By Majd Othman

KUWAIT: Trade in antiques and vintage goods never gets old due to several reasons, Mohammad Al-Humaidhi, owner of Beit Al-Cedra vintage shop, told Kuwait Times.

Kuwait Times: How did you get the idea to open an antique shop?

Mohammad Al-Humaidhi: I always had a hobby collecting antiques, and it grew with me. Over time, it transitioned to a shop selling antiques. This place is an old Kuwaiti house that was built in 1920. Twenty years ago, I bought it due to the perfect harmony between an old Kuwaiti house and antiques.

KT: Does the antique trade today has much demand?

Humaidhi: There is great demand for antiques. Lots of people love collecting antiques to display in their homes. Some of them don't even have space in their houses due to the number of antiques they own, and because these items are precious to them, they refuse to sell them. In Kuwait and GCC countries, you can find many people who buy antiques.

KT: What do people usually ask for?

Humaidhi: It depends on whether the piece is for collecting or they want to use it daily. In general, customers mostly ask for antiques or old models of the things they use every day. So I try to provide them with household utensils and simple decorative items that wouldn't look odd in their homes due to their modern designs. The youth mostly ask for pieces like antique carpets or closets.

KT: With 20 years of experience in the antiques trade, when is the peak time for sales?

Humaidhi: The antiques field has specific types of customers, who like to collect these kinds of items. These customers buy constantly from me and other antique shops. So there are no specific times when demand increases or becomes less. Many customers visit my shop two to three times a week due to their interest in antiques and their desire to be updated with the new items we bring.

KT: Are the antiques locally manufactured or imported from abroad?

Humaidhi: When I launched my first store 20 years ago, all the items that were displayed at that time were handmade, because I started this business as a hobby, in addition to my care to have unique items that differ from those in other stores, such as vases and wood paintings. With the expansion of my antiques trade, I had to import some items, but I focus on closets, wooden utensils and coffee and tea pots that are popular in Kuwait and GCC countries in particular.

KT: Do you find there is a demand from other GCC states for heritage Kuwaiti antiques?

Humaidhi: Definitely, there is great demand from customers in other GCC countries for coffeepots, household utensils and small Kuwaiti coffee cups, in addition to chairs with Islamic calligraphy and décor. Most of the items they order are handmade, so I exert efforts to provide more unique handmade items that are not available in other stores.

KT: Do you find the antique market is improving in Kuwait?

Humaidhi: In Kuwait, you can find a number of antique shops that hold auctions for antique items. These auctions increased during the pandemic due to the quarantine. People stayed in their homes for a long time, so they started to redesign their houses and added antiques and fountains.

KT: Do antique shops have to use new digital platforms to market their items?

Humaidhi: From my side, I don't prefer to use social media platforms to market my products, and my presence on social media is weak. But it is important to remind people of the items through new marketing platforms, particularly the youth. During the pandemic, because of social media, there was huge demand for antiques. It wouldn't have been possible at that time without using social media to remind people of our items.

KT: How do you price your antique items?

Humaidhi: Generally, in Kuwait, the price of antiques is affordable for most, although some products are expensive due to their basic costs and the efforts needed to make them. I don't focus on profits, as this is a hobby that I love. If no one buys the items I bring from abroad, I am happy to keep them. There are customers who are looking for unique antiques and they find them in my store, because I try all the time to provide unique items.

KT: Do you buy antiques from customers?

Humaidhi: Due to my focus on specific types of antiques, I don't buy or display customers' antiques, as most of them are Kuwaiti heritage pieces. If you visit my shop, you can see that I sell different types of antiques related to Arab culture or English, German and Belgic antiques such as small coffee cups.

KT: How do you select your items?

Humaidhi: I am keen to travel to various countries to choose the best antique pieces myself. In addition, I don't buy items from only one place in the country I visit in order to have a wide collection, such as carpets, which I have to see and touch to make sure about their quality.