Catherine Southon.

Well, my bronze has been turned into pure gold!

So she's at a distinct advantage

here at the Mellors and Kirk auction in Nottingham,

but our very own Robin Hood

and Maid Marian won't be robbing from the rich to give to the poor.

No, no!

Our modern-day masters' motto is buy low and sell high,

making as much profit as possible to send to their chosen charities.

They've both ridden into town with £1,000 of their own money

to spend and they must keep abreast of the house commission

and fees, as those costs come out of their budget as well.

So, they know the rules. Let's have a good, clean fight.

Eric Knowles and Catherine Southon,

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

-Hello, there.

-So, here we are.

-Here we are again.

-We've made it to Nottingham.

-Isn't this a lovely auction house?

-It is.

So have you got any tricks up your sleeve today? Any plans?

I will be very cautious. I'll be very careful with what I go for today.

I want to spend big, but I'm looking at silver,

I'm looking at jewellery and anything else that takes my fancy.

-OK. Listen, may the best man win and may the best woman win.

-Good luck, Eric.

OK.

So, while Eric is planning to take it steady,

Catherine's going all-out to spend her money.

And that requires precision planning.

I'm going to broaden my horizons, look for about 20, 30 items,

and then, if they're going cheap, I will jump in at the last minute.

Aha! She's biding her time to bring home the bargains.

Eric, however, could not be doing it more differently.

It's very easy to have a go at something in an auction

because it seems to be going cheap.

And if it's going cheap, there's usually a jolly good reason.

So I've got to be very businesslike today.

Knocker Knowles there trampling all over Catherine's strategy.

We'll soon see which of our bullish bargain hunters is on target,

but before the auction starts, both dealers must assess what's on offer.

And a close inspection is key.

Once the bidding begins, snap decisions will come thick and fast.

Catherine said she wanted to spend big,

but the first lot she spots is really quite small.

Look at these! Gentleman's cuff links. They are nine-carat gold.

They've got these little foxes' heads mounted on both sides

and then they're inset with little red stones.

I'm definitely, definitely going to give these my best shot.

Across the room, Eric has spotted the huge collection of lots

that take him all the way back to his childhood.

When I was a boy, everybody's grandma had these

and they were just ornaments.

But now, there's a huge collecting market.

You've got to see merit in what might otherwise be questionable.

And, when it comes to ceramics,

there's nothing questionable about Knocker's knowledge.

For Catherine, there's no question about the quality of her next find.

Really nice caddie, that. Beautiful sarcophagus shape.

And I do like the inlay. Tea caddies have gone down a little bit.

But that's a jolly nice example.

The problem comes if everyone thinks it's a good piece.

The last thing Catherine wants is stiff competition in the same room.

Eric continues his look at the lots

and comes up with a set of six cut-glass goblets.

Stylistically are often called rock crystal.

These are definitely 20th century

and they could even be within my lifetime.

And for the benefit, if you're... I can tell you now that I'm over 21!

Hold the front page!

Our pair of powerhouse purchasers must take their catalogues

and position themselves. The auction is about to commence.

This will be a dog-eat-dog battle, but when the gavel falls,

who will be hounding down the big profits

and who will be barking up the wrong tree?

As the auction action gets under way,

it's not long before Catherine's cuff links come up.

I've got a feeling they're going to do very well.

I really like them.

60. 70. 80.

90. 100. 110 I'll take.

And 110 over here.

£110 on my right I sell.

Just a single bid from Catherine is all it took.

She wanted jewellery and she got some straightaway.

Including commission, she pays £133.10.

She's thrown down the gauntlet,

but Eric could be about to pick it up as the auction moves on to

a pair of mid-19th century grape shears which come with

a Victorian teapot stand.

25, anywhere?

25. 30. 30. 35. 35. I'm selling at 35.

I do apologise. I'll go and get my number.

-I'm being very unprofessional.

-Oh, Eric! Schoolboy error!

In his excitement, he's forgotten his number for the bidding!

I am not a number. I'm a man!

Yes, but in an auction, every man needs a number.

Thankfully, Eric is forgiven.

Once he's sorted himself out, the grape shears

and stand cost him £42.35, with fees.

