MORE than 100 people queued outside the doors of the new Emmaus shop in Cowley this morning when it opened for the first time.

Staff at the Barns Road store have been working for months to get everything looking just right for the big day, with over 2,000 items ready for their customers as they flooded in.

They range from paintings and dressers costing £1,000, to bric-a-brac costing just 10p.

And they also had an extra hand from TV antiques expert Jonty Hearnden, who spotted an unexpectedly valuable dresser among items at the back of the shop.

The BBC Cash in the Attic star, who was there to advise customers who brought in their valuables, ended up helping Emmaus staff as well when he recognised the 19th century Jacobian-style piece of furniture, worth up to £700 in its condition. Staff originally thought it would sell for around £200. 

Oxford Mail:

  • The 19th century Jacobian-style dresser, which Mr Hearnden spotted amongst items in the newly-opened Emmaus shop. 

Mr Hearnden, who lives in Shellingford and started working at Bonhams auctioneers as a teenager, said he had donated some of his own furniture, including dining chairs, a table and a Victorian mirror, to the shop as well.

The 55-year-old added: "I always find what people cumulatively throw away, what they don't want, amazing because it comes here and then all sells for hundreds or thousands of pounds.

"It's that age old saying really, one man's piece of junk is another man's treasure."

The shop receives four truck loads of stock every day, according to manager Kelly O'Connor, who said one of the "biggest labours of love" had been the customer service desk made completely of recycled materials with help from Modern Art Oxford.

She added: "It's amazing to finally have the shop open. We've been working to get things ready for months."

Oxford Mail:

  • Hundreds of people queued outside ahead of the shop's 9.30am grand opening. 

Rob James, one of Emmaus' 'companions', formerly homeless people who live in the charity's community and work in its social enterprises, said the preparations for the opening had been "stressful" but added: "It's also really exciting and seeing everyone here and smiling today is fantastic."

And Blackbird Leys mum Kelly Newbold was also impressed. The 33-year-old said: "It's really well organised and I saw a lot of furniture I liked.

"I'll definitely be coming back, although maybe when it's a bit less packed."

The shop is open from 9.30am to 5pm, Mondays to Saturdays, and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays.