EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS AND A PARALLEL UNIVERSE

During lockdown, Jon was taken on a mystery trip, by a customer (now very good friend), eminent fashion designer Basia Zarzycka, to a secret warehouse near Richmond, just outside London. Offering no details en route, she said he wouldn’t believe his eyes when he saw what she was about to show him. She was right. The warehouse doors opened to reveal towering hoards of boxes containing over 10 million items of vintage 1980s/90s,18ct gold-plated and silver-plated jewellery (brooches, necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings), most encrusted with original Swarovski crystals. 

The jewellery had been manufactured in England by West Products, the country’s largest supplier to the UK market (stores like Liberty, Harrods, John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason, M&S, River Island, Next & House of Fraser), between the early 1920s and 1999. Predictably the factory closed when high street stores began buying direct from China to save money. The business was left with mind boggling levels of unsold jewellery. The manufacturing plant was sold and the stock stored while they decided what to do.

Two unconnected jewellery businesses – one in Johannesburg, one in London – both established prior to 1920, both ending in the late 1990s, both ceasing trading for the same reason, and neither selling their unsold stock when the businesses closed.

After seven months of negotiation, Jon and Lisa bought this vast haul from the owner and received the keys to the warehouse which they then rented. This was a great find as the jewellery is largely 1980s/90s (some earlier), and so complements their Danziger stock – largely 1940s-70s. Of the highest quality it is guaranteed original vintage… but has never been worn. As ‘dead’ warehouse stock it’s in its original packaging.

After two years, this warehouse was sold and so, Accessories of Old was faced with the task of moving this enormous amount of stock to a new warehouse.  This took 6 men 3 months, and because of the weight of the stock, 50 lorry loads, one after the other.

The majority of this stock is now held in the Parsons Green Depot warehouse, from which the Arch is supplied with all its replacement stock on a daily basis.

Accessories of Old now supplies this jewellery too, to vintage jewellery shops, jewellery designers, costumiers, trade buyers, prestigious film/tv/theatre companies… and even drag queens.

The original warehouse also contained original vintage jewellery findings and manufacturing stampings, plus 20,000 packets of original decades-old Austrian Swarovski and Czech Preciosa crystals – left-over stock from the manufacturing process, all in original packaging.  Thousands of rhinestones of all sizes, colours, shapes and cuts.

Fortunately, managing the complex where the original warehouse stood, is Renato, an original jewellery plater who’d worked for West Products since he was 15. Now in his fifties he’s an invaluable source of information on the background of each piece of jewellery for buyers’ questions.

Interestingly, in one of the old West Products jewellery boxes, a decades-old price list was found addressed to none other than Danziger, Johannesburg. So, it appears that at some stage West Products was supplying Danziger Bros too… A book on the fascinating story is currently being written, and is expected to become a documentary in 2025.

Thanks to such vast stocks, Accessories of Old sell at extraordinarily low wholesale prices to trade jewellery buyers, allowing for excellent margins on resale. Buyers return over, and over again, to purchase more of this, seemingly unending, supply of jewellery stock. The range and variety of stock ensures that there’s always something for every buyer.

Naturally, this hoard will additionally appeal to those wanting to contribute to the sustainability and recycling movement – existing dead stock means no manufacturing involved.

It is wonderful to watch this huge hoard of dead stock begin a whole new life and create such happiness.