So does he think they were a snip?

They're not silver. They're silver plate.

And I would suspect that they probably date to about 1860.

This is the sort of thing that would have been made for that

burgeoning Victorian middle class.

And no self-respecting lady of the house would ever,

ever expect her friends to pick the grapes off the actual bunch.

And it came with this - a navette-shaped teapot stand.

And both probably made in Sheffield.

But this is basically a layer of silver and a layer of copper

and another layer of silver.

Our duke of dealing is up and running,

although Catherine spent three times as much.

And she might be about to fork out much more.

She's preying on her next target.

Next item are two really nice,

matching George III silver sauce ladles.

And I have put on them 150, 160.

But I might be pushed to go a little bit higher.

Well, Catherine may have competition.

Unbeknownst to her, Eric also has an eye for the ladles.

-This could be a clash of the Titans!

-Go in bold. Be brave.

-64.

-He's in!

-60. 70. 70. 80.

-She's going for it!

110. 120. 130. 140.

At 130 on my right. I sell at £130.

Oh! Having bumped up the price, Eric ducks out, leaving Catherine

to pay £157.30 for the early 19th century ladles, including fees.

The naughty Knowles!

Not content with making his opponent pay more,

Mr Knowles decides to play mind games to unsettle her even more.

-They did have a problem. Did you spot it?

-Oh, no! Don't tell me that now!

-Oh, no! Didn't notice?

-No, what?

-They are left-handed ladles!

Did you check them? They are left-handed ladles!

-I know that cos my dad's taught me all this stuff.

-Left-handed?

Left-handed. Go and check them.

It's a rather convincing act from old Knocker

but he's not the only one with top-notch knowledge.

Catherine can't be fooled.

Left-handed ladles, indeed.

He's a cheeky one, that Mr Knowles.

George III sauce ladles.

Even the marks on the bottom are really nice.

They're not rubbed in any way. They're nice and clear.

We've got the maker's initials there as well.

I think they might be a bit of a bargain.

Catherine's pleased with her purchase

despite Eric's attempts to wind her up.

And if you thought he was in his element with the ladles,

you ain't seen nothing yet. The auction moves on to pottery,

our Knocker's favourite subject.

And he's spotted a three-in-one lot that he likes the look of.

It's decorated with mayflies.

It's a perfect pot for a fisherman.

Studio stoneware vase, dish.

I do love studio pottery.

Eric? Pay attention!

I'd like to know who the potter is.

It's got an impressed studio potter's mark.

Eric? You're missing the bidding!

20, final bid at 20.

Yes! Oh. That didn't go. That didn't go.

-I was too busy talking to you. I missed my lot.

-Oh, Eric!

-Your second seismic schoolboy error of the day.

-I don't think it went.

I don't think anybody wants that.

So I might offer an after-sale.

Which is quite legal.

I just want to make sure it's within the rules of the game.

It's not a game.

It's a challenge.

No, it's more than a challenge.

It's a mission.

Well, Eric's in no doubt about the enormity of the task.

As far as the Put Your Money gamesmasters are concerned,

after-sales happen at the auctioneer's discretion.

It's his turf, after all. So Eric will have to wait and see.

But maybe not alone.

This auctioneer is super-quick.

This is going to be a tough one.

So, Catherine's feeling

the barometer-busting pressure in the saleroom as well.

After forgetting his paddle number and then missing a lot,

Eric finally manages to get it together for the next lot

he's earmarked, the cut-glass goblets he saw earlier.

The set of six set him back £96.80 after fees.

Eric now sets his sights on that riot of rabbits,

the Pendelfin porcelain.

Four lots are available and Eric decides to go for the first,

a picnic stand and jetty, which he buys for £36.30 with fees.

But our Eric's not satisfied with just one piece.

He decides he fancies the second lot, a house and cottage.

Yep, he gets those. But they cost considerably more.

Including commission, £96.80.

Right, so that's that, then.

No, wait a minute, there's more. He's going for the Romany caravan.

His third piece cost him £121 with fees.

He is all done. At... What?! Not more, surely!

Now he's buying the actual figurines!

After auction costs, the fourth lot of Pendelfin costs Eric £108.90.

