Every morning and night, without fail, the rhythmic tinkling emanates from Mr Cheong Poh Kwai’s quaint store. The song of his collection of wind chimes is familiar to his neighbours and two sons who help out at the store.
At the age of 64, Mr Cheong sells and appraises antiques from his shop in Chinatown.
A passionate antique dealer and collector, Mr Cheong loves his job. He says: “I love all antiques. I love anything that is old. There’s always a story behind every antique piece.”
The dedication to his craft continues even after the shop is closed for the day at about 6.30pm. After dinner, he reads and studies his notes that he has made for the day.
“It’s a habit. I have to constantly keep up with new technologies used in reproductions. Self-improvement does not stop just because I am a senior. Instead, it gives me a greater reason to improve myself each and every day,” said Mr Cheong in Mandarin.
With a business running for more than 20 years, he believes a cup of tea is his trade secret. “It is our tradition here to serve every customer that sets foot in our shop a cup of traditional Chinese tea. In the same spirit, our customers pay only with their time and sincerity,” he said.
Mr Cheong’s interest was piqued after meeting a bonsai artist. He fondly recalls of how he met a man that inspired him to discover his love for Chinese art and antiquities.
“It started in 1975 when I just left army and came to know of a man called Mr. Bok. He was a bonsai artist and I went over to his place very often. His place was a heaven for antique lovers and he would tell me the history behind each and every piece. That was when it all started,” he chuckled and said.
Sourcing from overseas dealers and customers, Mr Cheong has amassed a collection so vast that they had to open another storefront in Chinatown. When asked which are his favourites, he simply shrugs: too many.
He first worked as a partner for a lamp company at the age of 26. After 12 long years, he then set up his own company, East Inspirations. “I had my fair share of success and failures. However, it was never my passion to begin with. I started it because it was a lucrative trade,” he said, recalling his exasperating experience he had for his failed business, which raked incredulous amounts of debt.
This humble store front is the top-rated destination for shopping on TripAdvisor Singapore. Mr Cheong says he is still in awe at how his store achieved this title, which triumphs over The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands in ranking. “I sure did not make this work on my own because my children have to guide me on how to use the Internet step-by-step,” he gushed.
Mr Cheong vividly remembers how he borrowed from friends and family and poured his entire life savings into the shop – which is East Inspirations we know of today.
But it was a gamble that paid off. Today, the business is still around, with his oldest son, Hao Ming, 29, running it with him.
“In the day, I was a sales man. At night, I became a worker. The beginning is always the hardest and soon after, the business took flight. People started showing up wanting me to appraise their piece of antique. It was then I realised my efforts were starting to pay off,” he said with a triumphant smile.
His clientele includes a majority of tourists. Younger customers and especially locals, both young and old, are a rare sight except during the festivities like Chinese New Year.
One most frequently asked question to him would be “How do you know what is real or fake?”. Mr Cheong’s ability to differentiate between real antiques and counterfeits is a result of his rich experiences of learning from customers, museum visits and a lot of reading.
While every customer is regarded as a friend of his, Mr Cheong has his fair share of rejecting customers. Unreasonable customers are just one of the many. “I have met cocky customers who are buying antiques for the wrong reason – to show off. I do not appreciate this kind of customers patronising my store,” he said disapprovingly.
Today, Hao Ming is ready to take over the business from his father, having learnt the ropes of the trade. “My job is what keeps me going. As a father, I’m thrilled to hear that my son offered to take over the business. Without Hao Ming, I would have probably closed East Inspirations when I feel my age has caught up with me,” Mr Cheong said, his face lighting up with simple pride.