Lord Ponsonby Antiques' old white building is layered with dust. In many places its floor covering is worn out.
Vintage leather shoes are on display near the window; inside, loud Hawaiian shirts clash with the painted Chinese chests and the collection of antique watches. On the walls vintage street and business signs in tin and wood reflect a simpler time. In the next room, old tables nudge dressers with untold pasts.
Lord Ponsonby Antiques has been a fixture at the corner of Ponsonby Rd and Williamson Ave for more than 20 years. Sadly, with the death of owner David John Dudley Brown, 62, the iconic store must close.
"David did it very well. I don't have his talent," says Ross Smith, a good friend of Mr Brown who ran the shop with him. He says an on-site auction will probably be held within the month, but nothing is definite yet.
Mr Smith recalls how Mr Brown opened his first shop in another building on Ponsonby Rd. The business started out with nine antique stalls. After a few years Lord Ponsonby had taken over the entire building.