There are no more rabbits to be had, so is the man finally done?

Is there some fiendish masterplan that he's yet to reveal?

I think I've just spent half my budget on Pendelfin ware.

Well, not quite half,

but any more rabbits and he'd be a HARE's breadth away!

Let's take a break from the bunnies

and see what that little run of spending has done to the figures.

Both Eric and Catherine started the day

with £1,000 of their own money to spend.

Including his plethora of Pendelfin,

Eric has bought six lots

and spent £502.15, leaving

a healthy £497.85 in his kitty.

Catherine has a lot of catching up to do.

She has got two lots under her belt

for £290.40,

meaning she has a hefty

£709.60 to play with.

Before she can get on with the game,

Catherine has to find out why Eric's indulged in such a spending spree.

What is going on? What are you doing?

Do you remember Mary, who was quite contrary?

This is the male version. It's Eric the Contrary.

I just thought, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Now I think you're the calmer one, because you've got quite a few items

under your belt now, and I am beginning to panic.

Why go through life playing safe?

There's got to be a bit of danger.

We're both danger devils.

ERIC CHORTLES

Despite Eric's explanation for his bunny bonanza,

Catherine's left wondering

if the pressure has left Knocker a few pots short of a pottery.

Why has he bought so many rabbits?

I must be missing something there.

I don't think those things are terribly desirable.

But I'm sure he'll pull something out the bag.

Just hopefully not any more of those rabbits!

Well, Catherine must move on.

She's seriously trailing now and needs more luscious lots.

Just to increase her woes, Eric spots a chamber pot

and he wants to have a go on it, so to speak!

At £35, I can sell for 35. All done?

And Eric gets it. With fees,

the chamber pot cost him £42.35.

I'm holding a toilet.

I'm holding a pewter chamberpot.

And it is of a type that is referred to as a Welsh hat because,

if you were to turn it upside down,

then it does actually resemble

one of those tall hats with which

you associate Welsh ladies taking tea.

But this is almost certainly very, very early 19th century,

and there is a market for this sort of thing.

Eric's flushed with pride for his pot.

He's now bought seven lots compared to Miss Southon's rather paltry two.

Is he sending her campaign down the pan?

Well, not if Catherine has anything to do with it.

She picks herself up

and almost straightaway

bags a Victorian rosewood snuffbox

in the shape of a shoe.

She pays £72.60, with fees.

The thing that slightly worries me about this one, and that's

probably why I got it fairly cheap,

is that this is two-tone.

That is much lighter than this side.

That's because this side has probably been in the sun.

It shows that it's not fake.

And it's probably Victorian, I would say mid-Victorian.

But, apart from the two-tone, quite a nice example.

So can Catherine capitalise on her success? She still needs

to claw her way back into the game, and it's not long before she spots

-a 19th-century French bronze statuette.

-This is nice.

70, 80. £80. 90.

100? £90...

What shall we bid...?

I'll take one more.

£100.

Ooh, a moment's hesitation there.

Very unlike our normally decisive dealer.

Catherine pays £121 with fees.

But did she spend

more than she really wanted?

I think maybe I did pay a little bit too much for him.

Because he's dressed in 18th-century costume

but I would say this is probably mid-to-late 19th century.

I just think it's actually quite nicely cast.

There's a lot of detail there.

I like the way he's standing

and I like the way he's got his arm on the trunk.

I think it's a nice thing, a nice pose.

With epic determination, Catherine is gradually catching up on Eric.

She's moving at an ever-increasing rate of knots

and now has her opponent in her sights.

But can she draw level by purchasing

that rosewood tea caddy that she liked so much earlier?

£50 for the caddy I'm bid. 50, 60, 70, 80. 90 for it?

-£80...

-Oh, that's cheap.

Sell at £80.

Thank you.

Well, it's not quite so cheap

once the commission's added.

A total of £96.80,

but Catherine must be pleased.

No cracks, no major damage.

And I think there's certainly some money in that.

Well, Catherine may not have caught up with Eric, but after that

flurry of bidding, she's certainly raised her sinking ship.

But Captain Eric has the wind in his sails

and ploughs on with another purchase.

He pays £169.40

for something called an oleograph.

What's an oleograph, Eric?

