Customers come here looking for pictures of their families

There’s a shop on Al Mirqab Al Jadeed Street that sells numerous unusual and interesting items. Anything from an old camera to an antique radio or an old bottle of Pepsi made in Qatar can be found there. Banknotes, coins and letters are also part of this collection put together by Ali Darwishi.

This Iranian entrepreneur opened Champs Elysee Palace about eight years ago. But he began collecting stamps at the age of 12. Then came coins and banknotes, and then antiques.

He has been in Doha for more than 45 years and buys most of the items he sells in his shop from collectors who don’t want to continue collecting. He has many Qatari clients, and film-makers rent the products for a few days.

His collection includes medals, stamps, books, photos, ornaments, plates, vases, watches and musical instruments, among other curiosities.

The oldest items are from the 1950’s and, in the owner’s words: “They tell the short story of Qatar.”

 “I have many local clients that keep coming back to the store until they finish their collection. They specially like to buy books about the country, stamps, banknotes and even soda bottles,” Darwishi said.

 The shopkeeper added that it was common for Qatari families to have a corner in their home dedicated to memorabilia and antiques. “I have sold bottles of Coca Cola or Pepsi made here for QR4,000. Also, old banknotes that were used for Qatar and Dubai for QR100,000.”

Darwishi’s books about the country and the Gulf are also very valuable, just like the hundreds of photos that tell the story of the country.

“Customers come here looking for pictures of their families to show their children. They also like buying old toys to let their kids know how they played before, with traditional craft toys and not electronics,” stated the owner of Champs Elysee Palace.

 Youth visit the shop to learn about Qatar and find special items like a telephone used by the troops in World War II, a vintage iron or the traditional china used during Ramadan by locals.

 Spread over two floors, the store also sells records from Indian artists and singers from the region as well as boxes of matches — which sell for up to QR1,000 — and tobacco.

 “Collectors continue coming until they have all the items they want. For instance, they like having a camera or telephone from every year. I also get calls from people who are tired of collecting and want to sell me all their things.”

The shop also sells old fans, some furniture, including cupboards, as well as pots made in the Czech Republic and Slovenia which are very popular among Qatari clients.

 Four people work at the store, which will soon feature an area on the second floor dedicated to books.

“They keep everything in order, but they don’t need to clean because the dust makes the items even more special,” joked the owner.

 Other curious items can be found at the store, like typewriters. Barwashi also sells apparently invaluable things like imitation watches, catchpenny jewellery or empty and broken soda cans.

The most unexpected item, like a broken bottle, can be exactly what the client is looking for to complete his collection and, just because it is made in Qatar, he will pay thousands of riyals for it.