Never been to Ally Pally Antiques Fair? Find out what you’re missing…
Originally opened in 1873, Alexandra Palace was always intended to be ‘The Palace of the People.’ Nicknamed ‘Ally Pally’ – supposedly by Gracie Fields – the venue has been home to the regular and extremely popular Antiques and Collectors Fair for several years.
The fair regularly attracts over 300 quality antiques dealers from around the UK, and the striking setting makes this a perfect hunting ground for beautiful collectors’ pieces, jewellery, furniture and much more.
What can you expect as a first-time antiques collector/dealer at Ally Pally Antiques Fair?
First, you will be greeted by the impressive building itself: a beautiful example of Victorian architecture and a venue that has been host to everyone from ‘Led Zeppelin’ to ‘Songs of Praise’ – with everyone else in between.
Once inside, you will find everything from antique silver, jewellery, pottery and glass, to more contemporary items. The sheer variety can, at first, seem overwhelming, but don’t be put off – thinking you know nothing about antiques – the stallholders are always happy to chat about the finer details of the pieces they are exhibiting.
Older antiques juxtapose with the newer collectables, with items as varied as a psychedelic Jimi Hendrix poster, dating from about 1968, to an image of a much older icon from history – an 1850’s Doulton bust of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson!
Underneath the beautiful, round, blue and red stained-glass ‘Rose’ Window, you will usually find a wonderful antique toy stall; undoubtedly unlocking childhood memories in many visitors. Jewellery stalls can be found in abundance, with items to suit every pocket, and pieces from every era – from ancient Roman rings, through the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods, right up to very modern items.
At the other end of the hall, beneath the giant pipe organ, you can find many of the larger furniture pieces. You could easily furnish your entire home with items from this area of the fair. All eras and styles of furniture are covered, from the 17th, 18th & 19th centuries from regular dealers such as Frank Wilson, to more contemporary, retro style sofas and leather swivel chairs. The key word here is ‘style’. It doesn’t matter which era the items are from, all of them have an unmistakable quality of design and manufacture, which would shame any modern furniture outlets.
Directly beneath the pipe organ is where you will also find the iacf information desk, and alongside that the free expert evaluation table, manned by TV’s James Lewis from Bamfords Auctioneers.
There is also a whole section dedicated to vintage and retro style. In this area, mostly covering the post-war period, you can find genuine vintage clothing and jewellery along with stylish items for your home, and you will often see stallholders and visitors dressed in vintage and period clothes mingling with the other buyers. Sign up to our mailing list today to stay up to date with all our upcoming antiques fairs!
Pop Up Vintage Fairs London is also part of the iacf Antiques & Collectors Fair at Alexandra Palace, bringing a fresh, younger audience to vintage and antique shopping! Their Pop Up Vintage stalls include a mix of vintage ladies & menswear, vintage jewellery & accessories, retro homeware, together with mid-century collectables & curios. Email: info@popupvintagefairs.co.uk