An oleograph is a technique where

the image is printed in such a way as to emulate an oil painting.

They've gone one step further with this one

because there is some hand-painted decoration.

This is Hylas And The Nymphs.

This is lots of flesh.

But, as far as the Victorians were concerned, it's nudity and art,

and if it's art, it's perfectly acceptable.

The original is about five times the size of this.

It is one of my favourite finds of the day.

But it turns out not to be his last.

Remember the stoneware he missed out on because he was chatting?

I've actually been to see the auctioneer

and I've done what is known as an after-sale.

I offered £20 and he said, "Yep, that's OK by me."

So, for £20, I've got myself one nice vase,

one nice dish

and one nice piece of slipware.

Not bad going, really.

Add the fees in to the lot

that almost got away

and Eric pays £24.20

for the three pieces.

So, the gavel has dropped for the last time.

The auction is over, the buys are bagged.

Let's see how our competitive combatants have got on.

Both Eric and Catherine started the day with £1,000 of their own money.

Despite some serious messing about at the beginning, Eric

pulled in an impressive haul of nine items,

costing him £738.10 in total.

Catherine found it harder to spend her money.

Thanks to a cunning comeback,

though, she leaves with five lots,

having spent £580.80.

So, as they hang up their buying boots,

our brave bidders come together to assess each other's items.

So we came, we saw,

we bid and we bought.

I've gone down the traditional route.

I'm actually attracted by a pair of sauce ladles that could...

-Left-handed ones!

-Oh, you've tried them since I spoke to you?

They're definitely left-handed ones.

Good, good, well, you've learned something, haven't you?

So, what's your favourite piece, then?

Well, I love these glasses.

-This is quality glassware.

-They are beautiful.

But they're not signed, and that has me totally baffled.

I think you may just, because of the sheer quantity,

I think you are going to pull it off with those,

-and I wish you lots of luck with it, my friend.

-OK.

-Good luck.

-And you, too.

-And I'll see you later.

-Adios!

Yes, our bidding buccaneers hit the road and head home because,

believe it or not, buying is the easy bit.

Now they must do a full about-turn and switch their mindset to selling.

And this is where things get really tricky.

Eric and Catherine will have to knuckle down

and bite the bullet and sell, sell, sell.

Because only one dealer can win.

At the auction, Eric was on top form,

but now he's back in Buckinghamshire at Knocker HQ,

is he still feeling so positive about his purchases?

I am actually quite happy with what I ended up with.

I've got some silver-plated grape shears

and that came in the same lot with

a Sheffield plate teapot stand.

Not many people would necessarily want a pewter chamberpot

but when it's an early 19th-century example, they might think twice.

Doing my bit for my former home part of the world

which is Burnley, Pendelfin figures.

Now, they may look twee but they are collectable.

And then if I want to drink in style,

I've got six beautiful rock crystal cut glasses.

Paid round about £100 for those, which I know is an absolute bargain.

The studio pottery. I bought them as an after-sale, I paid £20 for them.

I thought they were worth a go.

But my real treasure is my Pre-Raphaelite painting.

It's actually an oleograph.

It is Hylas And The Nymphs,

it is after the original by JW Waterhouse,

so all things being equal, not a bad day.

I think Lady Luck did a certain amount of smiling

and a certain amount of grinning.

But Lady Luck wasn't quite so kind to Catherine.

She had a more challenging time in the saleroom.

She's now back in her Cunning quarters in Kent.

So does she feel relaxed about the terrifying task ahead?

The item I am very happy with are these little cuff links.

They're nine-carat gold and they've got little foxes' heads on them

with ruby eyes. The snuff shoe, the problem is, you see them everywhere.

I paid £157 for these ladles.

They may cause me a bit of a problem.

I do like this little bronze statue.

I think he's really nicely cast.

Tea caddy. I'd like to think that I could sell it to a tea shop.

All in all, I haven't really got big ideas on anything here.

But at least, Eric, I don't have to sell those Pendelfins.

Well, it's fair to say Catherine's not got her usual sparkle.

But she's right about Eric's colony of rabbits.

But being the Prince of Pottery,

he's hopefully got a number of contacts on speed dial.

