Before shooting a film in the UK, you need to be clear where you are going to get the necessary props. Undoubtedly, this isn’t a simple task. You will need a lot of time and patience to find what you need. When you finally do, you will require space to store the props. If all you need is a set of simple props that do not cost much, you may attempt to do it yourself. In addition to the many UK prop hire shops such as Canonbury Antiques, you can find all you need from the following places.
1. eBay
(Above photo - Prop and furniture hire in Hertfordhire and London )
If you are looking to buy film props at a bargain price, eBay is a good place to look. It is ideal for people looking for older items in the form of accessories and furniture. While you may fail to find any bargains for items from the 1950s or older, you will definitely find most of the items you need. However, you will need to take time to collect everything you need in readiness for opening night. If you only find a few items, ask a UK film prop hire specialist to help you with the rest.
2. Junk Shops
(Above photo - Set design and prop hire in London )
Junk shops are some of the best places to find props for film or theatre production. Here you can get items that no one seems interested in but which will go a long way to add colour to the TV or theatrical production. For example, you may find a crocheted toilet roll holder, a chintz armchair or a phone from the 1970s. The good thing with a junk shop is that these items would be available for just a little money.
However, you will need to do some hard scouring to find everything you need. Only that you shouldn’t tell the seller the reason for which you want to buy the items. If you mention “film”, the first thing that will come to mind is that you are on some big budget, which isn’t true. Since most of the items in the junk shop are hard to move, take advantage of the bargains at which they come.
3. Auctions
(Above photo - prop hire and Set design in Hertfordshire / London )
If you are looking for rare, collectible items, the place to go is any of the nearby auction houses. Only that you may find it hard to stick to your budget when you choose to buy items from an auction. You just cannot tell the final price of an item. Some of the auctioned items may come directly from film and TV production companies. So, you need to be on the lookout for any such auction.
4. Architectural Salvage and Antique Shops
(Above photo - Well located for Hertfordshire and London film industry )
One of the best places to source props is from antique shops. After all, this is where UK film prop hire companies also get their items. To buy items from antique shops, you will need to have a very high budget. If you can’t, then why don’t you hire your props from companies that already have them? With a small amount of money, you will be able to get all the props you need for your film. As you can see, buying props for TV and film is not easy. So, why don’t you resort to simply renting these items?
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