Wednesday, 27 Nov 2024

Antique shop which sells golliwogs and Nazi memorabilia faces backlash

Antique shop which sells golliwogs and Nazi relics alongside classic children’s toys sparks backlash for being an ‘extremist’s paradise’ – but owner hits back saying ‘it’s just history, we’ve always sold war memorabilia’

  • Grannie’s Parlour Antiques in Hull sells Nazi memorabilia and golliwogs 
  • Items found in the shop include a framed picture of Adolf Hitler
  • The owner of the shop said: ‘We’re a shop of history and we sell parts of history’
  • Customers have complained such contentious items should not be for sale

An antique shop has faced backlash on social media for selling Nazi memorabilia and golliwogs – but has defended their sale saying ‘it’s just history’.

Grannie’s Parlour Antiques in Hull, which is a family-run business established in 1974, has drawn negative attention on Twitter after people discovered some of their more controversial items on sale, with critics calling it an ‘extremist’s paradise’. 

Items include golliwog dolls, a framed photo of Adolf Hitler, a swastika flag, and a model of Hitler’s head.

While some social media users joked about the World War Two-era relics, others voiced their concern that such items were on sale, asking ‘How on earth is this [shop] allowed to operate?’

But the owner of the 48-year-old business responded to the social media outburst, arguing in favour of selling the historical relics.

When asked about the sale of controversial golliwog dolls, the owner told MailOnline: ‘Mostly black people buy them… it’s a shop about history.’

Grannie’s Parlour Antiques has faced a wave of online criticism for choosing to sell and advertise Nazi memorabilia alongside classic children’s toys at their shop in Hull

Some of the items on show included a framed photo of Adolf Hitler, a swastika flag, a model of Hitler’s head, and a golliwog doll

Grannie’s Parlour Antiques, which is a family run business established in 1974, have drawn negative attention on Twitter after people discovered some of their more controversial items on sale

Since the Second World War there has been a stigma attached to owning Nazi -themed items.

Despite this, many people do collect memorabilia from that shameful episode in history.

Guns, knives, uniforms, flags and even motor vehicles from the Third Reich have all found homes in the UK.

There are no specific laws in the UK banning the sale of Nazi memorabilia, whereas some countries in Europe such as Germany and Austria do have these.

Some auctioneers and websites do refuse to sell them, and there have previously been calls from MPs to ban the practice.

The owner said: ‘It’s just history. We’re a shop of history and we sell parts of history.

‘It’s not a modern day shop, we’re not selling propaganda,

‘We’ve always sold war memorabilia.

She added: ‘We are an established shop and have been around for over forty years. People come to us for antiques, film props and things that are a part of history.’ 

The business, which is one of Hull’s many historic shops, is described as ‘more [of] a museum’ and prides itself on presenting a varied range of collectables from all periods of history.

Although the owners believe that they are doing no wrong, many were quick to condemn the sale of the items.

One Twitter user wrote: ‘I was just thinking ‘nothing surprises me anymore’ And then, I saw this’

Another commented: ‘Shut. It. Down!’

Despite the fact that the majority of people were appalled by their disputable stock, others chose to make light of the situation.

Many joked at the stark contrasting of the products, calling for the beloved childhood character, Sweep from The Sooty Show, to be rescued from the shop window.

Many Twitter users found humour in the surprising situation, urging for someone to go and ‘save Sweep’ from the shop

Source: Read Full Article

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