Our dealing duo must now delve into their little black books,

trawl the internet and ask for ideas from everyone they know

in their enormous efforts to sell every item

for as much money as humanly possible.

They can set up all the sales they like,

but until they've shaken on it and the money's changed hands,

no deal is truly sealed.

And the overall outcome is straightforward.

Whoever makes the most profit will win.

And it's Cunning Catherine who gets a bite of the action first.

She's aiming high right from the outset

and is hoping to pull off the rare trick of a double deal.

I'm in Chislehurst and I've come here to see antiques dealer Terry.

He is interested in my tea caddy and my little shoe snuff.

Now he's a big fan of treen

but I don't think this is going to be a walk in the park.

Catherine paid almost £170 for the two items combined.

So, will Terry like either of them or will he like both?

Now, got you a couple of items which I think you might be interested in.

-OK.

-First of all, tea caddy. You collect them, don't you?

I do, as you can see, I've got a few boxes lying around,

but not a tea caddy like that. It looks very nice.

-Would it be rosewood?

-Looks rosewood to me.

-Looks rosewood, doesn't it?

The mixing bowl's obviously replaced.

They normally are replaced, aren't they? Yeah, I like it.

I'd be happy to give you 140.

140? Shall we shake on that?

Yes, let's shake on that. Thank you very much.

I've also got you this wood snuff shoe.

-What do you think?

-That's very nice.

What sort of age would you put on this?

-I would say probably mid-19th century.

-Yeah, or early Victorian.

-I'm thinking £70-£80?

-I'm hoping for a little bit more on that one.

What if I pushed it to 85?

-Can we push it to 90?

-I'd be happy with 90.

-£90, wonderful.

-That's fantastic.

-Thank you very much.

-So that's 90 on this one and 140...

-140 on that, so 230 for the two.

How about we put this caddy to some use and you make me a cup of tea?

-Sounds a great idea.

-Go on then.

# So Fred said let's have another cup of tea... #

Well, Catherine definitely deserves that cuppa. What a double deal,

bringing in a profit of £60.60, which reduces her workload considerably.

That cunning streak is shining through.

So, the onus is already on Eric, but he's quick off the box as well

and plunges straight into selling mode.

He's in North London and are starting with his star item,

the oleograph by JW Waterhouse

and he's been very clever in finding his potential buyer.

This is the original home of the artist himself.

The present-day owner has shown a real interest in doing some business.

Peter's home includes JW Waterhouse's former studio and still has

the original window beneath which the artist produced his fine works.

So, will he give Eric a profit on the near £170 he paid for the print?

The man in question of course, JW Waterhouse, great hero.

I've always been fond of the Pre-Raphaelites,

but he has always been for me, THE man, if you will?

Living here, it would be nice collecting more of his work.

They do tend to make several million when they do turn up,

so you've got to have very deep pockets to be a collector.

There it is. It is an oleograph and if you look very carefully, you can

-see it is a fine quality, colour print.

-Is it the original frame?

I think it is. Let me show you the back of the frame.

We've just got traces there of the label.

I know there was an exhibition of his work, I think, in about 1908.

That could work in from a date point of view of the piece itself.

Nobody in the museum world that I have spoken to has come across this particular print.

-Obviously it is a print and more than one, more than likely?

-Oh yes, yes.

-We don't know how many there are?

-No, we don't. All I know is there can't be many.

It's very nice. I like the green, I like the colour.

I would comfortable to pay something like £600 for this.

-If we could just go that extra one?

-OK, I'll do it.

You're a gentleman.

£700! Artfully done, Mr Knowles. That research has really paid off.

Eric's first sale nets him a mighty starting profit of £530.60.

That wasn't so much of a sale, it was more of a repatriation.

Yes, yes, it's come home.

And that presumably helped the price and instantly leaves Catherine way behind.

She's going to have to dig deep and give the fightback everything she's got,

but Eric's hoping to extend his lead further.

He travels all the way to Staffordshire in search

of his next potential sale and there's nothing bog standard

about the item he's brought with him.

TOILET FLUSHES

Here I am at the Gladstone Museum up in Stoke-on-Trent.

Now the museum, believe it or not,

has a fantastic exhibition of early toilets.

