The co-owner of an independent vintage and antiques shop in Buckinghamshire has described featuring in an episode of a popular BBC series as a ‘great’ experience.
Darren, who co-owns The Vintage Shop in Duck Farm Court, Aylesbury, with his partner Mark, attributes the success of the enterprise – which arrived in the town just last August – to its eclectic selection of wares, handpicked by the two owners to appeal to a wide customer base.
He believes it was this reputation for the diverse and idiosyncratic that led BBC bosses to approach The Vintage Shop for a feature in an episode of the popular programme Antiques Road Trip as experts Catherine Southon and Phil Serrell comb Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire for unmined treasures in an episode that was filmed back in April but airs on BBC One tonight (December 14).
Although Darren and Mark were born and bred in Aylesbury, the relative newness of their joint enterprise did mean the initial approach by BBC producers came as a surprise, but Darren said he views it as a testament to their success in quickly establishing a varied range of products, which even caught auctioneer Phil Serrell off-guard when he had a poke around before filming got underway.
“They came in and filmed from around 3pm on a Friday, and they said we could keep the shop open, but we decided to shut it early, just in case.
“Phil couldn’t believe how much stock we had and how diverse it was – he was surprised when we told him that we don’t rent out space to traders and that it is all our own finds, ranging in price from £1 to £1,000.
“You’ve got to cater to everyone’s different needs and wants, and we’re always trying to think outside the box in terms of what people might want to buy. There are antiques and jewellery but there’s also metal garden ware. It’s not necessarily traditional.”
Although he has had to keep the details of the episode strictly under wraps until now, Darren said the filming was a “great” experience and he is hopeful that once it airs, it will not only boost business at The Vintage Shop but also for other independent retailers based in Duck Farm Court.
“We are still a new business, but we’ve got lots of regular customers and support behind us because people like the charm of the shop.
"I can say that the experts bought something from us for full price on the programme and it did make a profit at auction, but you’ll have to watch tonight to find out more!”
The Vintage Shop will feature in an episode of Antiques Road Trip that airs today, December 14, at 3:45pm on BBC One. It is also currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer as episode 24 of season 27.
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