Krasnoyarsk collector runs Siberia's largest vintage market

Krasnoyarsk resident Dmitry Gulyayev has been collecting vintage items for seven years. By now he has accumulated so many things that they fill several garages and warehouses. Dmitry values his collection at 47 million rubles ($590,000 at current rates). Customers come to his «Bloshka» market from all over Russia. Some, however, are turned away — they fail his face control. The entrepreneur also rents out part of his furniture for film shoots and photo sessions.

We will admit honestly that arranging a meeting was not easy, but we managed to pass this strict screening. What Siberia«s largest vintage »hypermarket« looks like, what the prices are, and whether buyers should fear ghosts — in this report by NGS24.RU correspondents Tatyana Zarv and Maria Lents.

«People came for the sideboard, sales grew»

Dmitry was born in Krasnoyarsk; his mother first worked at a kindergarten and later as a saleswoman in a store. At the time, his father drank and did not work. The Krasnoyarsk native recalls that his childhood had no place for antique dishes or expensive things.

— We had no expensive dishes at all. A faceted glass, simple cups like the ones they used to have in cafeterias. That was it, — he says.

While Dmitry was still a child, the family moved to Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Region), where he studied at a college. After his studies he opened his own electrical installation company, while also developing another business with his wife — a cosmetics store.

Around the same time, the entrepreneur used a repaid debt to buy his first vintage furniture, but at first it was «kept under lock and key»; later he decided to integrate it into the store.

— When I started collecting, at one point I said: «Let»s put the sideboard — it can stand in the cosmetics store temporarily.« We put in the sideboard — imagine: all the display cases are modern, and there stands an old sideboard. And people came there because of that sideboard. Sales grew, — Dmitry claims.

Two years later he decided to part with the electrical installation company, because construction work cost him too many nerves. The vintage world was a completely different matter.

— I rented a garage, then another, then another — and so gradually I rented ten garages. And then at one point we moved here, to Maerchaka Street, — he recalls.

Even at the stage of creating the business, Dmitry had big ambitions: he and his wife decided to create a hypermarket of antiques and become the largest in Siberia. And the entrepreneur believes they succeeded.

— If you take the stretch from Vladivostok to Vladimir, there is no one else. People come to us from all regions. That was our plan. But I think it«s still not enough: we want to double everything, — he shares his plans.

At the same time, our hero explains that his goal was not to assemble a collection. At first he sold to earn money, but later the items themselves began to interest him.

— There is no limit. It«s when you no longer know how much money is in your wallet — and it stops being interesting. First you sell to recoup your investment, and then you think: »I«m no longer interested in selling, I»m more interested in finding,« — he explains.

According to the collector, there are no interesting items in Krasnoyarsk or the surrounding region. He could only recall some good armchairs. To find something worthwhile, Dmitry travels to Omsk Region, the Moscow Region, or St. Petersburg:

— Good merchandise from Krasnoyarsk itself is a rarity, one item a year, no more. Everything else — you have to go somewhere.

Dmitry remembers in detail where he brought each item from: the place, the time, the circumstances of the purchase. And every time he regrets selling something. At the same time, there are almost no duplicate items on the shelves. There are roughly similar ones, but they still differ.

— Every time it«s a pity. But if you don»t sell — new things won«t come. The rule is simple: communicating vessels. We had a mirror standing unused for three years. We took it out, put it in a prominent place — a week later it sold.

And two weeks later an identical one arrived. You sell an expensive dinner service and think: that«s it, there will never be another like it. And two weeks later it shows up again, — Dmitry explains.

«Let»s change the mirror, or the ghosts will strangle us«

While buying old things, Dmitry came to believe in mysticism and ghosts.

— Once I saw it myself: I drove into an abandoned village toward Kansk (Krasnoyarsk Region), went into a house, and felt that someone was there. I left almost at a run. I won«t go there again, — he says.

His clients believe in mysticism too. But it manifests differently: most often they ask to replace the mirrors on dressers.

— Many say: «Let»s replace the mirror with a new one, or the ghosts will strangle me at night.« I stand there, look at such a person, and think — I»d better go have some coffee. Ninety percent of mirrors end up being replaced. Only some, on the contrary, specifically look for them: «We need one with crackle.» I say: «Guys, you»re ruining all my statistics — everyone else replaces the mirrors.« And they say: »No, we need one with crackle,« — he laughs.

«If I don»t like someone on the phone — I don«t let them in»

Before letting a person onto the premises, Dmitry conducts an unspoken face control — and it begins even before a personal meeting, over the phone.

— It won«t be like someone just shows up and I let them in right away. If I don»t like a person even on the phone — I don«t let them in, that»s it. I have many people who want to come whom I don«t let in. I know in advance that the deal will be strained, and that»s bad, no need for it. It«s better when the deal is easy, — the collector explains.

