Antique Silver -- the Schredds staff

My wife Bunty and I set up SCHREDDS in 1970 and located it in the heart of the Antiques Section of the Portobello Market. Before we became dealers in antique silver, she was a teacher and I a physicist. Since then she has become a gardener and a book-binder and I, a publisher and web-master!

Our son Luke helps out when time permits. Being a trained historian and a historical researcher, he does our research, particularly the heraldry and attributions.

The stock

We started with early spoons and rare hallmarks: now we stock an ever-widening range of "inspired smalls" as one trade customer described them. Most of them are pre-1870, British sterling (or Brittania) standard.

We have always liked to intersperse the serried ranks of solid silver, antique silver jugs, cups and salvers in our showcases, with pieces of 18th century English porcelain. The vinaigrettes and silver boxes in the counter cabinet are offset by antique Wedgwood medallions and various objets d'art.

The Customers

When we opened this web-site in April 1996 we hoped to use it to extend our contacts with our more distant customers and keep in touch with them between visits to the UK. We have been pleasantly surprised by the number of new contacts and customers which this website has brought us -- and by the comments about the site and our service.

The importance of service

A shop in a busy one-day market has both advantages and disadvantages. Though we get 6 days a week in which to roam the country looking for choice pieces, we only see our customers once a week and also, only have access to all our stock once a week. Our customers have the advantage of buying their fine collectibles in a highly competitive market situation: but there are dealers in such markets whose practices are questionable: who think little of selling reproductions as antique or repaired silver as perfect. So we have to be whiter than white! Hence we have always offered the right to return any piece within a reasonable space of time, for whatever reason --- and we give a full refund provided the item has not altered in any way.

How to find us

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Telephone: (0)-208-348-3314

Fax (24 hours): (0)-208-341-5971

E-mail: silver@schredds.com

107, Portobello Road, London W11, England.