The Antique Shop

The Antique Shop

I've worked in Hay Antiques Market since 2009. It's an odd place, that kind of eccentric, rambling, allsorts, building that dates back to early Georgian times and somehow fits the trade nicely.

After being in the trade for some years now I should be used to the people we get through the door, but still they amaze me. Hay-On-Wye is firmly on the tourist map so we do get visitors from all over the place along with locals.

The characters that come through the door sometimes feel as though they've been lifted from some forgotten Dickensian classic, others clearly show how Britain got an Empire. That kind of strong iron core folk that will do anything for someone with good manners but heaven help the soul that queue hops in front of them. I love these people. I adore their low level mumbling strength of character and odd dirty laugh. The willingness to knock their heads back and crack a joke. Their ability to rush in and tell me if the parking attendant has been seen. A deep seated love of dogs - after all they are nicer than people - and their considered opinions on the best cake or cup of tea in town.

They are the core customer base and frankly they're brilliant.

We don't stock Nazi memorabilia. It's not written into the rules its just not done in our happy band. So imagine my surprise when a young American man came in on Saturday. Clearly on holiday in his shorts and tee-shirt he was eating an ice cream stood next to the sign that said no eating or drinking in the shop. I let that slip as he looked at me in between licks of his ice cream cone and said "do you have WW2 stuff?"

Me: "we have 1940's ephemera, clothing and artefacts, as well as some government issued World war 2 posters........what were you looking for?"

Customer: "oh I'm not interested in that,....... Nazi stuff,..... German things I want..."

Me: "no we don't stock that"

Customer: "Oh,...well what about Vichy French?"

Me - smiling sweetly : "I'm sorry I'm afraid we only have non fascist winning side items here"

He shrugged, turned on his heels and walked out.

It still surprises me that people want that kind of item, a military dealer I know told me that Nazi memorabilia is still a great seller, but really, why? Who would want that in their home? Why would anyone date a guy or girl that collected it? How would you approach it as a subject? "Hi, my names Joe Bloggs, I'm 23 years old, I'd like to meet a like minded individual, my hobbies are cycling, going out and collecting Fascist things..." That's a dating profile that would be swiped as far away as possible as soon as possible. The only way around it would be to keep it quiet like some seedy secret or develop a collection once in a committed long term relationship. 

As I said, I'll never get use to the people who come through the door, they still startle and amaze me.