PUBLISHED March 17th, 2012 11:46 am | UPDATED July 23rd, 2024 12:43 am
There is nothing greater than that intrepid feeling when you stumble upon a hidden treasure, it’s what we do here at City Nomads! But I must confess, when I recently discovered a genuine vintage and second hand furniture expert, it was a case of woooohoooo! followed by…..do you accept cash or cheque? and when can I come visit?
Significantly, this is not remodelled or refurbished vintage. Jennifer’s Vintage and Antique sell pieces as found, which means that what you get is a pre-loved, honest heirloom. I was so enamoured with her selection that I am now proud owner of a 1960’s Singaporean, hand-crafted teak and glass display cabinet. It’s beautiful, it’s unique, it’s authentically Singaporean and I love it so.
I am so utterly delighted with it that I wanted to spread the word about Jennifer’s Vintage and Antique – or Many Lovely Things – as her eBay store is known. It’s a small business run by a fantastic Singaporean couple, Jennifer and her husband. While they currently do not have a shop or showroom, they do have a storage facility or rather, an Aladdin’s cave! I would recommend that you select on eBay and if you want to go see it in person, arrange it so they can get the particular piece out for you. The space they have is so jam-packed with absolute gems that it’s a bit like a Jenga game, remove one piece and it might all come toppling down!
Jennifer’s story is quite inspirational, so I thought rather than me waxing lyrical, I’d let her explain a bit more…
I had been in the corporate working world for more than 20 years, in the hustle and bustle of city life, moving forward in a frantic pace. More and more I used my free time to immerse in the relaxing ambiance of parks, beaches and anywhere natural. I began to recognise the importance of not cutting down trees and wanted to do something to help promote going green.
I also missed the simple life of old days in Singapore when we had more time and resources which translated into creativity; in the things we used to have and the interesting life experiences as someone who was a teenager in the 1970’s. Many 1960’s and 1970’s items give me fond memories.
When my mother’s parents moved to stay with my brother two years ago, they had to get rid of some vintage pieces, so I took them in and started selling them at eBay auction. The response was good and I enjoyed meeting the lovely people who bought the items from me, as they had the same taste and interests. Many of them are still buying from me now.
I decided to continue doing it and my husband supported me with his knowledge – he was a distributor for antique clocks and other antiques and collectibles such as irons, fans, sewing machines, gramophones, coca cola collectibles, lamps and lighting, telephones and Peranakan furniture. Now he helps me to source for antiques and vintage furniture.
What era is most of the furniture from and what do you know about how it was made?
I sell mostly 1960’s and 1970’s retro furniture as I personally feel good about them. I used to see these lovely pieces when I was a little girl and go ‘wow!’ at those interesting tall room diving cabinets with high Art Deco shelving, furniture with gold rim curve sides, colorful Formica, bubble glasses, beautiful door knobs and handles, mirrors with patterns of flowers and birds and totally unique designs.
My husband loves 1920’s and 1950’s furniture due to his antique background and also because he and his circle of friends are collectors of such antiques. We do sell them but they are much harder to come by nowadays.
Is there anything that you look for in particular when selecting a piece?
When selecting pieces, I look for uniqueness, good workmanship, quality, age and design as I believe they decide the beauty of an item.
What’s been the response to your store?
The response to my store has been good and I have been accorded ‘Power Seller’ status on eBay with 100% positive feedback. Many customers who purchased from me two years ago are still buying from me today. I started a Facebook group recently and many new people have joined. I really appreciate the support of my long-time customers.
What is your favourite item in the shop right now? and where is it from?
My favourite piece in the shop right now is the 1920s 100% A1 Teak wood Marquetry glass display cabinet. Although I prefer 1960s or 1970s furniture, this piece is special because it has lovely artistic frames on the glass doors with matching simple elegant crown and bullet legs.The previous owner did a great job in taking care of it well.
From the same house, I bought three Art Deco Armchairs with curve armrests (one has been sold, two are still available), a green glass display cabinet (sold), a Teak U-Leg coffee table (available), a Teak chest of drawers (available), and a pink cushion stool (sold). They were all in a landed house on the East Coast which has now been sold since the owners are moving to a condominium and have no space for all their furniture.
Where do your pieces tend to be from?
I buy furniture and items from owners who renovate or move house, from very old shops which are sold to new establishments and from collectors who decided to make space for new collections.
Jennifer has fascinating and unique stock coming in all the time, they can deliver straight to your home and the prices are insanely good. Did I mention how much I love my cabinet?
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Written by Heh Zee