Stuff with a difference
IT'S not every day you see a shrunken Zulu chieftain's head in a glass jar, let alone three of them, side by side with "sold" signs on them.
Next to them sits a selection of pickled "abnormal specimens" in jars (made of plasticine and floating in Coke), much as you might find in a horror movie about a crazy scientist.
These strange objects were made, not by a mad scientist, but by collector Peter Robertson, who has spent the past 10 years gathering interesting second-hand objects, wherever he can find them, to sell.
For the past seven years he and his daughter Luka have been running a successful family business in Taylor St, South Lismore, called Lismore Recycled Building Materials. But now due to lease renegotiation problems, the business will be moving out on June 16 and everything is on sale.
Outside and in there's an assorted mixture of stuff, from second-hand building materials such as wood, doors and fly screens to outdoor furniture, kitchen and light fittings, dressmakers' dummies, mannequins, old-fashioned scales and scuba gear.
There's even an outdoor dunny Luka and Peter built together, and it hasn't even been used.
"This place is different from other second hand building materials places because we also have antiques and bric-a-brac as well," Luka said.
"Dad is a collector and loves to make interesting things with what he collects."
Two brass firemen's helmets dated from 1898 shine from one of the shelves, next to a glass case filled with antique bed pans (used), stuffed animals, wedding dresses, dolls and ceramics. Musical instruments are all over the shop, from guitars to church organs and an Italian accordion inlaid with shell.
"I actually tried to play it and thought I was getting good, but the neighbours didn't," laughed Peter.
On the wall is an unusual artwork Peter thought was Japanese, but it turns out it is Mongolian, the flowers on it created with real animal claws.
Peter and Luka plan to sell many of the smaller items on eBay.
But they are offering up to 50% off everything until the shop closes for good next month.
