9 minute read
Interview with Dimitris Pavlidis
Tell Me What You Own, I’ll Tell You What You Are
by Alix Ibar & Lale Khoshnoud
Our lives are, among other things, marked by the objects that surround us. Whatever our relationship to objects in general, our furniture, our clothes, our books, our knick-knacks, have a lot to say about who we are. Dimitris Pavlidis is the owner of an antique store, in the neighborhood of Agia Triada. In his small family shop, which he runs with his wife and daughter, the space is saturated with his finds, magazines, coins, books, furniture, cameras, jewelry, family photos... A veritable museum that reveals its secrets through the excavations of passers-by, who let themselves be carried through places and times.
For how long have you been doing this ?
As an amateur for over 30 years, professionally, over 10 years.
What made you choose this job ?
A part from securing my livelihood, it is a way to always find new things, and you get to learn about culture and history, and discover how our society is evolving.
And how did this passion for antiques start?
As a child, I had two items in my room, a coffee grinder and a coal iron, that I found in a bazaar, I took with me when I left the family house. And then the two items became more…
How would you describe your role as an antique store owner ?
This job is really important to me, not only because it provides us, as a family, profit, but also because through the antique stores, some collections, and museums are enriched. We can show to people what has existed before, so younger people can learn and older people can remember.
What kind of customers usually come to your store ?
We have some regular customers, collectors who always try to find something different for the enrichment of their collection, so they visit us regularly. But we also have people passing by, who ask questions and they are interested by the items in here. And we can really see each person’s interests, for example, there are items that interest young people, that may be books, small items, vinyl discs also, they’re very popular. However, older people come as well, not only to enrich their collections, but also to buy furniture, lamps, or something to decorate their house, because the items we have here maybe remind them of a taste that they can’t find in the big shops anymore.
“We can show to people what has existed before, so younger people can learn and older people can remember.”
How do you find the items ? From where are the items in your collection ?
We don’t find the items ourselves, rather the items find us. But there’s different ways to find those objects: either people call us and we go to their houses for a garage sale, or people come here with specific objects that they want to have appraised. Some people have passed and their relatives aren’t able to fully manage the items, so the items come to us. Or in a more classic way we also find items online and in bazaars in Greece too.
Has your store changed throughout the years ?
Our store changes on a daily basis, meaning that by selling an item, for example at the front of the store, another one has to replace it. This happens with all the items, because all of them are for sale, this happens all the time.
With which criteria do you select the items ?
Their condition, first of all. Secondly, if I think other customers will find it interesting. Sometimes, we shop by having other people in mind, in a way that we think they would like the item. Third of all, the price.
We saw that you have items that are more personal, for example we saw some photographs or papers that belong to someone. What might your relationship be with items like these, taking into consideration their history or your feelings about them ?
A photograph, as strange as it might seem, speaks. It always has something to say. So, it’s not only the family photographs, that they sometimes show us the clothing, the hairstyles, the shoes, everything in general about the time the picture was taken, but also a different kind of photographs that might show us landscapes, events that were happening, city spots, that show that some other time in this space something else existed, such as old cinemas, stores, etc. So I am very interested in those, very interested in collecting those photographs and paper, because those are usually not what the inheritor chooses to keep. They usually keep some personal items that they never give away, but papers can be embarrassing, they’re not able to keep them, so they get to us, and we are now in charge of those testimonies in a way.
It’s like a trip that doesn’t stop, you keep traveling all the time.
Is there a specific item that you have or had that was of particular value to you ?
On a personal level, I don’t want to get attached to items ever. I do not collect items for personal use, but for commercial use only. I do not mind buying it, to sell it. It’s a way to make a living through this item. I absolutely do not form any bond with the items on a personal level, only on a professional level.
Is there an item here that has a special story behind it ?
A ll of the items have a special story ! Just like all of the items need something special to enter the market, meaning that no item comes in the condition to be sold. We always have to fix something, repear a piece, or colors to revive… However, all of the items have their own history, all of them have something to “say” and “show” us, some of them with their beauty, some with their art. Personally I don’t buy, and that is really important for me, I never buy an item that a person does not want to give away, because I think that this item will never “travel”. We take items that their owner does not need anymore, for various reasons, he doesn’t need them anymore.
Do you have any plans for the store ?
There are many many many plans for the store. Many many plans and dreams! These are the motivation each morning to come here and work. A new day is here, we come here, every day is different, with many plans and many dreams. This never stops. I wish for the people in general to come to our stores, it’s not as expensive as they think it is. And to the young people, to do this job, they can make a living off of it, and stores like these are needed in the area. I’m proud of what I am doing and I think it’s a chance to be in the position to witness so many pieces of life.
What is the relationship of young people with antiques, based on your experience ?
There are people who, and I see this, knows, and people who don’t know how something works, from a technological standpoint. For example now we may have CDs, in previous years we had vinyls. For someone who has never come across music playing from a vinyl, or a cassette, or to watch a movie differently than we do today, all of this seems strange to them. However, through stores like these, you can discover the “how” and the “what”, without so much money.
From the past...
Yes! If you do not go back, it’s possible that you may not be able to go forward. This is what I think.. You have to get to know the past a little bit, to be able to move forward. And it is really important, because that is history. You never stop learning. Never, ever, ever ! It’s like a trip that doesn’t stop, you keep traveling all the time. Wait a second…
I’m proud of what I am doing and I think it’s a chance to be in the position to witness so many pieces of life.
So for example these are two kitchen tools, they are used to cut dough. They exist today as well. But the difference with these tools is for this to be made, coins were used, meaning that somebody took two coins, one is from the ottoman empire, the other one is greek, from 1930, it’s 5 drachmes1 they cut them, they made them tools. In the past, people invented some things because they were poor, so they could create what they needed.
How are you able to identify this kind of information about an item ?
We don’t know everything of course, so we always read and get informed ! This is an important part of the job. The internet really helps us. For example, an item comes to us and using a signature or some clue, we can find its age, manufacturer, everything… The internet really helps us a lot! Recognition is really important to us, before selling the item. We do not sell without control, we do not want to charge a lot, but to receive whatever the item is worth, the price that it deserves. My wife is dealing with this: she discovers all the information about an item, so I can explain to the customer what the item is about. And by doing this, we learn so much, we discover things that you could never imagine.
