Awang Amirzul’s vintage store has a wide range of items from decades ago.
A DEEP interest and love for old things have led Awang Amirul Dzikri to start collecting ordinary things, and over the years, the huge accumulation of commonplace collectables has enabled him to set up a vintage store with two friends.
He is the only one in the family who appreciates and collects vintage items. He even goes to old houses which have been sold to look through the unwanted items before the new owners move in or start renovating.
He has a circle of contacts, sharing the same love for vintage items, to give him a heads-up on the disposal of such homes.
“For example, when an old house gets sold and the new owner wants the things left behind by the previous owner cleared out, I’ll go and check if there is anything I want to buy. It’ll be a waste if something priceless gets thrown away instead of being passed on to someone who appreciates it,” he told thesundaypost.
It all started as a hobby with Awang Amirul collecting old things such as toys, coin banks, electric goods, CDs, song cassette tapes, furniture, tin toys, and many more. As the collection grew, he decided to start a business and sold some of the items in 2018.
A shelf of old cassette tapes.
His store was at Satok before he moved to the new location at Nanas Road. He picked the location because it was ‘legend’ (a famous place in Bahasa Sarawak), being the only famous laser disc centre around back in the day.
Awang Amirul rented the new place at end of last year with two partners who sell bundle imported second-hand items and vintage T-shirts. Now, only the ground floor is utilised as the first floor is yet to be sorted out. He hopes to turn it into a gallery.
Some of his collections came from clearing out his late grandmother’s house while others were items his parents bought over the years.
Back in time
Walking into his store is like stepping back in time — the retro furniture and the eye-popping collection of vintage items. It’s a jaw-dropping experience.
It’s not unlike walking into a granny’s storeroom, slightly musty with a bit of dust, items stacked on top of one another, and each pile a treasure trove of childhood memories, calling to mind a reminiscent visit to the Time Tunnel Museum in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, which holds many items similar to his collections.
Although he had never been to the Time Tunnel Museum, Awang Amirul said it sounded like a place he would enjoy visiting. If he has the funds or enough collections, he might consider setting such a similar tourist venue here for locals to visit and relive their memories.
His love for vintage items stems from their better quality which, he said, has enabled them to last through the decades. Some of the old toys he collected are still in good condition despite having passed through many nurseries.
Though only 36 years old, Awang Amirul appreciates things from the 70s. Among them are vinyl records he plays at his store on a radiogram.
One of his favourites is a 1981 collection of 48 Malay songs titled ‘Lagu Tanpa Henti 48’, which include recordings such as ‘Aku Sayang Padamu’, ‘Joget Hitam Manis’, ‘Rentak 106’ and ‘Sha-la-la’. Standard vinyl records usually have around six songs.
“I also have one nostalgic record I’m not selling despite numerous offers. It’s the 1978 edition of the recording of ‘Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri’ songs, which has all my favourite tunes. I bought it from a local. Unless I find something better, I’m keeping it.”
Audio quality
Awang Amirul plays his vintage records on the radiogram every day. He loves the quality of the sound of these early recordings.
“The soundtrack is amazingly durable. These records have the best audio compared to other forms of recording,” he opined.
According to him, vinyl records can still be played despite the surface being scratched, unlike newer CDs which become unplayable broken records under the same condition.
A vinyl record lasts forever and as long as there is a working record player, anyone can enjoy the evergreen songs.
He believes if something still works, it should be used, if not, it will breakdown faster and become just a display piece at home.
He has collected around 300 vinyl records with a few sold to collectors. Some of his customers wanted to buy a complete set of vinyl player and records as they never had the chance to use or own one.
Probably, they had a record player at home but the elders did not allow them to use it or it had been spoiled or they themselves had never played vinyl records before.
“It’s like a second chance for them and to finally get their hands on a vinyl record player and vinyl records will fulfil a lifelong wish. I had a customer who chipped together with his two sons to buy a complete set. Not everyone can spend over RM1,000 on a vintage item.”
Amirul said the best time to look for vintage items was during the festive seasons (before Covid-19). While visiting open houses, he could get to see the items personally and talk to the owner about selling them to him. It once took him over a year to persuade an owner to sell an item to him.
He has also come across several owners with vinyl records but no player, so the records are just for decoration.
Awang Amirzul (right) with Iwanaga-Khoo during a 2019 performance in Kuching.
Fondest memory
One of his fondest memories was meeting Rose Iwanaga-Khoo and the Avengers at a local event. He has one of the vinyl records Iwanaga-Khoo cut when she was a teenager in the 70s.
“I met her and the original The Avengers at the former Ting & Ting Supermarket in 2019. I even had a photo taken with her. The audience that night was mostly from the older generation who turned up to listen to oldies,” he remembered.
The younger generation may not know who The Avengers were. They were a four-piece instrumental band and the first from Sarawak to make a recording.
Awang Amirzul also owns a record of homegrown recording artiste Iwanaga-Khoo.
And Iwanaga Khoo, their lead singer, was the first recording artiste (in English) in the state.
Other vinyl records in his collection are Freedom (Malaysia) 1995, Rod Stewart’s ‘Foot Loose’, and The Commanders.
Awang Amirul noted that although some of the artistes are Malaysians, their records were not produced in the country but Poland and Singapore.
Asked if there are many places still selling vinyl records, he said perhaps only a handful, adding that previously, they were easily found in antique shops along the Kuching Waterfront.
He pointed out that vintage vinyl records appreciated like the price of gold as they are very rare.
On his business model, he said he only does business physically and not online because the items may get damaged in the mail and nothing could bring them back to their original state.
He said he had sold something online before but the stress of dealing with fussy buyers or replacing items damaged in transit prompted him to keep the business purely physical.
“I also want to sell items to locals so that they will have a chance to appreciate things from long ago. Most of the items are from here and I want to keep them in circulation. Maybe one day, I’ll buy back an item I have sold.”
His store is open to everyone even if they don’t buy. Most of the older customers will share stories about certain items on display and he finds this enlightening.
The former laser disc centre in Kuching now houses countless vintage treasures.
No sale
There have been instances where he would not sell an item if it had a sentimental value.
The oldest item in his store is a century-old wardrobe he bought before CNY this year from a Chinese man around 60, who got the closet from his grandmother.
“It’s definitely 100 years old and still retains its original finishing and pencil legs which are uncommon nowadays,” he noted.
Rare tin toys can also be found in his store and he manages to get several in mint condition complete with the original box.
Other daily household items include large glass candy jars, insulation food boxes, and even old imported Milo tins. Instead of selling them outright, he rents them for video or movie shoots and events.
He has an old Vespa (scooter) which he has rented for occasions such as Hari Raya and weddings and exhibitions, not forgetting a 1983 original vintage Japanese bicycle which took him over a year to restore.
“It’s a museum-grade bicycle and was not found in good condition. In fact, most bicycles were left under the elements with the emergence of motor vehicles,” he said.
All in all, he is proud of his collection and showcasing it to fellow Sarawakians.
Awang Amirul who owns a car rental and homestay business has shifted his focus to his vintage store as the tourism industry has been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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