Old as Adam
33 Ceres
Street
Portsmouth,
New Hampshire
(603) 661-9373
Living the Dream: Adam Irish from Old As Adam
MAY 2, 2013
~ THEJUNKDRUNK
https://thejunkdrunk.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/living-the-dream-adam-irish-from-old-as-adam/
As some of
you may know, I have a small obsession with the picturesque seaside town of
Portsmouth, NH. With its amazing restaurants, coffee shops, and independent
bookstores paired with some fantastic colonial history and real estate – it’s
kind of a dream. There is also a nice little cluster of antique shops in the
surrounding area to explore. I took a day trip up to Portsmouth a couple weeks
ago, and stumbled upon a newer antique vender, Old as Adam run by Adam Irish,
right in downtown Portsmouth on Ceres Street. I was immediately impressed by
his aesthetic, as well as his collection of unusual finds. What’s more, he’s a
young proprietor in a stereotypically graying industry.
We were so
impressed that we asked Adam to share a bit about himself, his business and his
passion for antiques.
Adam Irish;
age 27
Proprietor
of Old as Adam
I’ve been
collecting since I was a kid. Bottle digging especially captured my imagination
as a boy; I found some amazing things digging on old farms and estates. For
better or for worse, I am almost entirely self taught and have hardly studied
antiques in any formal sense. My knowledge came from years hitting the yard
sales and antique shops every weekend, countless hours watching the hammer fall
at auctions, and many, many mistakes. My advice to someone interested in
antiques or the antique business is just do it. Unless you have a specific
interest (say eighteenth century American silver or turn-of-the-century art
pottery), books are of little use. Get up early for the flea market and stay
late at the auction. Don’t be intimidated. Buy what you like. Once you refine
your tastes, study away (I’m currently enmeshed in a tome about the evolution
of 20th century clothing labels).
How would you
describe your store, your aesthetic and your target client?
I describe
my store as a “Vintage Haberdasher & Cabinet of Curiosities.” I’ve always
loved the aesthetics of turn-of-the-century shops and the elaborate signage
that often festooned their storefronts. The sadly antiquated term “haberdasher”
also conjures the 19th century, and so I decided to make my shop in the spirit
of that era.
Old as Adam
specializes in vintage menswear, from top hats to overalls. I try to be
fastidious about keeping my stock true vintage, and have pieces dating from the
1960s back to the 18th century. Dapper is the word (although I stock the
humblest vintage workwear as well). Suits, ties, vests, hats – I try to revive
the great sartorial traditions of yesterday one sale at a time.
In the
store, I favor late Victorian and early 20th century pieces, of both high and
low origins (for example, you’ll currently find both a fine 19th century Parian
bust and a caged 1920s utility light in stock). I also have a penchant for the quirky
and strange, things that delight or dumbfound (in the past pieces of this
nature have included 1920s clown shoes and a Victorian child’s coffin fashioned
into a bookcase). I also favor fun and funky mid-20th century miscellany, but I
haven’t found that these things fit comfortably in the store.
Who is my
target client? That’s hard to say. I am always surprised at the variety of
folks who appreciate what I’m trying to do. The one thing they all have in
common is that they appreciate the past. They marvel at the quality of old
things. They wonder at the stories, the history, the people these objects can
embody. They share my joy in discovering something wonderful. That’s all you
need to enjoy and collect antiques.
How did you
start with your business?
I began
selling when I was 8 years old and since then, I’ve always nominally been in
the business (it supported me through college). Transitioning to full-time was
something else, however. I became much more serious about online sales, but did
most of my business while renting a space in an antique coop as well as selling
to other dealers and at shows. I still do all of these things in addition to
running the shop.
What do you
love most about running Old as Adam?
I love it
because it’s not work. It’s fun. I’d be doing all these things if I had
different job. Since this is my full-time gig, however, I get to do even more.
Sure, there are times when it’s painful to sit through a ten-hour auction, but
most of the time I’m having a ball (even when getting on the road at 3am for
the flea market).
What are
some of your recent picks?
I love this
pair of toy airships. I found them independently, but they look great together.
I recently
acquired this marvelous Victorian coffee grinder. It originally would have held
a place of honor in a general store.
Last week I
came upon a large collection of antique clockfaces belonging to clock tinkerer.
I find their weathered faces and fragmentary nature beautiful. In fact, I have a
large iron clock face on the door to the shop. For me, it symbolizes the
timeless nature of old good things and the illusory, consumption-driven idea
that the passage of time leaves in its wake only the outmoded and undesirable.
What is
your dream find, a specific item or elements of a favorite collection?
My dream
find is discovering an old family menswear shop that was shuttered, say, in the
1960s. I know one is out there. I came close a few weeks ago, but most of it
had been thrown out. In this case, they
still have a 1950s “Adam Hats” neon sign which I feel I am obligated to
acquire.
In reality,
however, I have no idea what my dream find is. I will come upon it one day at
the bottom of a dusty trunk or in some ramshackle barn. Discovery makes this
profession a constant pleasure. You never know what you’ll find next.
Most
importantly, how can our readers find you and your shop?
Old as Adam
33 Ceres
Street
Portsmouth,
New Hampshire
(603) 661-9373
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