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O’Sullivan’s Antiques Vintage and Collectables sells an assortment of high quality goods exactly as their name suggests. They’ve sold antique Victorian and Georgian furniture and also have unusual items that stir a bit of intrigue. The latter come in the form of old signs from Australian railways and other neat paraphernalia.

“My husband was a big collector and still is,” says Owner Kim O’Sullivan. “We decided to start selling excess collections of our collections.” Her husband was a collector of all things old and unusual. They started collecting over 30 years ago and have different antique furniture including antique Victorian and Georgian cabinets, drawers, and sofas.

There’s an understanding that when selling some items it may be better to sell them “AF” or “as found” for short. However, for items such as brass or copper, O’Sullivan’s is happy to polish it as they noticed customers’ preferences.

“I’ve collected a lot of railway signs and other bits and pieces that are very old and Australian”

Through all those years they learned to be able to date things and better determine their value. A Georgian sofa, for example, would show hints of its age from the wear and tear of its upholstery and wood. “You can tell if something’s been made in the style of,” says Kim. “Even in the 1980’s they were making a lot of reproduction Victorian furniture from Asia and you can tell. You’ve got to have the eye for it, I suppose.”

“I’ve collected a lot of railway signs and other bits and pieces that are very old and Australian,” says Kim. “I’ve also collected a lot of jewellery in the past.” O’Sullivans also goes further to add items such as typewriters, artwork, and crockery to their wide collection.

Maintaining their stock hasn’t been an issue as they do have many things in stock, occasionally travelling to different markets and antique shops to scour new and interesting finds. 

O’Sullivan’s has now been at the Old Bus Depot Markets for over a year now, having started in 2017. They’re enjoying the market atmosphere and have a particular appreciation for Portobello Road and Retro Depot theme days. She says you can also expect “man-tiques” which are antique items that tend to interest men. These are generally vintage, cast-iron items such as farm gear and a trolley from the early 1900’s.

See O’Sullivan’s at the Old Bus Depot Markets when we return on 13 January, 2019 for Portobello Road.

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