Shift in emphasis comes with a different location

RENOWNED antiques dealer Shirley Cameron is waving goodbye to Clareville's Country Charm but not to the antiques business.
After 20 years in the business, including 14 in Clareville, Mrs Cameron says she has a new project planned for a property on High Street in Carterton.
"After I've had a holiday and caught my breath I plan to create a Carterton icon with an upmarket Country Charm that I've been buying all new antiques for.
"There will be art deco, clothes, hats and upmarket furniture and it will be completely different to what has been here in Clareville."
The shop has brought a lot of pleasure, "particularly with the people I've met from all over the world", she said.
"We've had people from as far as the Falkland Islands, Alaska and English dealers come to New Zealand to buy antiques from this store."
Collectables have gone "by the truckloads", to the sets of The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, she said.
"Once the furniture and things go overseas and people hear they were used by Peter Jackson for his films, the price of the stuff triples."
The antiques passion began at the age of 16, after being given a Dresden figurine, she said.
"I still have that figurine, even though it's not worth anywhere near as much as many other antiques, but my love for antiques definitely stemmed from there."
She said the first store she owned was in Lower Hutt and was called Turn of the Century.
"My husband and I bought an old homestead in Lower Hutt and it had so much stuff in it that needed to be rid of so I decided to open an antiques shop."
The business continuously grew and eventually another store was opened in Clareville and a "shift back to my home roots occurred", she said.
"I was born in Martinborough and since moving to Carterton we have had 20 very pleasurable years in the business here."
Much time has been spent over the years doing fundraisers for charities, including antique roadshows, she said.
"I used to travel all over the place doing two or three a month but I've had to cut that right back because it takes up so much time."
A monthly show on Radio Pacific is another favourite memory, "where we would get over 30 calls in the half hour from people all over the country, describing what they had and how much it was worth", she said.
"I'll really miss the people when the shop closes. you meet such fascinating people working in a place like this and I've had so many nice comments from people who say they will really miss it when it goes."
Mrs Cameron said any leftover stock would go to the women's refuge, Te Omanga Hospice and there will also be an auction.