An Emporium of the Unexpected

With the inspiration of being self employed, after finding that working for an electrical company wasn’t for him, and thinking he would have more spare time(unfortunatly not!), John Rutter began climbing the antique ladder.

How peculiar it is to find stockings and porkpies on sale alongside brassware and general antiques?? Not very when we skip forward over 40 years and find an ‘Emporium of the Unexpected’ at 309 Bloxwich Road called ‘The Doghouse Antiques’.

Its 1967, Bloxwich market, and we find ourselves stumbling across a rather odd stall owned by Mr John Rutter and his wife Mrs Rutter (The big boss).

As well as owning a small shop on the Broadway and a warehouse on Queen street, the Rutter family held auctions in Walsall at the Royal Hotel up until 1988-the year ‘The Dog House’ (named after two large dogs that failed being sold for two years, the ones that now sit out front with a budding business behind them) was bought out!

A family run business since their son Drew left school to help with the manover from queen street to Bloxwich Road, first as a temporary move that soon changed as he is still there 23 years later! Sister Fay joined in the mid 90’s after qualifying as a gemmologist, and with the hope of the other sister to join full time in the near future- Doghouse is a heart run business, glowing with comfort!

A few famous faces have also passed through the doors of this magical business, including Roy Wood, Ken Downing, Judas Priest and the Scarlet Harlots (Also a dude from Slade and a random Big Brother contestant).

This Pandora’s box full of collectable history, beautiful furniture that hold many stories, and distinctive retro, vintage and Victorian goods, doghouse antiques is defiantly worth a rummage…or two!