It’s been another enjoyable year in the shop, and you never know what will come in – from a Dinky car to a vase or even something which I have never seen before! I love meeting our customers and once chatting, quite often the back story of how the person acquired the piece is just as fascinating as the object itself.
Trends change in the antique world and things which were once very sought after can soon fall out of favour and sit gathering dust in the shop before it regains popularity. One example is brown furniture.
The craftsmanship and skill that went into these handcrafted items of furniture were highly valued for many years and would fly out of the shop. Fashion changed and younger people began to go for minimalist pieces, and I couldn’t give brown furniture away. What was once worth hundreds, I would struggle to sell for £50. However, darker antique furniture in warm wood tones such as oak, mahogany and walnut are beginning to come back around again. This is how it goes in the antique world. Other items beginning to increase in popularity are Victorian ceramics and pottery — with makers like Minton, Wedgwood and Royal Worcester gaining renewed interest.
My own interest in antiques started as a youngster. I come from a farming background when in those days farming was very much hard labour and me and my siblings would have to help as well as going to school. Farm tools were often handmade or adapted to suit, showing the true craftsmanship of the item. There was no automated machinery back then. I used to collect Dinky toy cars when I was a child, but they would be very difficult to sell as antiques now as I battered them to death during play and I’m sure half the paint was scraped off! Children don’t think about future antiques when they are playing.
Over many years my enthusiasm for antiques has not left me and that love is also shared by my daughter Carol who works in the shop with me. The wealth of knowledge I have gained and the many people I have met along the way have added to my interest and I see the shop more as a hobby than business.
I am always happy to visit people in their home to do valuations and believe in offering a fair price with no obligation whatsoever to sell.
With the new year bringing in a fresh start and the dark winter days it is great time to have a clear out so please call in the shop with any items you decide you no longer want to keep or telephone me for a free valuation.
Please see advert below for contact details and opening times.
