Shrewsbury antiques business Mansers to close its iconic base in the town
A Shrewsbury antiques centre which has been in the town since 1944 will be closing its doors as the the business prepares to move online.
More than 1,000 lots will be sold at an auction in the town tomorrow over the next two days.
The auction will see Mansers sell off all its contents as the firm's owners sell the premises.
Owners Mark and Sonya Manser have insisted the sale does not mark the end of the firm which has been in the town since 1944 and if anything represents an improvement in service.
They say the auction boasts something for everybody with a mixture of antique and modern, featuring quality decorative furniture across the ages. There's silver, glass, furniture, lighting, ceramics, paintings, garden stone and statuary and gifts.
Stand out pieces include an 1882 turret clock by J. W. Benson, Ludgate Hill, London, clockmakers to the Queen and Prince of Wales. The self-winding clock, which was salvaged from a demolished house in South East England in the 1960s and took Mansers six months to restore to its former glory.
"I am looking forward to seeing existing and new customers at the viewing days," Mark said.
"There's been a huge amount of interest.
"The collection of interiors took a long time to put together and we have a nice mix of antique and modern. It's all good quality, ready to make customers' houses nice, homely and interesting.
"When you buy something that is nicely made, you can almost guarantee that you will be on the winning side. My advice to buyers is to avoid multiple, mass produced items and instead go for something bespoke and interesting.
"I have a real passion for my job and am looking forward to moving to the next chapter of my business life and continuing to serve the market."
Local fine art auctioneers Halls will conduct the auction, which has an online catalogue here.
Prospective buyers can view the lots from 10am to 6pm today, prior to the auction tomorrow and Friday.
