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LJW Decorative & Antiques

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LJW Decorative & Antiques

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Vintage & antique; bold graphics, vibrant colours, beautiful wear, perfect fading, wonderfully tatty

29/10/2026

This 1950s Phillips Cycles poster came from the stores of a closed down bicycle shop; it was never displayed and subsequently it’s survived the decades without any significant creasing and with fantastically vibrant colours.

Boasting “The world’s most famous quality bicycle fitments” it displays some fine illustrations of the company’s various components.

Framed and ready to hang, it’s available through the website and on display in the shop.

28/10/2026

These scratch-built balance / pendulum toys are pieces of folk-art in their own right. Clearly made by the same hand, the gun-shooting cowboy on horseback and the bird (a Kingfisher because of the crown?) are simply, yet competently made and decorated. The thin metal stands create a sideways sway alongside the rhythmic back and forward swing for (probably accidental) added effect… Swipe across for a video ➡️!

They’ve aged beautifully; faded, crazed, a little rusty with make-do-and-mend repairs that are perfectly in-keeping … They’re listed individually on the website and can be seen moving about in the shop.

23/10/2026

This large Castrol enamel sign was produced for the French market and dates to the 1930s/‘40s. Measuring in at 1.2m wide, it’s a real statement piece and one that’s certainly lived a life ... The sort of wear and tear that those who produce the fake enamels seem to try desperately to replicate but fail miserably to actually achieve. It’s not to everyone’s taste and wont necessarily fit into all scenarios but against a bare brick wall or similar I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better look.

Despite the extensive enamel loss the sign sits remarkably flat and can be hung using the original mounting holes, all of which are good and solid. It displays very well.

If, like me, you like them tatty this one’s available in the shop, through my website or Hoarde Vintage | Antiques / Decorative Collective

21/10/2026

Perhaps the definition of ‘small but perfectly formed’ - this Cunard Line Travellers’ Cheques Cashed Here sign is litho-printed on galvanised tin and the detail is absolutely superb. Easily one of the finest tin signs I’ve encountered.

The sign was produced by the Birmingham Advertising Tablet Co. Ltd. - a British manufacturer based in Smethwick, England, who were in operation from around 1900 to 1966. They’ve squeezed their initials into the lower left corner of the illustration of the famous RMS Mauretania (which up until Olympia was the biggest sailing vessel in the early 1900s).

This sign is likely to date to the 1920s. It’s survived the decades in fantastic order - especially considering the inherently vulnerable nature of litho-printed tin in comparison to its hardier enamel counterparts… Full details are on the website and Hoarde Vintage | Antiques / Decorative Collective

19/10/2026

A wonderfully chunky, very ‘of a period’ piece. This three-dimensional, double-sided ‘OFFICE’ sign is made from wood with wonderfully retro red on brown paintwork.

The sign is competently made but still has a charming, slightly primitive feel to it. I suspect the letters are hand-cut and the thick paint layers have developed a craquelure surface over the years.

A hard piece to date accurately, I would guess this to be c.1940s. It shows signs of age; it likely hung in an industrial setting - a factory or similar and over the years the surface has dirtied / darkened and the paint has worn through on the corners - but really this is all part of it’s charms. It’s been lightly cleaned and is ready to display - it could remain functional or just be enjoyed for its aesthetics…

Available on the website, Hoarde Vintage | Antiques and it’s hanging above the counter in the shop (which does sometimes double as my office!)

18/10/2026

I generally find all pedal cars to be quite charming things, these earlier examples (c.1950s) were made entirely of metal (excepting for the rubber tyres) and wear decades of play and enjoyment beautifully.

This particular example was made by Triang, I suspect the green paint is a later paint job (traces of Triang’s iconic red are visible where the green’s worn through). It’s certainly lived a life; it’s dented, scratched and has rust to boot but in my opinion it’s looking all the better for it. Technically everything works though I’d strongly suggest that it’s now a decorative object.

It’s on the website and Hoarde Vintage | Antiques now and I’ll be finding somewhere in the shop to squeeze it soon enough.

16/10/2026

This sold before I had a chance to post on here but it’s a bit too nice not to share, so here it is anyway…

A double-sided fl**ge enamel sign for Pratt’s Motor Spirit - unusually this displays the name of their parent company; Anglo-American Oil Co. Ltd.
This company began importing oil to England from America at the end of the 19th century and marketed it as Pratt’s - this remained the case until 1934 when the Pratt’s name was replaced with Esso to bring the petrol offering in line with the company’s other lubricant products; Essolube etc. With the uncommon inclusion of both company names I’d speculate that this may have been produced in the late ‘20s as preparations for the re-brand began?

I’ll endeavour to make the next thing I post on here something that is still available to buy…

15/10/2026

This litho-printed aluminium drinks tray for Player’s Please ci******es is likely to date to the 1940s, perhaps early ‘50s.

It’s a lovely, vibrant pictorial example with a good, detailed depiction of the brand’s trademark sailor, with his ‘HMS Excellent’ hat...

An original example that has survived the decades in very good order. There are some light surface scratches and small losses alongside a general crazing to the printed surface but considering the inherent vulnerability of a printed aluminium surface, designed to hold drinks glasses - I’d say that it’s fared well! The tray sits nice and flat and the colours remain vibrant - a good display piece.

It’s available on the website / Hoarde Vintage | Antiques

******es

08/10/2026

I genuinely had this charming little scratch-built wooden toy tank lined up for today’s post, then it sold to a long term customer through the website last night (and has been packed and posted this afternoon!). But it’s a piece of folk-art in it’s own right and I think still worthy of sharing on here; especially as it reinforces the point that I was trying to make in yesterday’s rather waffly post, that the best way to see my latest stock is through the website or in the shop - not necessarily on here!
So, this is 🔴 sold, thank you.

07/10/2026

I continue to be pretty poor at posting regularly on here … I’m sure I should also film reels, talk to the camera etc etc but what can I say; I sell antiques from a ‘bricks and mortar’ shop, my phone is 6 years old and on it’s last legs and until absolutely necessary I have no interest in upgrading it.
If I could deal only in cash, cheques, letters / faxes and handshakes I would.
Sadly, I can’t. So I use a real DSLR camera and studio lights to take real photographs and make minor tweaks manually in Lightroom, the items then get listed on my website and I type out each description. There’s no AI, no completely incorrect scale, generic descriptions or artificial tidying up of damage.
If you enquire, I type out the reply … Sometimes it takes a few days because I can’t do everything at once.
Is this the most commercially efficient way of doing things? Absolutely not but it’s how I want to run my business and will continue for as long as I can.
I’m out buying near and far most days, new stuff goes into the shop ahead of every weekend’s trading and fresh stock goes onto the website regularly too.
On here I’ll continue to sporadically post some static photos, giving an unexciting but faithful representation of a small selection of the new stock. Maybe I’ll get better at it but it’s not guaranteed.

So here we have a pot-bellied (convex) Lyons’ Tea enamel sign, c.1930s. The main area of the sign is in lovely condition… A real pain in the arse to photograph in a studio set-up; reflections galore but I’ve decided that’s part of the nature of this glossy beauty and rolled with it…
It’s on the website and in the shop - along with plenty of other enamels, tin signs, posters etc.

Address

48-50 Northdown Road
Margate
CT92RW

Opening Hours

Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+447703104788

Website

http://www.ljwantiques.com/

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