When Marc Carey was a child he would go on cleaning jobs with his nan and he discovered a life-long passion
Marc Carey from Karma Antiques(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Thousands of people drive along Derby Road every day – heading to work, into the city, or to the docks – and pass right by a shop full of stories, history, and treasures. But most have no idea what’s inside.
Tucked into a stretch of Bootle’s industrial sprawl is Karma Antiques, a trove of objects from centuries past, each with a story to tell. It’s run by Marc Carey, a former paramedic from Seaforth who left the NHS behind to follow a childhood fascination – one sparked in an unlikely place.
Standing among the vintage radios, oak furniture, and Liverpool relics that fill his shop, he told the ECHO: “I’ve always had an interest in antiques since I was a kid. My nan was a cleaner and used to take me to her cleaning jobs. One was for a barrister and he used to show me all the antiques and stuff.”
That interest stayed with him throughout his life. After retiring early, Marc decided he wasn’t ready for a quiet one. He continued: “I thought I’d start up a little stall – I’m too young to sit at home.”
What started as a market pitch next door eventually grew into a full-blown business, one which has been going for a decade.
Marc said: “Having a place like this is about getting established. It’s not like opening a sweet shop. It takes a long time to build it up.”
Inside the shop, vintage signs, framed prints, and other oddities sit side-by-side with old Liverpool pub memorabilia. A large metal sign from St Augustine’s parish church is a standout. Marc said: “There’s no one who could make that now. I love the local stuff.”
Medical mannequin at Karma Antiques(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
But like many small businesses, Karma Antiques faced one of its biggest challenges during the pandemic. Marc recalls: “Covid changed this job massively. It went online.
“A lot of dealers were going out of business. I was here behind closed doors, using eBay to keep my head above water.”
Marc said he never took out a loan, just kept things ticking over. He added: “I remember going to the post office and the woman there asked, ‘Is this an essential item?’ I said, ‘It is, to keep the business going.’ She understood.”
Old double decker bus toy at Karma Antiques(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Every item on Marc’s shelves has been hand-picked – often brought in by locals clearing out their attics, sometimes discovered in house clearances or auctions. He knows the story behind each one.
He said: “That’s my job. So when someone buys something and takes it home, they’ve got bragging rights. They can tell the history.”
Young people, Marc says, are some of his biggest customers: “They’re into mid-century stuff. It’s quality and they’ve cottoned on – it’ll last them forever, and they can pass it on. This stuff never goes out of date.”
A Guinness mirror at Karma Antiques(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Business can be unpredictable for an antiques dealer, with Marc adding: “It’s feast to famine here. You might get nothing for days, then someone walks in and spends a fortune. You never know what the day will bring.”
So what’s behind the name Karma Antiques?
Marc smiles. “All this stuff – it goes around and comes around.”