Uncovering nuggets of Old Singapore at Katong Square Antique Centre

SINGAPORE – In the heart of Joo Chiat, there are historical treasures to be discovered. Not just the colourful shophouses in Koon Seng Road or The Intan museum, although these are important cultural landmarks.

The atrium of Katong Square in East Coast Road is also a place of heritage, housing a cosy daily bazaar with an array of vintage and thrifted items.  

The mall hosts a flea market every first and third weekend of the month, and has done so since 2016. Called Katong Square Antique Centre (KSAC), the atrium bazaar was opened in December 2023 and is a fixed installation that the public can visit any day from noon till 8pm.

“We were inspired by the antique centre concept overseas, such as in Europe, where a group of collectors come together to front a single space divided into smaller stalls and sections,” says Mr Gary Tan, a 55-year-old bank officer who founded the antique centre and collects everything from gramophones to airline trolleys. 

At KSAC, he and about 10 other collectors showcase a variety of wares. Some are the typical inventory of any respectable vintage store: Seiko watches (from $90), Chinese ceramics (from $20), matchbooks (from $2), Archie comics ($5 to $10) and vinyl records from beloved music acts such as Destiny’s Child and Fleetwood Mac (from $10).

Other items are more novel and unexpected, such as the antique scuba helmet that stands unassumingly in one corner ($2,200).

Most of these items are for sale, although a few unique pieces are only for display, such as a pair of vinyl jukeboxes that Mr Tan has planted in the centre of the atrium. 

It is a fun throwback to a different time, one that can evoke nostalgia and engender conversations among visitors. 

“We see this as a space that can help bring the community together. We’ve seen so many from the older generations come through and rediscover aspects of their childhood, which they share with the children or grandchildren accompanying them,” says Mr Tan. 

Younger Gen Xers and older millennials might, for instance, get a kick out of the Mr Kiasu cartoon toys that were given out with McDonald’s Happy Meals in the early 1990s. 

These are on display at The Collectables’ Shop, the KSAC stall of Mr Richard Tan, 67, who collects and sells vintage toys and figurines. He was formerly a curator of the Mint Museum of Toys in Seah Street.

For the most part, the owners of the individual stalls are not present on-site, but there are one or two floor managers to field questions and handle sales. This also means that one can browse the items at leisure, without a hovering salesperson.

Mr Richard Tan says: “While we can expect hundreds of people to come through during flea market weekends, it is a lot quieter during other times. We get maybe 10 to 20 people coming through on a typical weekday.”  

This includes a sizeable number of tourists, thanks to Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong nearby. 

But one day, he hopes to find a space large enough to bring the Republic’s disparate community of antique and vintage collectors together.

“We are keen on conserving different aspects of our national heritage. And, as you can see, just in this small space, there are interesting treasures to be found, which help us to keep the past alive in some small way,” he says.