Real Men Buy Mantiques...

This week there was an interesting article by Katrina Burroughs in the Telegraph titled "Forget antiques: the latest trend is mantiques".  Here at Alfies we did a bit of research, asked our twitter followers and spoke to some of our dealers who stock a more manly selection of antique goods to find out the word on the street. 

Tin Tin Collectables - First Floor at Alfies

At Alfies, Leslie Verrinder of Tin Tin Collectables has an eclectic collection perfectly suited for the discerning gentlemen.  His luggage and travel accessories shop on the first floor is full of canvas and leather trunks of all sizes, as well as a number of sporting goods including 1950s jockey weighing scales, a 1930s fishing reel with horn handle and a set of boxed gaming chips.  We asked Leslie for his thoughts on this new trend:

"For far too long now the antiques and collectables market has been dominated by a lean to the feminine - consider glass, china, lace, textiles and vintage fashion. Now the new kid on the block sees the rise of the MANTIQUE."

Gaming chips and metal trunk

Leslie has seen demand increase for large pieces of vintage luggage, steamer trunks and vintage sporting goods including croquet sets, crickets sets, and leather punchbags.

1950s jockey's weighing scales

"Originally, these items were the preserve of large shops and interior decorators including Ralph Lauren and Espirit, now they are finding their way into houses and apartments as furniture. A steamer trunk, for example, makes an excellent occasional or coffee table, complete with ample storage, and a home gym looks so much better with a leather working punch bag hanging in the corner."

The Boys Own Book of Outdoor Games & Pastimes, fishing reel and leather football

Mirror Master in the stand next door has some unusual desk accessories including an elephant shaped inkwell and pen holder and some interesting match holders in the style of a bookcase.

Stephen Lazarus - First Floor at Alfies

Peering through the window of Stephen Lazarus shop opposite your eyes take a moment to adjust to the jungle of industrial lighting that greets you.  Angle poise, tubular steel and imposing theatre lights are mixed with model airplanes and glove moulds from a French glove making factory.  A steel filing cabinet with contrasting brass handles sits proudly on a tall metal base, perfect for a modern man’s home office.

Industrial lighting from Stephen Lazarus

So it seems ‘mantiques’ are on the rise with many male collectors looking for interesting pieces to add to their homes.  Whether or not people like this catchy new term, the trend is here to stay and for those looking for original pieces Alfies and the other antique shops on Church Street are a great place to start!

See more great items on our Mantiques Pinterest board.

Ahoy there!

Some nautical themed items that have caught my eye this week in Alfies.

1920s blue and white blouse from Tin Tin Collectables

1950s boat called 'Lady Luck' from Hayling Island Fairground from Anouska Hunter Antiques

Vintage Ladybird book from East West Books and Antiques

1950s/60s mirrored back bar shelves from W & L Antiques

For your travels these fantastic vintage suitcases from Tin Tin Collectables

Beautiful illuminated globe from Thirteen Interiors

Changes in Alfies

We thought we would bring you up to speed with a number of changes in Alfies, we have some new additions to the market and some dealers have expanded.


Firstly James Hope on the second floor, James deals in European decorative art and design from late 19th to mid 20th Century. His bold paintings and ceramics make for a really stunning addition to the second floor. A must see for art enthusiasts.





Tin Tin Collectibles, who have a stand on the ground floor have expanded to the second floor where they stock exclusively antique and vintage luggage and travel accessories. There is a wide range of sizes and styles available.





Another dealer who has taken on an additional stand is Barry Landsman. His ground floor unit of British 18th and 19th Century watercolours has broadened to small pieces of furniture and other decorative items from the same period. You can find Barry's additional stand on the first floor.


Modo Italia have moved to a bigger space on the first floor occupying Bent Ply's previous stand. The bigger space has allowed for a great display area for their fantastic and unusual Italian furniture, art and ceramics.




Bent Ply have moved to their own shop on Lisson Grove, just seconds away from Alfies. The shop is a fantastic space and is perfect for their stock of avant garde 20th Century furniture. This is well worth a visit on your way either to or from Alfies.

Louis Vuitton Collector's Paradise

As the new Louis Vuitton store opens on Bond Street this week, the brand seeks to emphasise that this is not just a shop but a place to evoke the heritage and legacy of luxury, which Louis Vuitton encompasses.

Maison is designed with the theme 'collector' in mind, "Reflecting Louis Vuitton's art-de-vivre and savoir-faire, conceived as the home of a collector . . . [it] gives visitors opportunities to discover new and exciting experiences." Guardian.co.uk

Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton Malletier who developed the first flat bottomed trunks with trianon canvas which meant they were lightweight, airtight and could be stacked. This was a huge step forward for the travel industry and many others copied this design. To further protect his brand Louis Vuitton started using the damier canvas pattern (see below) with the unmistakable LV logo to stand out from the imitations starting off what was to become and internationally recognised and successful brand.

Walking through Alfies it is hard not to be taken in by the amount of history surrounding the artifacts and objects on the shelves. There are some very special pieces of luggage that resonate with the golden age of travel when journeys were a little more glamourous, if a bit more time consuming than they are today.

Furniture Lighting and Luggage. From Manley J Black


Louis Vuitton suitcase from the 1920s. From Travers Antiques

Head to the second floor for Tin Tin Collectables' new vintage luggage and travelling accessories shop for some serious collectors items.

Stencilled Noah & the Arc Trunk - Perfect for a Child's Toy Box!


Selection of Antique & Vintage Trunks, all from Tin Tin Collectables.

Antique and vintage luggage can be used in so many ways. Whether they are used for storage or as a sensational statement piece, the true beauty lies in the history, journeys and secret stories they contain.