Antique enthusiast becomes a TV celebrity on Skatjagter

Local resident Joe Strydom and his mother Dorothy will take on the world of up-cycling and showcase their talent on Skatjagter, a ‘first of its kind’ TV show to hit South Africa.

The show, that aired on 6 March, will see the mother and son duo going on a road trip to find buried treasure, unwanted furniture, and items in need of a bit love and attention.

“We also tell the stories of the fabulous people who collect these items,” Joe said.

On the reality show, they bring those treasures back to the workshop, where they give viewers some practical advice on how to up-cycle and restore pieces.

Both Joe and Dorothy (fondly known as Dol) come from Fochville in the North West province. Joe now lives in Bergbron.

He runs a vintage furniture and a collectables store, Trouvé, in Long Road, which is well-known for its antique shops among collectors in Joburg.

Joe said the up-cycling bug bit him at a young age when Dol used to take him to pawn shops in search of antiques on Saturdays, but only many years later, when he had to set up his own house, did it become clear that up-cycling is a great way to save money, and that it could also be a lucrative business.

“People are tired of mass produced pieces shipped in from China, and can’t always afford to buy at the high-end retail stores, so… with Skatjagter, we give the audience a glimpse behind the curtain, and show them how they can also up-cycle their own pieces,” he said.

https://youtu.be/eM3L-lCkI4g

Watching the show might give you a few helpful tips when searching the market for unique pieces, but Joe believes that people should buy with their hearts.

“Looking at something, you will just know if it has the potential to be up-cycled,” he said.

You can watch Skatjagter Mondays at 5.30pm on Via, channel 147 on DStv.

Did you know?

Antiques are classified as objects older than 100 years and vintage if it is older than 70 years.