December 05 2013 – Mercantile London
Stuffed tawny owls, giant donkey heads, marionette puppets, full-length furs, buttons, books and brooches… what more could a girl ask for? There’s never a dull moment at the Antique market at Spitalfields, every Thursday. Bursting with collectibles, antiques, vintage goods and all manner of curious, all you need is a keen eye to walk away with something priceless.
Being a part of Spitalfields market is something we’re very proud of at The Mercantile, and Thursdays are one of our favourite days. We often source bits and pieces as props for in-store from our favourite traders. Enter from the nearest entrance to us on Lamb Street and be greeted with an inevitable blast of Elvis from the gramophone, telephone and record player stall straight in front of you, always eager to show that his vintage beauties really do work.
Stroll on through and the treasures unfold around you. If you’re after a real rummage then see the ladies on the £3 stall next to Wagamamas, a sea of jewels and gems (one mans rubbish is a thrifty shoppers dream, we assure you). Hand-worn and weather-bitten books cover stalls near the Commercial Road entrances – we love to pick a few of these for displaying our wares on in-store.
Taxidermy seems popular at the moment in the market, it’s not for everyone of course, but these are without doubt conversation pieces. From a flock of chicks, to tawny owls and pheasants, to somewhat twisted and woebegone foxes, there’s a stuffed fellow for every need. We’ve got our own creatures in store at the moment, a whole wall of them in fact! We’ve gone for the winged sort though; butterflies and bugs.
The list goes on, theatre posters, records, antique jewellery, pictures, cameras and film, furniture… Thursday markets really are a jewel in Spitalfields crown, and have to be seen to be believed.
Tagged: East London, Spitalfields