A MAN who loves collecting has opened a new antique store in Darlington to get rid of what he called a “millstone for my neck.”
David Gray and his partner Chris Long, opened Vintique Emporium in Queen’s Arcade on Saturday and The Northern Echo was given a first look inside as thousands of antique items were on show.
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Mr Gray decided to retire at around the age of 60 and over the course of 40 years has been collecting “quirky and unusual” items.
However, he is now determined to get rid of the items he has collected over that time and during the past few years, has been trying to do just that.
Mr Gray was able to fill his four-storey house and vans with the items, as well as Holy Trinity Church, which has supported him in allowing him to use the hall as a storage area.
He said: “I have to thank Holy Trinity Church who have supported me since moving here.
“They’ve given me the Church hall, which is fully stocked, and my whole house is fully stocked and it’s a four-storey house.
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Initial the couple tried to get rid of the items by holding fairs across the country, however, found that it was “killing” them.
He added: “I’m over 60 and having to pack it up, travel down in a van, unload it, sleep in the van, pack it all up again – it was a nightmare, it was horrendous.”
Mr Gray soon began looking for a shop closer to home in Darlington where he could sell his items on and was also able to get other dealers to join.
He said: “One of the gentlemen is a keen glass man, another is an ex-museum curator and he is into ancient pottery and then we have a lady who is a true vintage lady and loves anything from the 50s onwards.”
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The shop took an unexpected six-weeks to stock with all the items. MP Peter Gibson arrived at the store at 12pm on Saturday where it was successfully open for business.
After being open for three hours, Mr Gray said they received a great response that “exceeded expectations.”
He added: “When we opened for three hours, oh my, we exceeded our expectations, far beyond what we ever expected, it was fabulous.”
Mr Gray said his overall goal was to get rid of the stuff he had collected and he wasn’t looking to “make a fortune from the people of Darlington.”
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He concluded: “All I need to do is get this millstone, which it is - I’ve created a millstone for my neck - I need to get it away and clear it from my life and enjoy my retirement.”
Check out more pictures below:
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