Portobello Road Alan Carter and Ludo [Ludo and Swagman’s Old Wares at Ulmarra]. The men are looking forward to the upcoming TV series Clash of the Collectables, which will feature Ludo’s business among others and will screen on GEM TV later in the year. Image: Lynne Mowbray.
At the end of the interview with Alan, I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions. So reflecting back over the years there must have been thousands of interesting characters: who stands out the most? My step dad, Minky Warren. He wasn’t honest and he’d stitch everyone up. He had four brothers who were all crooks and all went to prison. They all had sons who were crooks and they all went to prison. How do you put a value on antiques? You learn by buying and selling. If you buy something for say $20 and sell it for $25, you made a profit; but if you buy it for $20 and it sells for $15 you make a loss. It was all a punt. You learn from your benchmark. All dealers have great stories, and you listen to other dealers. Your knowledge was all in your head and from what you heard. What is the future for antiques? It’s cyclical. It comes around every 20 years. Antiques never go out of fashion, but styles do, you just have to wait. Buying and selling advice and what’s popular at the moment? Three rules to buying anything: Do you like it? Can you afford it? Buy it! It’s not the things you buy you regret, it’s the things you don’t buy. Things that are good at the
moment: advertising memorabilia, enamel signs (very big), the bottle market is very strong at the top end – not the bottom end. What surprised me at the last fair I did, was china. It has been pretty flat, but it’s starting to creep up again – but it has to be by well known makers. Everything sells, but it has to be at the right price – that’s why we have price guides. Informing the public is very important, because it gives them an appreciation for what they are buying. Look in books and magazines, because that gives you the genuine selling prices. People usually go on Ebay, but Ebay prices aren’t real and you can’t be sure of quality. Find a reputable dealer, someone with longevity. Find someone who has been in the business for a while. If you’re not a good and honest dealer, you won’t stay in business. What are your personal favourite antiques? Magic Posters from early magicians like – 1890s - 1910 ‘Carter the Great’. It’s all about the artwork, it’s stunning. It blows me away. Pub mirrors – I once had a shop that sold only pub mirrors. 1950s pin up girls (they were easy to collect) and advertising memorabilia. Alan said that he is looking for-
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ward to his upcoming TV series with co-star Eric Knowles, England’s top Antiques expert. The series titled Clash of the Collectables consists of 10 x 1hour episodes and will be screened on GEM TV, later in the year. Summing up – whatever happened to? Brother Kenny and his wife Alice built a unique and very successful business called Alice’s (now one of Londons most famous shops). Kenny died at the age of 57 and the business went to his son Douglas. Alice still lives in Portobello and travels the world. Alan’s mother Gladys died at the age of 86 and Minky died on his 93rd birthday. He never worked a day after he turned 50. Daughter Nicci lives in Queensland, Julie in Coffs Harbour and Christine in Sydney. Julie and Christine run a publishing company (since 2004) that publishes a quarterly Antiques and Collectables for pleasure and profit magazine (which is a spin off from The Antique Trader). It is the only magazine of its kind in Australia. They released their first 550 page Carter Sisters Price Guide, in May this year. Alan said that their lives in the antiques business has been a roller coaster ride with more twists and turns than Minky had tricks.
The name Portobello Road may appear as just a name to most of us. Surprisingly, however, it has a colourful history that a lot of us may relate to. • The 1971 Disney comedy Bedknobs and Broomsticks was set in Portobello Road. • Cat Stevens wrote and performed his 1966 song Portobello Road, based upon his visits there. • The international company Virgin, run by Sir Richard Branson, started its life in Vernon Road (which runs off Portobello Road). • Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Chrissie Shrimpton visited Portobello Road in 1965, at the time of the Rolling Stones’ release ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’. • Visitors to Carter Bros. & Dad include: Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, John Wayne, Michael Caine and, in later years when it was known as Alice’s, Michael Jackson and President Bill Clinton. According to Alan, whilst Portobello Road was becoming the antique centre of the world, other things were going on: race riots, street crime, criminals, murderers, serial killers, film stars and others – Notting Hill had it all!
ABOVE: Minky Warren outside his shop on Portobello Road. This photo was taken in the early 1950s.
Ludo & Swagman’s OLDWARES
Always Buying for Cash Anywhere on the North Coast Deceased Estates | Downsizers | Farmyard Estates Country Estates | Over 50yrs Combined Experience Email: ludogayko@gmail.com
21c PaciďŹ c Highway (10km North of Grafton)
ULMARRA • 66 444 080 0402 044 601 or 0403 071 121 SCENE
September 2017
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