But they don't have anything quite as early as my pewter witch's hat chamber pot.

They've seen the images of it and they like it and they want it.

The question is, are they going to be flushed with cash?

Eric paid a little over £42 for the chamber pot, so let's hope Nerys and Mary

from the museum are willing to spend more than a penny.

OK, enough with the toilet gags.

I'm here because of this.

This one is early, late 18th or early, early 19th century.

Having seen your exhibition over the years,

I was convinced initially you probably had one. But you don't?

We don't, no. We have lots of ceramic chamber pots but we don't have a pewter one like this.

So it would be a really nice addition to Flushed With Pride,

the toilet exhibition here at Gladstone.

-That's the title of the exhibition?

-Flushed With Pride.

Love it! Mary, I think you're the money, aren't you?

Well yes, I'm representing the money, but we're all in agreement

this would be a great addition. It obviously comes down to price.

-I was looking around, let's say around the £100 mark.

-Maybe 70?

If we could somehow get to around the £85 mark,

I don't think that there'd be any more haggling from me.

-Would you be happy with that, Nerys?

-Absolutely, very grateful as a museum.

Great addition to the museum.

-OK, all right, well, look...

-I think we can shake on that.

-I think we can.

Yes, Eric does the business and leaves with a profit of £42.65,

meaning he's doubled his money.

So that ups the pressure even more on Catherine.

She is far from fazed, though, and has gone to where the money is at,

a swanky location in central London.

I'm here in the rather grand Burlington Arcade in Piccadilly.

And I've come to see Michael Rose, a jeweller, with my rather foxy cuff links.

Wish me luck.

Cunning Catherine paid just over £133 for the cuff links,

but will Michael be dazzled into a deal?

-There we are.

-Lovely old box.

-Nice old box.

-Always a good sign.

-Always.

They are a pair of Country Pursuit cuff links.

-Foxes' heads with ruby eyes.

-What sort of date do you think these are?

I suspect they're sort of '40s or '50s, something like that.

I'll just have a little check with my eyeglass and see

if I can be able to determine it for you.

Yes, that one is from 1954.

You can recognise from the date letters exactly which years.

Hopefully this will be the same.

Oops, it's not, it's still Birmingham but it's 1959.

Looks like your chap lost one of his cuff links when he was out one night.

Right, so there are a few years between them.

What sort of price would you like to pay for something like that?

I would probably go to 300 though, because I quite like them.

They are set in a concave plate instead of it being a flat one. So I would probably pay £300.

So, shall we shake on £300?

-Yes, 300 is fine.

-300 will be lovely, thank you very much.

Thank you so much, they're beautiful.

Look at the relief! Catherine seals the deal with a smile.

The difference in dates had her worried there for a moment,

but the cuff links secure a very healthy profit

of £166.90 which is a serious help in her fight against Knocker.

So, after a quickfire few sales, let's give our dealers

a short breather while we find out how the money is stacking up.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that Eric is in the lead up this point.

After two deals, he's taken a wallet-busting profit of £573.25.

But Catherine is proving no pushover. Far from it.

She sold three items so far and has an admirable profit of £227.50.

Can Cunning Catherine continue her quest to overturn Eric's

early success or will Knocker Knowles clean up?

There's a battle and a half ahead, that's for sure.

Eric still has much more work to do than Catherine.

Seven more lots to shift in total.

His next stop is Worcestershire,

where he is meeting Bill, an expert in engraved glass.

Which is why Eric's brought the goblets that cost him nearly £97 at auction.

-These are my set of six glasses.

-They're beautiful glasses.

Rock crystal. Came on the scene in the 1880s.

Sorry to interrupt but rock crystal is the cut, isn't it?

-It's the cut.

-They are not made of rock crystal.

But it was intended to look like the natural mineral rock crystal.

What sort of date would you say they were?

-In the interwar period, the 1920s, 1930s.

-Right.

I'm looking for somewhere in the region

of round about £300 for the lot.

That's £50 a glass.

I was thinking closer to £30 a glass, to be honest with you.

-I'm happy to go in at about 230.

-Yeah. I would be happy at that.

-We'll go for 230. Put it there.

-Thank you, Eric.

