Mavoor: Antique goods are invaluable and avid collectors travel long distances to buy them. Antique dealers like Abdul Rasheed, a resident of Kuttipuram, are sought after for their array of articles.
After nearly two decades in the business, Rasheed says whatever he has sold are invaluable antiques and they always hold a novelty value.
The man can be spotted every Sunday under a tree in front of the Sree Ayyappa temple at Cherooppa on Mavoor-Kozhikode main road. He had spent 16 years selling antiques at the Heritage Village in Dubai. Illness that weakened him physically forced him to return to his homeland, but Rasheed's experience with antiques gave him the strength to launch the business here.
Rasheed acquires antiques when old ancestral homes are demolished. He also locates people who are passionate about collecting antique items. He claimed he has collected such items from almost every village in Kerala. Wherever he goes, he doesn't hesitate to exhibit antiques for the sake of students if teachers ask for it. He noted it helps to educate students on history and also familiarise with antiquity.
Old coins, utensils, a variety of gramophones, valve radio, clocks and sand clocks are among the old items in his collection. Rasheed said sometimes he takes some of the items, if it's hard to find customers. Irrespective of the sales, Rasheed is happy he is able to exhibit age-old items to the new generation and explain about each of them.
