Portobello Rd market

[timdewey2]

hi chesspur and others first a personal to chesspur . I looked at 110078093019 Yes its a good big set some damages and I don't like the look of some of the bases, should make arround $10,000 Hi all regarding cci etc. There seems to be some desire for more than we are getting from the (cci) magazine If any members are coming through London I'm in Portobello Rd market most Saturday mornings From 7am to 11am I will br pleased to show any one round ( garrics shop at no.75 is always worth a look ,but don't dally if your not going to buy .There are several dealers who sell sets but don't expect them to be founts of knowlege . also Antiquarious on the Kings Road . and others Hope to see some of you there phone me on 07944042970 I usually stop for coffee in Admiral Vernon cafe at about 9 am (thats the one opposite the book shop in the film notting hill, of course the book shop dosn't exist ) If you head up to the fruit market you will pass it on the left 2-300 yards before regards alandewey

[jvreij]

Hello Alan The portobello road is still on my list. Have been there ew times, however never on saturday. Again, next Bloomsbury auction is at wednesday making unsure if I will be there on saturday. If so I will look for you in the Admiral Vernon café

[acf1515]

Hi timdewey2, I have just read your comment regarding the CCI magazine! I took over the editing of the magazine just over 1 year ago, so I am very interested in your views. Please tell me what you think is wrong with the magazine and what you would like to see in it. Thanks Jim

[timdewey2]

hi all Portobello Rd market only really comes to life on a Saturday, although some of the shops are open during the week (e.g. 75 portobello(Garick Coleman)) The main market for antiques is on Saturday , most galleries open by 7 am and if you want to bag a bargain be there by then . However there are a lot of chess set dealers (6 or 7) who will show you there wares during the day . Theres also Antiquarious on the Kings Road and Alfies or Greys also the old cinema in Chisick High st. The point beeing that London really is the centre of the worid for antique chess sets To Jim , I find the cci mag a bit stuffy and theoretical most collectors can only aspire to some of the more exotic sets I would suggest more about "normal sets" as well as the stuff by Pozzi G.W. etc

[chesspurr]

timdewey2 hi alan i agree with the saturday visit being essential. getting there early is a must too. visits during the week are like going to the sahara desert ,with colemans shop being the lone oasis .

[acf1515]

timdewey2 Thank you for your comments re the CCI Magazine. It is only by members telling me their views that I can try to provide what they want to see. How about an article on Porobello road? Jim

[timdewey2]

Hi Jim, Yes I would like to do an article on Portobello Road regarding chess sets . I'll take my camera too , I will have to ask all the chess dealers if they want the publicity ,but if they say yes then i'll do it . probably a few weeks to organise . regards Alan D

[rickofricks]

Tim, I'm sure a lot of us out here in the States, who can't get to Portobello Road by car, would be interested to see what all the excitement is about. Wish I could go. Rick

[chesspurr]

rickofricks hi rick, well i have been there on one occasion ,last year and also over 30 years ago a few times. for a start its pretty big ,and there is alot more to see than just chess sets. just about every darned collectable antique you can think of is available. its pretty busy ,many tourists visit and being open only once a week its not suprising either. you need a full day to see everything quickly ,so second visits are necessary if one wanted to get a complete run down on what its all about. trading can be hectic and a set could be seen and gone in minuites when the collectors hit london. dealers tend to buy and sell each week there with the same set changing hands as much a three times in a day !!! its a wonderful experience for any collector ,and whilst prices can be pretty high ,one can always haggle ,and can get substantial discounts on occasion. one can take a break at one of the coffee cafes ,which are about ,and simply relax as people wander about. in short its by far the best antique market i have ever been to. any collector who wishes to visit the market simply must take up alans offer in this discussion ,as being so big its pretty time consuming finding out where the chess dealers are located. garrick colemans shop is quite easy to locate ,and is simply a must see shop for any collector of chess sets

[rickofricks]

Wow! You got me drooling for some hot antique chess action! Guess I'll just have to dream about it for now, till these kids get a little more self-sufficient. Happy perusing all you Londoners!

