I try to grab myself a bargain at one of Liverpool’s oldest antique shops

National World - LocalTV

Whether you're looking for some interior inspiration or you just like having a root around some quirky objects - antique shops are the perfect place to while away a rainy day, plus you never know just what you might find.

Transcript

00:00Whether you're looking for some interior design inspo or you're just like having a

00:05route around and looking at some quirky objects.

00:10Antique shops are the perfect place to while away a rainy day plus you never know just

00:15what you might find.

00:17Today I've come to Tunnel Furniture Company which is situated in the historic stables

00:22opposite Edge Hill station.

00:25The space is absolutely jam packed out with antiques.

00:28In fact they estimate they have over 100,000 items in stock which they're continually adding

00:35to.

00:36I've been in this game all my life.

00:38I've been in for just over 45 years so I know a little bit now.

00:44My grandfather started the business and we were cheap labour for my father so at the

00:50age of like 13 we were carrying furniture around the warehouses and it's never stopped.

00:55I'm on the hunt for a bargain today so I've asked owner Paul to find me something under

01:0050 quid.

01:02Everyone in Liverpool needs an artificial leg for 40 quid.

01:06They make great lamps and they look gorgeous sat in the middle of the room.

01:12I was walking through a car boot sale and seeing it and thought I've got to have that

01:17so no one else will have one of them.

01:20So I bought it.

01:21It'll come in handy someday.

01:23As well as being a shop open to the general public they do a lot of film and TV props.

01:28The more weird and wonderful the better according to Paul.

01:32These are the books from the patent office and they had all the patents in from the 1920s

01:39right the way up to the 1980s but the patent office went on computer so they sold me all

01:45the books.

01:46These books have been on so many films.

01:50This model here were the recipe books on the Wonka film.

01:55I was watching TV on Sunday night and Call the Midwife was on and there was two on her

02:00desk.

02:01But where do they find their items?

02:03Well along with combing through car boot sales and markets they work alongside the city's

02:07universities and religious organisations when they're looking to declutter.

02:12We did all the religious figures for Peaky Blinders for the first three series.

02:17I cleared out one of the church furnishes that went bankrupt and he was in there.

02:22We've got one of the shepherds from a nativity scene.

02:27I don't know where the rest of them went.

02:29Must have gone with the kings.

02:31Antique mahogany furniture is the cheapest it's been in 30 years but that doesn't mean

02:36the quality isn't there.

02:38The popular flat pack furniture which you'll find in homes up and down the country has

02:43a shelf life of around five years or so.

02:47Whereas items like this have already been around for over 100 years and they're still

02:53going strong.

02:54A lot of people just come to just walk around it's like a cheap day out.

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