Sydney's oddest shops - antiques

Seasonal Concepts

Both the name of this Redfern shop and its entrance are unassuming, but what’s inside may astound you. Ken Wallis and TR Keller’s store contains around 40 pieces of taxidermy - ducks, peacocks, kookaburras, stags, a wolf rug, and most startlingly, the towering neck and head of a giraffe named Roger. Don’t be too appalled though: Roger’s not a hunting trophy. “We picked him up in Melbourne - he comes from a zoo or a museum,” Wallis explains. The store opened 30 months ago when the partners decided they’d combine floristry with a collection of pre-1950s oldwares. As well as elaborate botanic arrangements the shop is full of old crockery, garden tools, furniture and curiosities. “We don’t restore things, we try to keep them with the evidence of tear and tear - objects that tell their own stories.” For example, a Cyclops tricycle from the 1950s, rusted and with its paint flaking, costs $220, while a giant wooden bellows is $750. For the living room, a St Kilda Ware fine china teapot set in mint condition is $120. For the moment, many of the taxidermied pieces have been hired out to The Great Gatsby production team, but you can still pick up a stuffed jaybird in a glass case for $540. Roger, however, is not for sale: “He’s been a huge drawcard for us.” 122 Redfern St, Redfern 2016. (02 8399 2435). Tue-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm.

David Met Nicole

A shop crowded with furniture, lighting, accessories and eclectic objects that have a rustic, used quality. 382 Cleveland St, Surry Hills 2010. (02 9698 7416). 

The Society Inc

Haberdashery, hardware, paperware and curiosities in a lovely-looking store. 18 Stewart St, Paddington 2021. (02 9331 1592).

Sydney Antique Centre

Fifty antiques, vintage fashion and art dealers plus a café, all under one roof. 531 South Dowling St, Surry Hills 2010. (02 9361 3244).

Retro on Regent

Tonnes of authentic mid-century modern furniture, glassware and ceramics for all you Mad Men obsessives. 88 Regent St, Redfern 2016. (0408 839 493).