[ne0romantic]

When I think of Portobello Rd, I think of a song from 'Merry Poppins.' I'll make it a point to pop by there next time I'm in the area... which may or may not happen someday; I hope it will. Anyway Rick, you're not alone in your dreams.

[r.van.der.veur]

Moved from Picasa thread: chessspy ( 3 ) 06/09/07 06:42 AM (#6 of 10) Hi, All, I have just posted the photo's I took in London this morning. On my picasa photo site http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/chessspy/2007_0609London Should get it (cause I cut and pasted it (Jon), good eh?) They start in Portobello Road, and then I went to Antiquarious on The Kings Road, Then on to Elizabeth Street. I tried to snap all the sets I saw just as they were in the cabinets, and then I snapped a card with the dealers details on. Now some didn't have any and on some I'll add in contact details as I get time later, so please don't contact anyone until I have made it clear what sets belong to which dealer will try to get it done this evening. Garrick Coleman's shop has so many good sets I just snapped two or three, and you should go to his web site for a look at all his sets. For the other dealers I pretty well snapped all they had. Regards Alan D. > computojon (271 ) > 06/09/07 07:29 AM (#7 of 10) > > > Great photos! > > chessspy (3 ) > 06/09/07 11:24 AM (#8 of 10) > > > Thanks Jon, > I have just finished labeling them. > You should be able to work out who owns what easily, if not please > let me know. > Regards and enjoy. > Alan D. > > computojon (271 ) > 06/09/07 11:41 AM (#9 of 10) > > > Thanks Alan, very helpful. > > Are there any opinions of the set in photo #80, a rosewood Calvert- > type set. I was thinking of contacting Alexe Stanion about it. > > chessspy (3 ) > 06/09/07 01:37 PM (#10 of 10) > > > Hi, Jon, > Yes, what a shame Martin Jones didn't think to give the size of the > king.(unless I've missed it) > Also I've gone through and tried to give click-able links, but apart > from G.C. non of them are much use. (These antiques dealers aren't up > to much on the web front). > However I have Telephone numbers for most of them, so if you or > anyone wants to contact any of the dealers please just phone me on my > mobile, 07944 042 970, at any time, as it will be on answer-phone > during the hours of darkness, and I will e-mail the relevant details > to you. > I think #80 looks a fine set. > > >

[chesspurr]

chessspy hi alan as a humble collector ,i can only praise your efforts in offering us these images of sets in probably the worlds most important antique market for chess sets at least. if any important sellers have concerns about your offering us photos ,contacts , and views ..... well my advice to them is this .... wise up ....if you cant beat em join em ... the future is here, we collectors want change , we need change ... we are hungry for information , and we will sure get it. the old system worked fine ... however its the new internet system that is taking over. the relics of rubble are being bulldozed away ,as we rebuild our world of chess collecting . now our doctor from brazil ,or our japenese interior designer has far more to choose from ,than ever before. yes alan .... we need you ... we want more .... keep up the good work.

[chessspy]

Hi, All, When I said to phone me, I was having a "pre computer moment" (of course you are all welcome to, and a call when I'm in Portobello on a Saturday, will sometimes get through and if it's between 6am and 10am(GMT)you will be able to ask me to enquire about a specific set.) What I meant was e-mail me with anything in particular as I have contact details for most chess dealers in Europe. (No idle boast believe me.);-) If in the future I can take my computer with me and upload the pics as I am having coffee in a wifi cafe, I might be able to go back real time and check on sets on the day,(That sure would save some air miles, just wait for feelie vision!!) Alan D.

[lichess]

Alan, A fantastic job on the pictures of chess sets from Portobello Road. SHould increase sales for some of the dealers. Hopefully they will recognize the value of what you have done by providing you with more listings that will save you the time of going around stall to stall. Keep up the good work. Floyd Lichess@aol.com