Schredds with a customer
History
For 38 years, our shop was located in the heart of the Antiques Section of the Portobello Market, ever since the business was founded by my wife Bunty and me, in 1970. In 2008, we decided that the time had come to restructure our business around this website, rather than seeking larger, alternative premises. Our son Luke helps us when time permits. Being a historian, he enjoys the research side of our activities, particularly the provenance, the heraldry and attributions — and keeps tabs on customers' changing requirements. I look after the website.
The stock
Our stock covers an ever-widening range of "inspired silver smalls" as one trade customer described them, with an emphasis on 'oddities', whether that be related to the function of the piece or its origin.
Most of them are pre-1870, British sterling (or Britannia) standard silver.
Our stock varies week by week and the objective of these pages is to present an up-to-date view of our stock to our customers. We have always put service high on our list of priorities and this whole site is an extension of that principle.
We have special collections of early spoons, vinaigrettes, caddy spoons, wine labels, snuff-boxes and serving pieces in many of the common English, Irish and Scottish patterns. As pieces sell, the website is updated weekly. Our new purchases are entered monthly — so the site as a whole forms an up-to-date illustrated catalogue of our stock. Each item has at least one image (+ a thumbnail) and many have more.
Buying from us
This page details the steps in the buying process, from 1st contact to delivery and the way we ensure that our customers are satisfied with their purchases from us.
To our Customers
After more than 38 years, our mailing-list of purchasers from all over the world — trade buyers and private individuals — now numbers over 3000. If you are planning a visit to the UK, and to London in particular, we would like to meet you. Since there is now no shop (however small) to which we can invite you — sending us an email will ensure that, by return, you will have a list of locations at which we shall be showing our stock. And knowing your interests, we will then ensure that we take all relevant pieces to the particular venue where we meet — be it a fair or a West End meeting-place.
As from September 2008, we plan on regular Sunday appearances at Kate Marlow's Sunday Fairs.
In addition, we are currently booked to show at the following:
Fairs
Antiques for Everyone Autumn Fair, 2008 at the NEC, Birmingham
Thursday, 30th October 11 a.m. — 7 p.m.
Friday, 31st October 11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Saturday, 1st November 11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, 2nd November 11 a.m. — 5 p.m.
Kensington Art and Antiques Fair 2009, Hornton Street, London W8.
Thursday, 8th January 12 noon — 8 p.m.
Friday, 9th January 10.30 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Saturday, 10th January 10.30 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Sunday, 11th January 10.30 a.m. — 5 p.m.
Contact details
To send us an E-mail enquiry , click here.
However, to send us a secure email with payment details please click here .
Please always quote your own email address in your response, double-checking that it is correct:
(The system does not record your sender address without this).
P.O Box 227, London N6 4EW, England.
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