Swanage’s newest antique shop owner, Alex Koerber, will be keeping a close eye on the new Paddington Bear movie, as one of his antiques is expected to feature as a prop.
Alex, whose Swanage Antiques shop opened in the High Street in spring 2024, responded to a plea from Marmalade Pictures, one of the production companies behind the much anticipated third Paddington film called Paddington In Peru.
Paddington In Peru was provided with an important prop by Swanage Antiques
Alex Koerber outside his antiques shop at 86A High Street, Swanage
Urgent call from Marmalade Pictures
They needed an important prop for use in the film, in which everyone’s favourite accident prone bear goes in search of his Aunt Lucy in darkest Peru and the Amazon rainforest.
Filming called for a very specific torch which was only produced in the 1980s, and an urgent call went out to antique shops around the country for the rarity.
As luck had it, Alex had the very item on his shelves at the time, and got straight back in touch with Marmalade Pictures to let them know the good news.
And although Paddington In Peru hasn’t yet been released – it will be in cinemas from Friday 8th November 2024 and at The Mowlem in Swanage over Christmas and the New Year – Alex has been told that his prop should feature in the film.
Taking pride of place in the shop, an original Gabrielle Designs Paddington from 1972
A collectible flashlight from the 1980s was used in the filming of Paddington In Peru
“I’ll be watching the film very carefully!”
Alex Koerber said:
“Collectibles is one of the areas I specialise in, and Paddington Bear is huge at the moment – he first appeared in October 1958 in the children’s book A Bear Called Paddington and is more popular today than he has ever been.
“Vintage toys of Paddington are very collectible, like the one I have here made by Gabrielle Designs in 1972 – the first time he was given his red wellington boots which have now become so iconic.
“So when I saw the message from Marmalade Pictures, who needed a very specific flashlight from the 1980s which I just happened to have in my shop at the time, I couldn’t wait to get in touch with them.
“I’ve been told that it is being used in the latest film, Paddington In Peru, and hopefully that scene hasn’t been cut in the final cinematic version. I will be watching the film very carefully to find out!”
Swanage Antiques is a treasure trove of items from a bygone age, like this rocking horse
Collectibles, such as the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, are becoming increasingly popular
A pair of Queen Victoria’s stockings
Alex added:
“We buy from the public and will do free valuations, so if anyone has interesting items they are welcome to bring them in. I love when people come in with jewellery or collectibles and find that their items are worth far more than they thought.
“The most unusual item brought in so far was a pair of Queen Victoria’s stockings which had her Royal coat of arms on. I found a collector in London who was really keen to have them, and made the lady an offer which she was very happy with.
“Another woman came in here with a 9 carat gold bracelet that her dad bought five years ago for £200, but yesterday’s price was above £1,000.
“Gold is at an historic high price at the moment, but the lady had no idea and the bracelet was just sitting in a sock drawer, so it was lovely to tell her what a good investment it had been.
“I’m always on the lookout for interesting items, especially if they are from the Purbeck area, I love buying local. I know it will be a tight winter for a lot of people and they may want to sell items that are sitting around in their homes – or maybe learn more about their history.”
Swanage Museum’s collection manager John Patrick with the restored Victorian turnstile from Swanage Pier
The turnstile was acquired by Alex Koerber from a man using it as a bar in his garden
“A piece of Swanage’s history”
Alex hit the headlines in autumn 2023 when he bought an original turnstile from Swanage Pier and put it up for sale in the shop @Sixtyone, where he was working at the time.
After a fundraising appeal across Swanage sparked by a Facebook post, £950 was raised in a matter of days to buy the turnstile for the town, and following renovation and repair it will now have a permanent home at Swanage Museum.
Alex Koerber said:
“I was helping out in @Sixtyone when a gentleman came in and asked whether we bought things, which is how we came to acquire Swanage Pier’s turnstile, as the man had it in his garden and was using it as a bar.
“I found out the history behind it and how important it was to Swanage – a couple came in and were seriously considering buying it, they wanted to put a deposit down, but I refused.
“It was nothing to do with the financial side of it at that point, this was a piece of Swanage’s history which I wanted to stay in Swanage.”
Alex has been mentored by BBC antiques star Paul Martin since he appeared on Make Me A Dealer
Alex took his first steps in the antiques trade in front of the TV cameras
Alex starred in Make Me A Dealer
Alex took his first steps in the antiques trade five years ago, after seeing a poster at the Old Forge antiques shop in Swanage, where the BBC presenter Paul Martin was asking if people wanted to learn about antiques for a new show of his, Make Me A Dealer.
Having always been interested in history he decided to apply – a process which involved taking an antiques quiz, answering some interview questions, and finally buying three antique items and predicting what profit could potentially be made out of them.
Alex took along a silver trinket box, a Queen’s South Africa medal from the Second Boer War which he bought at auction, and a nine carat gold pocket watch and chain which he felt was a real investment piece.
He was chosen to take part in the show which aired in 2019 and got on so well with Paul Martin that the star offered to mentor Alex, who has since been able to tap into his wealth of knowledge, and has been backstage at a number of the Flog It! programmes with him.
The experience set Alex’s passion for antiques well and truly alight as well as boosting his confidence, and he started to sell at various antiques shows and trade fairs.
With a business partner who specialises in Eastern antiques, Asian items are well represented at the shop
20th Century collectibles are looking for a new home, from Pelham puppets to a two-tone tea set
“We are getting busier all the time”
Alex Koerber said:
“When the Antiques Roadshow came to Swanage, I went along and sat with Raj Bisram for an hour and he was interested in what I did, as he said I was younger than almost all the other antique dealers.
“He promised to visit me when I opened my own shop, and was true to his word – we sat here together, valuing items and he bought some items off me, and then he started to mentor me too as he said, in his own words, that he was better than Paul!
“We got on really well – we speak once or twice a week and he hopes to be back here next summer to see how I am getting along, as long as his filming schedule allows.
“It is a bit of a disadvantage being some distance away from the town centre – we are opposite Swanage Methodist Church – but people are finding us on social media and we are getting busier all the time.”
Humble butter knives are a best seller at Swanage Antiques
Vintage advertising wall art takes customers back in time
“I hate to see anything thrown away”
Alex added:
“I love the idea of helping people to recycle pre-loved items, so we do house clearances and ensure all items are sorted through professionally, carefully selecting items which can be reused, recycled and reloved.
“We pack items that aren’t being sold in our shop and deliver them to the homeowner’s chosen charity, provide estimates for any antiques and second-hand items of value and buy gold and silver at the highest prices.
“The beauty of antiques is seeing things that have lasted all this time and still have plenty of life left in them. Kitchenalia is big – we sell large numbers of something as simple as a butter knife because people love the bone handles and remember having them when they were growing up.
“I specialise in mid 20th Century furniture, like G-Plan, which people used to turn their noses up at but which now is once again really sought after. It was built to last, has a real charm and pleases my recycling ethos, I hate to see anything thrown away!”
Further information
- See the latest treasures appear in store at Swanage Antiques’ Facebook site
