An Altrincham vintage emporium is shutting up shop after being hit by a spate of brazen specialist thefts.
Nestled in vintage and craft showroom No 16 The Downs at the Altrincham Traders Outlet, Grandma’s Attic has suffered a number vintage clothing and accessory thefts over the last few months.
Owner Carole Bannon took the decision to move from their current premises when the most expensive items, a 1950’s Mad Men-style dress and jacket, were swiped from the store last week.
Yet her hope of relocating is far from certain as she has only a month to move to new premises and is struggling to find a suitable new home.
She said: “Whoever it is that’s taking things knows what they’re doing because they’re taking the oldest and most expensive pieces. They’re almost antiques instead of vintage.”
The 62-year-old added: “I’ve got a feeling that it’s the same person because of what they’ve taken.
“If it was things from the 70s and 80s then it wouldn’t be as heart breaking, but it’s items from around the 20s which are becoming much more scarce and harder to source.”
STOLEN: Stunning 1950’s dress and matching jacket
Along with the dress and jacket, items that have gone missing include a 1920s hand painted shawl, an Edwardian silk, hand-stitched night dress and a lace Edwardian crochet over shirt.
The estimated cost of these items comes to around £330 however some items were not even for sale as they were invaluable.
She said: “It’s so frustrating because we’re a bit off the beaten track anyway so it’s hard enough getting people to come in.”
Carole revealed that she embarked on her vintage endeavour after going through her grandmother’s clothing after she passed away.
She explained: “The idea for the shop came to me after my grandmother died. Her clothes were so beautiful, it made me think –I should do something with this.”
Carole currently rents the premises off a landlord but is planning to close in a month’s time because of the security breaches and persistent thefts.
Due to the fact that she is unable to pinpoint the exact dates and times of the thefts the landlord is unable to identify the culprit.
She explained: “We can’t tag anything or do stock takes because there are thousands of items and it would just be too costly. There are only ever one or two staff in the shop at one time.”
Grandma’s Attic has received a lot of support over Facebook and Twitter and many people are turning detective online to try and track down the culprit.
Carole continued: “There’s been so much support from the vintage community that at least whoever it is won’t be able to wear it if they live locally.”
Grandma’s Attic will be open for another month before it closes at the end of March and are planning to appear at vintage and craft fairs for the foreseeable until they find a new permanent home.
Before they bid farewell to their premises there will be a celebratory fair (with added security) on March 8, on the top floor of Grandma’s Attic, so vintage enthusiasts can have one last chance to snap up a bargain.
Pictures courtesy of Grandma’s Attic, with thanks
