Very interesting shop with many unusual items. Really enjoyed looking around and would recommend to…read moreanyone in the area. It really is a shop with a difference which is a breath of fresh air seeing as all shops seem to look the same these days. Well done to the owners for being original. Bought a few things from here for the garden and my study and I love them all....I will be back.

During a weekend stay, I visited the lovely Hay-on-Wye with three others and, whilst wandering…read morearound, popped into this curiosities shop. Now, I choose the label 'curiosities' because I personally think it's a bit of a stretch to call a place that sells second-hand quartz watches and faded 90s board games an exclusively 'antiques' shop. As we were looking around, we noticed an old cast-iron kettle and a *very* heavy old stage weight, both of which had price tags that looked very confusing - either the price of the kettle had a large, unexplained circle after the price on the label... or it was actually £850. When asked, the proprietor of the establishment (who never once put down his newspaper) simply replied "The prices are clearly labelled". Well, obviously not THAT clear if you need to be asked. Regardless, I spotted a couple of interesting items, including an art-deco style clock and an old Royal typewriter, and I thought they were interesting enough to take photos of to show some other people who might also appreciate them. I took maybe half a dozen photos, and then, just as my companions had left the main shop area and it was just me, alone with the newspaper-wielding proprietor, he said to me "It would have been polite for you to at least ask before you take any photos." Slightly taken aback and feeling like an idiot, I replied "Sorry, you're right." "I'd actually prefer it if you didn't take any photos, to be honest." He continued, not acknowledging my apology. "Right. Sorry, I didn't realise." "It's just that people have taken photos without asking before, and then put them on the internet, which obviously I don't want - which is what, I assume, you were going to do." He added, refusing to recognise either my first OR second apology, ploughing on regardless, apparently determined to make me feel like an worthless asshole who should be fed to laser-wielding sharks, rather than a person simply taking a picture of a typewriter. "Okay. Sorry." At this point I made my exit as quickly as possible, having been made to feel like an absolute prick by the store owner. Clearly 3 apologies for the same thing were not sufficient, and I have to wonder if he actually wanted anyone in his store at all, or he'd simply set the enterprise up as an elaborate front so he could snidely peer at them over his newspaper and chastise them for doing things like pointing at display cases and using their eyes to see. I understand that, for whatever reason, he obviously DID NOT WANT photos to be taken, or for them to be 'put on the internet' (it's worth noting at this point that the typewriter I took a picture of is currently the first photo that appear on their Facebook page. On the internet.) but maybe he could have made that clearer by putting a sign on the door (which he didn't), or with signs inside the store (which there weren't), rather than wait for me to be alone and chastising me repeatedly for a rule he apparently made up in his head. There are plenty of lovely stores in Hay-on-Wye; I'd recommend visiting any of them apart from this one.

We recently visited Hay on Wye and we're drawn to Fleur de Lys by the lovely street display outside…read moreand the inside did not disappoint! The shop had a lovely mix with something to interest everyone in our party, I loved the back yard which had some lovely interesting items. The lady owner was very friendly as well as Lucy the Jack Russell who came to say hello! A must visit while I'm Hay to find something a little different!

Pontcanna Flea Market is the real deal. You are guaranteed to find a really good selection of…read morequality Kitsch, both for the home and garden, as well as loads of classic and retro clothing, antiques, electrical goods, records, books, and furniture... essentially all the kind of stuff that you'd expect at a flea market, but with the added bonus of this one being a particularly good one. I don't know where the traders get their stock from, but some of them must have an incredible address book! A lot of them seemingly have endless access to the most incredibly desirable objects. Their lives must be heavenly! I considered becoming a trader myself a few years back, but decided that it would be an overtly dangerous career choice. I'd be great at scouting out my stock, and have fairly well tuned haggling skills. So far, so good! But, the problems would arise when it came to selling any of it on. I know I'd want to keep everything! Those confounded attachment issues! They also hold regular auctions at the King's Road site. I've not been to one, but I hear that they are as much fun as the flea markets, and just as well stocked with eminently buyable stuff.

I was enamoured with this antiques shop the moment I walked in. I'm sceptical of any shop selling…read more"antiques", as I'm a firm believer that most of these so-called treasures are just overpriced junk. But I think this one is different. Avalon offers a wide selection of interesting items, from Georgian furniture to unique jewellery. They also carry a range of porcelain and glass figures, as well as books, stamps, pictures and toys. I'm a bit of a history buff, so I really enjoyed browsing the extensive ranges of military medals, which would make a nice gift for my WWII-obsessed Dad. I'm quite picky with jewellery - I hardly wear any, ever. My fingers are like sausages, so it's difficult to find rings that are both big and beautiful. I was astonished when I slipped on an amazing Art Deco silver ring to find it actually fit my massive middle finger perfectly. Priced at a reasonable £35, this ring was coming home with me. I met one-half of the husband and wife team who run this shop, and he is absolutely lovely, chatty and helpful, suggesting I leave my bags at the front so it's easier to manoeuvre around the shop. Definitely coming back here as the antiques are remarkable and the prices are reasonable!

Very rude man served me, and seemed to want an argument with everyone. I will never go there again.read more

Stretton Antiques Market is an absolute wonder of an antiques market with well over fifty different…read moredealers spread over four (possibly five!) floors in one building. As you would expect from having so many dealers in one place, there is an amazing range of stock, everything anybody could want & then some, also with a good range of affordable prices. Easily the most interesting & best stocked antique market in Church Stretton.

I'm really grateful to this man and his colleague who helped me out today when I was badly let down…read moreby another firm. They came over on a Saturday (after I rang on Friday afternoon) at exactly the time they said they would. They valued and bought several pieces of furniture for cash and took them away. Very friendly and helpful too and Paul Chubb is very knowledgeable about old and antique furniture. I highly recommend this firm.

We stumbled across this place by accident yesterday and found it to be a really fun place to browse…read morearound. In contrast to the previous review, while I did note that the owners have a Bentley and that many of the things they sell are reproductions etc I do believe that they offer a real service, are helpful in meeting your needs and they do have some antiques which are labeled as such. We have a fun time and came home with about 700 pounds of items (not a single antique!) and are happy with what we got. Will be back but will look elsewhere for a bigger selection of true antiques.

I've been visiting this site for a few years now, and I must say it just appears like a tiny amount…read moreof legitimate antiques are maintained at astronomical prices - possibly because they aren't there to be sold? The same barometers and grandfather clocks have been there for years. It is sadly flooded with strange derivative furniture and accessories (like fake Louis Vuitton bookends, moet and chandon cushions, and new, but made to look old, Coca Cola accessories which I'm sure are on a bit of a rocky standing legally...) New in is the weird 'fake antique' Peaky Blinders stuff that seems to be drowning every vintage store these days. Look, the place is really fine and potentially good to look around, sometimes you might find a nice piece in there, however marketing itself as an antique centre of sorts is not really justified. It is 75% new stock and a few magnificent, but over-priced, antiques. Lots of good reclaimed garden furniture but again, the prices are painful in constrast to local reclaimation sites.