THE SHORT VERSION
Our Story
We stumbled into the world of antiques quite by accident, more than a decade ago.
Growing up, we spent four years in Prague — a city that looks like it was built for a fairytale, all cobbled streets, gilded interiors, and objects that had clearly seen a few centuries. It left us with a lasting appreciation for things made with care, and probably explains a lot about where we ended up.
Our family had always bought the odd antique piece here and there, but it wasn't until 2013 that we opened our first small shop, trading in vintage items — anything over 100 years old, for the purists among you. We knew very little at the time: where to find good pieces, how to look after them, or what they were really worth. Years, several auction houses, and a great many mistakes later, we've built an established presence on Etsy, eBay, and Vinterior, and trade through the more discerning likes of Catawiki — all under the name Rita's Bazaar, now finally gathered together under one roof here.
Our aim here is simple: to make buying antiques feel considered rather than complicated. Browse the collections, read the descriptions — each one comes with the history behind the piece, because context is half the pleasure — and in a few clicks, you'll own a small piece of the past.
It also means choosing something with a past over something mass-produced, built to be replaced rather than kept.
We're a small, family-run business — Rita is our grandmother, and the name felt right — and though we've grown, this is still very much a hands-on labour of love. We're both involved from sourcing to packing, and we hope you find something here worth having.
Katya and Tanya
OUR PHILOSOPHY
What we believe
Three things we won't compromise on, whatever we're sourcing.
Sourced with Intention
We don't buy on impulse. Every piece is chosen for its history, its craftsmanship, and whether it deserves a second life — not just because it happened to turn up.
Described in Full
No vague catalogue language. We tell you what something is, where it's from, what condition it's really in, and why it's worth your attention.
Packed with Care
Anything that's survived a century deserves to survive the post too. Every order is packed properly, in recycled materials, by us — not a warehouse.
OUR PROCESS
How we work
From auction room to your door — the short version of a longer process.
We hunt
Hours spent combing through listings from auction houses we trust not to sell us a fake, plus fairs, viewings, and a fair amount of driving. If it looks too good to be true in the photos, we go and look at it in person.
We buy
Once we've found something worth having, we make enquiries, ask the awkward questions, and occasionally pick up the phone to make sure we're getting exactly what we think we're getting.
We clean and restore
Every piece is properly cleaned and, where it needs it, restored — carefully, without scrubbing away the bits of history that make it interesting in the first place.
We research
We dig into where it came from, who made it, and why it matters, so you're getting more than just an object and a price tag
We photograph and list
Properly lit, properly framed, no filters doing the heavy lifting. Then listed online with descriptions short enough to actually read and detailed enough to trust — ready to find a good home.
We pack
Carefully, in recycled packaging. Something that's survived a hundred years shouldn't come to grief in the post.
A DECADE OF TRADING
How we got here
A brief history of Rita's Bazaar.
Rita's Bazaar begins — two sisters, an eye for old things, and no idea yet what any of it was worth.
A formal jewellery course, and a growing seriousness about the trade.
Our own website launches — Rita's Bazaar finally has a proper home.
Presence built across Catawiki and Etsy, reaching collectors well beyond the UK.
Joined Vinterior, and started supplying pieces to film sets.
Featured in ELLE — a decade of trading, one very good write-up.