Those who do cross the line and start being rude, Dmitry puts on a blacklist without discussion — and, according to him, there is no way back from there.

— There«s no need to argue with me — I immediately send such a person to the blacklist. Why carry on a conversation when you know in advance that the person doesn»t understand? You just shouldn«t talk to them, — he says.

Dmitry also senses the energy of his collection. He notes that they are «like vampires,» and every mug or chair has its own history and soul:

— It consumes you. When you interact with old things — it«s like a vampire, only they feed on fresh things. I come back from a trip — and that»s it, I could drop. I drink a glass of kefir and go to bed. There is a difference: whether you look at a plastic lamp or at a chandelier like this — of course, the mood is different.

Things regulate your emotional state. Someone drank from this mug two hundred years ago — it has a history, it has a soul. But the white one from a cafeteria — you take it off the shelf and throw it away tomorrow — it has nothing. I«m forty-seven years old, and I pick up mugs older than myself. A mug older than the person — that already stirs emotion, — Dmitry explains.

«People don»t understand that this is valuable«

A superficial tour of «Bloshka» took about an hour and a half. Not the entire assortment is under a roof, but according to the store owner, such items have little value and are there for atmosphere, like an old children«s bicycle.

— There are many things — I only delve into the ones I collect myself. The rest I take simply for atmosphere. This bicycle, for example — it«s from a dacha that was being demolished in Vetluzhanka (a district of Krasnoyarsk). It was in the attic. Everything would have gone under a tractor, but I like this kind of thing — it»s very beautiful, — Dmitry notes.

We move to another section, where we are greeted by a sideboard with old wallpaper and a stack of carpets. The wallpaper, according to Dmitry, «sells quite well» despite its condition. It is paper, and some pieces still bear stamps with names.

— These ones here are called «Grandma»s Apartment.« People don»t understand that this is valuable, — he notes.

Then there is a great deal of furniture — dressers, shelving units, sideboards. They are not empty: they hold televisions, clocks, or rotary phones, all of which are either sold or rented out with a deposit equal to the full value. According to Dmitry, people take them not only for coziness and collecting, but also for film shoots and as props for photo sessions.

Even visitors from Moscow have come to Dmitry — the owner of the «Zhar-ptitsa» warehouse, where Mosfilm gets its costumes. While she was looking for the items she needed, they struck up a conversation:

— We talked about exactly this topic — that sooner or later the attics will run out. I told her: «Tatyana, don»t worry, there will be enough for our lifetime, I«ve done the math.» And when we depart to the next world — it won«t matter anymore.

Alongside each story, we enter a new hangar. It seems the things will never end. But in this one, for example, there is no light at all, and the smell of dust is very strong. Dmitry points to the item most valuable to him — a coffee table. It looks old, but according to the collector, it is one of a kind, and that is where its value lies.

— If there were ten of them, I«d say: »Come on, we«ll bring more.» But to fish out something like this now — first, it«s expensive to bring and expensive to find, even in this condition, — the entrepreneur explains.

A separate object of admiration is the section with tea sets, crystal salad bowls, and other dishes. They sit alongside chandeliers of interesting shapes that have been popular for the past two years.

Nearby stands a sideboard priced at 380,000 rubles ($4,800 at current rates), though it could be more expensive if it were made of oak. Next to it is a dining set — a table and chairs made of bamboo, with plush cushions. An unexpected find — 1978 issues of the magazine «Novye Tovary» (New Goods), which Dmitry uses to verify the age of his items.

Dmitry shows a stack of other magazines. In one of them we see a plastic chair that catches the eye with its color and shape, and it is in the collection.

When you leave the hangar, it seems that«s all, but the owner of »Bloshka« leads on again, because in any premises there is something interesting to find. We go up the stairs and find ourselves in a room soaked in the smell of wood.

There are also musical instruments here: an accordion, a guitar, drums, a violin. They are unlikely ever to be played again, but they can be used as interior items.

Promotion on Pinterest

Looking over the territory from above, we realize we have far from explored everything. But perhaps that is worth leaving for next time. Besides, Dmitry has big plans: by winter he intends to do a general cleanup, set up a photo zone, and promote his store through Pinterest.

Dmitry says he is being bombarded with calls from people wanting to buy the entire collection. And there are quite a few of them.

— You could take it all at once — tie up a bundle and sell it. People have already come from St. Petersburg wanting to buy everything. Do you know how many are willing? A mountain. They say they«ll take the whole store for 25 [million]. I refuse, — he laughs, adding that he values his entire collection at 47 million rubles ($590,000 at current rates).