Ace Antiques

As you stroll along Queensberry Street, keep an eye out for the eclectic mix of vintage wares and rare items inside and outside Ace Antiques, a collection of curiosities by David Hauswirth.

David got his start selling secondhand goods when he began collecting radios as a youngster.

“I picked up a really nice one at a garage sale, and then I thought ‘I'll just get another one or two. It turned into 200 to 300. Now it’s probably close to 400!”

David loves the colours and decoration that vintage radios impart to a space, so he has kept around 150 radios for his collection. He sells the rest, so there’s a wall of vintage radios inside Ace Antiques.

David is also renowned for his collection of Bakelite items, green Depression glassware, light fittings, enamel signage, mid-century starburst clocks, vintage cigarette lighters and vinyl records, as well as unusual one-off items such as a steam engine toy with a burner.

He also hires out products for dressing movie and TV sets - past clients have included the movie Charlotte’s Web and The Pacific TV mini-series.

Products are sourced from a variety of sources - sometimes customers will bring in items to sell, or David sifts through items to be rehomed from house clearances and rubbish removal jobs.

He selects products based on what comes along or into the store, so every visit offers new treasures to discover.

David doesn’t believe that what he does is a job; it’s more a lifestyle. He has owned Ace Antiques for seven years and has plans to expand to the neighbouring shopfront.

“Collecting old things - it's fun; it's the thrill of the hunt. It's also about talking with people, finding out their stories and the stories of the objects.”

Words by Joyce Watts & Photography by Anna Encio