Another sizeable deal

and Eric leaves with an extra £133.20 for his profit pot.

I made myself a reasonable profit there and you can bet your life

that Bill is going to make a reasonable profit as well

but that's what this business is all about.

You're not wrong there, Knocker.

And let's hope Catherine has her hard-nosed business head on.

She drives to Surrey to try and sell her sauce ladles

that cost around £157.

She's arranged a meeting at the building where she holds auctions.

Farid owns the restaurant downstairs

but that doesn't mean he'll go easy on her.

I've come to see you because you did say you might be interested

in a couple of silver pieces that I have.

-Do you have them with you?

-Yes, I have them with me.

They look beautiful on this tablecloth, don't they?

We have a pair of sauce ladles. These are solid silver.

These are beautifully hallmarked on the back

with the date letter and that tells us 1816.

-Do you like them?

-I absolutely adore them.

-I just thought they would be quite fitting.

-It is, actually. It's...

-..for the restaurant.

-Yeah, well, it's an item...

Maybe a gift to a friend who is getting married soon.

They are really stunning, aren't they?

-I just think they're so elegant.

-You don't need to do any more selling.

Don't I? Oh, good. I'm going to push my price up higher and higher.

I would like around the 200 to 250...

-Gosh, as much as that!

-Really? Oh, God.

What do you think, then?

I was thinking of more around the £140 mark.

-Oh, no! Were you? What about 200, then?

-Let's go to 170.

What is your highest? You give me your highest price.

I think I'm going to go with 180 and I'll be very pleased to have 180.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-I'm not sure I would.

Farid is driving a hard bargain.

Catherine knows she needs more but can see her profit draining away.

-Go on, then.

-You have a smile. That means you have done the right deal.

-No. Cos... No.

-I can see it from your eyes.

-190 would be really...

-180.

-Go on, then.

-It's a deal.

-That's clearly a disappointment.

A profit of £22.70 is all that's on the table

and Catherine has no choice but to accept it.

So she needs Eric to fall at the final hurdles

if she's to stand a chance of victory.

Knocker has donned his wellies and come to the beautiful

Hambleden Valley in Buckinghamshire.

He has brought his grape shears

and accompanying teapot stand that cost him just over £42.

-Michael, lovely to meet you.

-Great to meet you. Welcome.

The king is not so much in his counting house,

-he's in his own vineyard here.

-Absolutely.

-Tell me about it.

How long have you been up and running as a vineyard?

The vineyard was planted in 1988 and we came here in 1991.

We've got about 18 local volunteers and the idea is

that the profits from the vineyard

go to the maintenance of the local church.

I'm here because I want to place a couple of things in front of you.

Let me show you my grape shears.

They are in the original case. They are rather lovely, aren't they?

This is what we normally use for cutting grapes.

-That's a bit more vicious.

-Probably more practical.

But these are much more beautiful.

For something like that, I'm looking for around about £90.

I've also got this Georgian silver plated...

I think what was originally a teapot stand

but would work very well as a salver.

Collectively we are looking at around the 100 mark.

-Why don't we say two for 90?

-That leaves me fair and square.

Same to you. Put your hand there.

-We've got a deal.

-We've got a deal. Great.

Not a big deal but at least I've managed to double my money.

And I'm not one to whine but if I did, I'm in the right place.

Yes, absolutely. No reason to whine or moan.

The silver-plated items bring in a nice, shiny profit of £47.65.

Knocker also goes on to sell the studio pottery that he bought

after the auction to three separate ladies - one in Pontefract,

one near Sheffield and one near Barnsley.

In total he takes in £35 and that's a profit of £10.80.

So, the pressure is on Catherine as she reaches her last item,

the bronze statuette.

I'm here in Westerham and I've come to see Ashton at Taylor Smith.

He owns an antique shop

and he's expressed some interest in my little bronze figure.

Let's just hope that interest is big.

Catherine paid £121 for the man

so she has the potential to make a hefty sum.

She knows she can't afford to leave without a decent profit and you can

bet your bottom dollar she'll engage every trick in the book

-to make sure she gets it.

-Hello, Catherine.

-Lovely to see you.

-And she is off to a good start.

-What have you brought to tempt me?

