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There is an old saying…‘Old is Gold’!
Old is said to be gold but not everyone knows how to treat it well. Vintage items are valuable, unique and they deserve to be cherished and if you happen to be a vintage lover then Russel Exchange is where you should be. A place where you will find everything from the old world. The old-fashioned land of Kolkata and what we are going to lose within a few years.
Welcome to the auction para of Russell street in ‘Calcutta’
The old Calcutta used to witness morning auction sessions in almost all the auction houses. The venue would be a posh house where the auctioneer calls out the price of the antiques in front of the crowd (back in the’60s). Displaying some of the antiques- furniture, dining tables from Lazarus and Co, Osler glass chandeliers and other priceless articles. But things changed over time, though, the auctioneer still calls out the bidding price to a motley crowd. Now one won’t find Osler glass chandeliers or dining tables from Lazarus and Co but broken weighing machines, movie CDs or old typewriters.
This stark contrast shows how the mighty have fallen! Against the test of time, not everyone passed. Only three auction houses are left on Russell street out of 50. Speaking about the Russell Exchange, where everything is saleable. You name it and it’s there tucked somewhere in the rustic racks. But over the years the sale dropped and it forced the owners to shut their shops.
Valuation of items is an art in itself and people need to understand that. Due to this reason, big auction houses like Staynor & Co, Chowringhee Sales Bureau, Victor Brothers on Park Street suffered worst fate and they had to down shutters.
The next time you see ‘AUCTION HERE TODAY’ outside any place, just walk in straight away just to have a taste of the old times.
