MITCHELL ROAD AUCTIONS OPEN AGAIN!

MITCHELL ROAD AUCTIONS NEW LOOK AND FEEL 

Rex, Greenie, Bill, Shane and Bec--these are the names of the friendly, efficient people running the new Mitchell Road Auctions. You might already be familiar with them as they were part of the team prior to the place closing about 2 months ago. 

Just reopened 2 weekends ago, they are eager for your business whether you are a hobby or serious vendor or buyer. They are on the corner of Mitchell Road and Fountain Street in the big yellow brick building, downstairs in the same building as the much loved Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre. Both spaces complement one another with the Auctions selling items mostly as is and the Centre selling mostly refurbished items.

The auction house sells anything that works for your home, office, outdoors, leisure and hobbies. Items are sold with a price tag off the floor and are to be taken away that day. There is a delivery service if you need. Auctions are also planned as a weekly event starting up very soon! The ever popular bikes are back for sale as well. Sydney is having a boom in bike sales as many take to this environmentally friendly mode of transport. Second hand is even better eco wise.

When you first get there you need to register at the office first where Bec will give you a vendor or buyer number. All payment types are taken.

Hopefully you will notice how much more organised, cleaner and neater the place is. The crew are also keen to keep items of a better quality only for sale, so anything they deem beyond repair and use will be politely rejected.

The other exciting development is that there is an art gallery planned for downstairs. Walls are already up for hanging space and with Rex Turnbull being the artist in residence we know there will be some interesting pieces available for your wall decor very soon!

MITCHELL ROAD AUCTIONS

76 MITCHELL ROAD, 

ALEXANDRIA. 2015 

(SYDNEY. NSW. AUSTRALIA)
Phone: 02-96997007

No website as yet.

Take the time to come visit as you just never know what you might find!  
And don't forget to grab a coffee upstairs if you come in on the weekend!

OK, SO I LOVE VINTAGE BAGS

BAGS BAGS BAGS!

Yes, I do love bags--if only I could use every one I loved. Then again collecting them for a display is also great. Bags can do so much--there are so many styles--the sky really is the limit with bags. 

I think travel /overnight bags are underutilised. How often do you just grab a crappy uninviting plastic supermarket bag to put your things in? You're all dressed up but you have a grey supermarket bag to accessorise with. That's just yuk--but everyone does it. Well, having a range of smaller to medium size travel bags makes them useful for every day. Casual, dressed up, or just for the office--you can have a different one for each style of outfit to put those bananas and lunch pack in or pack the gym gear into, that doesn't look too rough-nut sporty.

These are the latest travel/overnight bags I have taken in for sale to Mitchell Road Antiques and Design Centre in Alexandria in Sydney's inner west. They're useful, look good feel good bags that add attention grabbing wow factor to your presence. And all my bags are in excellent to very good condition and have been thoroughly cleaned and conditioned so you can grab and use them straight away!

From left to right, top to bottom row:

1. An English vintage 60s sports bag in burgundy vinyl focusing on the soccer thing. Soccer is forever growing in popularity here so grab into that trend and go with it but not in the overtly modern merchandising way. 

2. A super large tan raw leather travel bag. Has all the right vintage boho characteristics going for it--amazing patina, buckles, pockets and lining in great condition. Hard to find these days in the thick quality yet relaxed leather that this bag is made of.

3. A timeless looking black strong hide leather backpack bag. From the 90s, this style was used frequently and frankly I'm not sure why they ever faded in popularity. They are coming back in now and this one you can't go wrong with. It has a brilliant side zip entry and a great rounded stable base. But the most brilliant thing is the backstraps zip up and undo. This is so you can easily carry the backpack as a shoulder bag--from market practicality to Nan and Pops anniversary party.

4. The iconic Qantas burgundy vinyl cabin travel bag from the 60s. Hand made in Australia, they were really well made to last through all your rough travel needs. I once met the daughter and granddaughter of the gentleman who owned the company that made the bags. It was really sweet to talk to them. They were collecting for him all the different types he made. These bags were given away free with your ticket, when travelling with Qantas was really appreciated by the company. These are as much collectors items as they are useful retro Indie look accessories. Qantas is changing as we speak/write and these are all the more collectible now.

5. Soft yet strong black leather travel/overnight bag. Just the right size, easy to carry, looks smart and has many handy zip up pockets. This sort of quality leather is expensive to buy new. It is so tactile and will never go out of style.

6. A fabric floral tapestry doctors style bag from the 80s. It has a hard frame and sturdy base but the softness of the fabric makes it slouch slightly in that appealing Bohemian way. The colours are still vibrant and it will work dressed up or down. Tapestry has an eternal appeal--it worked in Victorian times as well as now that the fashion world trends for it.

 Below is a sample of the many bags you will find at Mitchell Road in Alexandria Sydney. These are vinyl bucket bags that were popular in the 60s and a cute red suitcase that can be used for sooo many things. Very mod, very practical and you simply cannot get vinyl and compressed cardboard in the quality it was back then. Come and check them out for yourself--I bet you will fall in love with them!

BEFORE AND AFTER RENO PHOTOS-MRA&DCentre

MITCHELL ROAD GETS A FEW NEW ROOMS

These 3 rooms have been hidden from public view in the past--they were "storage" rooms--well actually lotsajunk rooms! So just recently upon new ownership it was decided that some clearing out was needed to make more room for more great offerings to the public. So Colin, Ben, Emma, Nick, Lyn, Brett and myself spent a few late nights working towards this. Besides days of clearing out good and bad junk, walls, doors and lino floors were taken out, ceilings repaired and the change room moved. Result is a large very rustic space for a new seller. Nick (another one!--we have 3) sells varied retro and rustic pieces at very good prices. 

The stairwell is also in the process of getting a new paint job--black, red and white to match the foyer. Lots of cutting in and only volunteer labour after the hours of 5pm makes it a little slow but the end result is starting to show. The stair risers still need red paint and the higher parts need the famous Fil to complete those out of reach places.

Hope you all like the result.

BELOW ARE 3 PHOTOS OF BEFORE COMPLETION.

BELOW--4 PHOTOS OF AFTER COMPLETION.