Missing a piece of old Singapore? This 'heritage keeper' has it in his home
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CNA Lifestyle
Missing a slice of quondam Singapore? This 'heritage keeper' has it in his home
David Wee of Wee'due south Drove has been collecting Singapore heritage items since he was fifteen – and he also rents them out for events.
David Wee started collecting onetime Singapore items at the ripe old age of 15. (Photo: Joyee Koo)
Stepping inside David Wee's home is a fleck similar stepping back in fourth dimension to an old Singapore.
It's not only considering the two-storey terrace house where he grew upwards along Changi Route looks like it hasn't changed ane chip – information technology's because at that place's just and then much old stuff everywhere.
If the Idiot box bear witness American Pickers did a Singapore episode, Wee's home would be the perfect place to drop by. There are cabinets full of vintage radios and clocks, old Klim and Ovaltine tin can cans, an assortment of old phones, a handpainted beauty salon advertizement signage, a couple of trishaws… And that'southward but what'south exterior the house in Wee'southward garage.
He tells us of his plans to tidy up the area soon. "There will exist a tailor shop section, a barber store, a provision store… Similar a museum where yous walk in and accept an unabridged set-upward of how Singapore was like," he explained.
'I Endeavour MY All-time TO Exist A HERITAGE KEEPER'
The 35-twelvemonth-erstwhile Wee, a one-time civil servant, is passionate about all things to practice with Singapore's heritage. He's been collecting the stuff since he was 15 years old, and he now runs an events visitor called Wee's Drove, which organises heritage-themed events for clients looking for something retro.
Shanghai Nights-themed hymeneals for millennials? No trouble. A 1960s throwback company dinner and dance? Sure. An entire village scene consummate with kampong games? Coming right upwardly!
"The matter about Singapore is (that) it's developing too quickly. We've lost a lot of our heritage along the mode so I attempt my all-time to be a heritage keeper and keep whatever tin tell a story that's meaningful for the adjacent generation," said Wee.
To date, Wee keeps effectually 2,000 items at his place (his parents' actually) and information technology's a mix of his own personal collection and things he rents out for events or fifty-fifty sells.
Dissimilar other collectors of Singapore paraphernalia, who may focus on specific themes, he describes himself as a "generalist" who collects all sorts.
Taking CNA Lifestyle on a quick tour, he shows off some of his rare finds and special pieces.
These included former road signs fabricated during the 30s or 40s of Garden Street and Johor Road, which no longer be. The roads were curt then these signs are rare and can easily fetch a thousand dollars apiece today, Wee said.
"But the monetary value aside, what'southward important to me is the historical value."
FROM PAP POSTERS TO A BIG MAC STYROFOAM BOX
And there are certainly snapshots of history found everywhere. Among his special pieces are framed paper advertisements from the People's Activity Party made circa 50s or 60s in the different languages, and a selection of luncheon carriers – including one that reads "Made In Occupied Japan", a term for Japan during the mail-state of war years from 1946 to 1950.
READ: Saving Singapore's old buildings one photo at a time
There are a lot of old schoolhouse Diamond electric clocks from the 60s – and he'due south sold "hundreds" to young couples who remember seeing these at their grandparents' houses or old coffee shops as kids.
Even ordinary looking ones held surprises – ane porcelain cup looked ordinarily Japanese-inspired until Wee held it up against the light, revealing an image of a geisha at the base.
"I did a chip of research and these were manufactured during the Japanese Occupation – when soldiers drank from this, they'd encounter the geisha and think of their hometown," he explained, calculation that afterward reproductions in the 50s and 60s didn't have that mysterious image.
But Wee's collection doesn't just stop in that location – there are also collectibles from the 1980s and 1990s, such as Mr Kiasu figures, the odd Big Mac styrofoam box, and a whole Snoopy Earth Tour drove from McDonald'due south.
"During our time, information technology wasn't a identify yous went to oft – information technology was considered high-stop. I'd go with my classmates. They'd buy food and I'd purchase the toys from them," he quipped.
A S$1 F&Northward GLASS KICKSTARTED Information technology ALL
Wee's passion for collecting was kicked off by an old F&Northward glass he bought for a dollar at the Sungei Route flea market during a bargain-hunting trip with his father. "I saw a lot of heritage things existence thrown out, which was quite pitiful, then I started gathering them," he said.
READ: A look at Singapore's disappearing hand-painted shop signs
Today, he considers his glass drove as his almost prized feature. 1 of the most valuable ones is an F&Northward 75th anniversary drinking glass manufactured in 1958.
"I similar logos and these were all advertising glasses – those days, if you lot bought one crate of soft drinks, they'd give you ane," he said.
These days, Wee scours for treasure at flea markets, such as the i at Chinatown'due south Fook Hai Edifice, or at old estates like Tanglin Halt. He occasionally gets calls, too, when people motility out of their houses. And when he's overseas like Malaysia or Thailand, he makes certain to drop by their respective weekend flea markets.
Unlike other collectors, however, he doesn't go along it all to himself – nigh of his trove can be rented out for events, including the really old items.
"I believe that every particular has a story to tell. That'south why I bring them out for events. We'll brandish our stuff and the parents will tell their kids, 'Hey, we used to use this money phone, you lot're all using handphones at present."
NEVERENDING COLLECTION
Wee started off buying and selling dorsum in 2022 only subsequently decided to switch to doing events and renting out the items. Nowadays, he reckons he has at least one item out at that place at at some event evoking a bit of the past every week.
Film students and filmmakers regularly driblet by to hire props (a couple of the items you saw in Royston Tan'southward film Provision Shop were from Wee), and the National Museum has bought a couple of old movie books.
Wee has also worked with nursing homes, setting up permanent retro exhibition spaces for one-time people to reminisce about the skillful one-time days.
Among the more than unusual events he's done was setting up an sometime salon for a hair treatment company and recreating an entire village at the Keppel Country Club. "It took us 5 days to set information technology up simply for one night," he said.
Whether it'southward just for one night or a weekend, a single piece or an unabridged living room, Wee takes pride in beingness able to show off a flake of the past to anyone swell on them. And, well, he merely can't assist collecting them anyway.
"A collection is never ending – I'll always recall I have everything and then something will pop up somewhere. And when you lot stop collecting Singapore glasses, you tin can always start collecting Malaysian ones," he said, laughing.
For more information, visit the Wee'south Collection website or Facebook page.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/singapore-heritage-nostalgia-collector-wee-s-collection-221701
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