-I am trying to tempt you with this.

-Oh, right.

-My little bronze figure.

It is rather dinky, isn't it?

It's small but it's quite well carved, isn't it?

Date on this, maybe early 19th century?

Probably more towards the mid-19th century.

I agree, very good casting and excellent patination.

Good desk piece. Would 140 buy him?

Would you push it up slightly more than that? Not too much more?

-Catherine, you are a temptress. 150.

-Shall we say 150?

-Absolutely.

Wonderful. Thank you very much.

And Catherine's bonzer bronze brings in a bountiful profit of £29

and she is delighted.

Well, my bronze has been turned into pure gold.

Is it enough to crown Catherine the queen of selling?

We'll soon find out but it could also depend on Eric's last sale.

It's time to shift the rabbits and it's fair to say

they're an acquired taste so this really could go either way.

Knocker has bundled all the Pendelfin together

and he is back in his hometown of Burnley which, very happily,

is where all the items were made in the first place.

He's visiting Towneley Hall,

which houses a local museum and art gallery.

It's a place Eric has been coming to since he was five years old

but that doesn't mean they'll give him a profit

on the £363 he paid out.

Two of the most important members of the Towneley Hall society.

-Tony, you are the chairman.

-I am.

-Peter, you are the...

-Treasurer.

Lovely to see you both.

Tony, fill me in on the actual name itself.

Pendelfin. Why Pendelfin?

The Burnley area is in the shadow of Pendle Hill

and the company started by making elves and that kind of thing

so it's Pend-elf-in.

-They put the two words together.

-They put the two words together.

-OK.

Peter, tell me how you feel this collection would fit in

with what you already have here at Towneley?

We do have a collection of Pendelfin

but it is only a small collection and this amount of figures

would definitely consolidate the collection a great deal.

The gentleman certainly seem keen to have the items

but museums don't usually have large budgets

so will Eric actually make a profit or could he end up giving them away?

We'll find out in just a moment

and before we reveal today's winner, let's remind ourselves of how much

our first-rate fighters spent at the auction in Nottingham.

Both our bargain hunters went to auction

with £1,000 of their own money.

Eric "Knocker" Knowles went all out and bought nine lots for £738.10.

Cunning Catherine Southon, on the other hand, only bought five times.

She ended up spending £580.80.

It's been a brilliant battle but how much profit has been made?

All of the money Eric and Catherine

have made from today's challenge will go directly

to charities of their choice. so it's time to find out

who is today's Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is champion.

-Hello, Eric.

-Hello, you.

THEY KISS

So, how was the selling?

The selling took me to the fair city of Burnley,

where they appreciate rabbits and they appreciate Pendelfin.

Don't tell me you made a profit on those.

I'm not going to tell you anything.

-I'd like to know how it went for you?

-I had my fox cuff links.

-Remember those?

-Liked those.

-They were pretty good.

Ah! There is a slight smugness coming over here.

Not too bad. Shall we have a look?

One, two, three.

-SHE GASPS

-Eric!

-Don't tell me that was Pendelfin!

-THEY LAUGH

They made a contribution of sorts.

I actually did have a very nice oleograph by JW Waterhouse which,

I don't mind telling you, earned me a very tidy profit.

There was never really any doubt, was that?

Eric walks away the unequivocal winner.

So what exactly happened in Burnley?

I wanted to offer the entire lot for £450.

-Are you going to be OK with that?

-I would have thought so.

-I think that's fine.

-Put it there.

-Excellent.

-Thank you very much.

And a case of welcome home, everybody.

-IN A HIGH VOICE:

-Thanks, Uncle Eric!

And everyone lived happily ever after.

The rabbits burrowed away

and brought in a masterful profit of £87.

It's an outstanding victory for Knocker and Catherine is in awe.

Amazing.

Eric won by a great margin.

£851, Eric. That is pretty good.

Well, I will be forever indebted to a certain Victorian artist

called JW Waterhouse because his oleograph really sealed it for me

when it came to winning the day.

But Eric won't be able to rely on placing all his eggs in one basket

tomorrow, when our two battling barterers will go head-to-head

once again and they will need to limber up with the lingo

as they fight it out in France.