Front Counter

6 Oct

1993 map with Chamber names

2020s map

Located at the front entrance of the Packing House, the front counter had been the first point of greeting and where everyone moved past on the way into and out of the Packing House. Behind the front counter was the front office.

The counter was installed during the renovations in 1993. It was slightly raised, being at the same floor level as Chamber 9 - Jonathon located behind it.

In the early days a credit card / EFTPOS machine required a phone line and the fees charged made it a decent cost to a business, therefore the management of the Packing House provided a credit card / EFTPOS machine at the front counter which all dealers could utilise, saving them from the burden of having a machine just for their sales. Likewise cash sales for some dealers was not something they wished the manage, and something management of the Packing House also provided at the front counter.

The front counter also provided wrapping and packaging of items for dealers, so they would not need to store the often bulky bubble wrap, tissue paper or whatever else might be needed to protect small or valuable items.

The front counter also had the on/off controls for all the heaters, and light switches for Chamber 1 - Tycos, plus some of Chamber 10 - Crofton. Additionally it was the location of the keypad to disarm the alarmed emergency exit doors – something often required for moving items in and out of the emergency exit doors of the Packing House. The main internal phone which could 'buzz' any of the phones throughout the Packing House (and they in turn could 'buzz' the front counter) was located here.

From 1993 through to 19th December 2021 sales for all dealers could be processed through the front counter although many in the later years processed payments themselves. For some dealers such as T. Briggs (located in Chamber 10), Jan Hearn (located in Chamber 20) and Book Browser (in Chambers 24, 25, 26) the processing of their sales through the front counter was the only option, and for Book Browser especially so as they had laid and spread out their stock in a way that meant it was very difficult to process sales a different way (as was mandated by Morgan & Griffin on 23rd December 2021).

Also from 1993 to December 2021 there was some sort of antique cash register at the front counter, which was utilised as 'the cash register', this was never just a display piece, it was functional, in as much as its drawers were used. Although there were a few different cash registers in place throughout the years as one was sold another was sourced. During 2022 the cash register was removed as sales at the front counter for dealers ceased at the behest of the new owners Morgan & Griffin, however by 2023 two cash registers resided on the front counter.

For all of her management and ownership of Tyabb Packing House Antiques (1993-2021), Sheila Martland manned the front counter, providing a familiar face to everyone visiting the Packing House. Throughout the years she had several women assisting her in this role, all were people with a multitude of experience through a huge range of industries who embraced the dynamism that working with the many dealers and challenging tasks the Packing House brought.

Part of this challenging work (from 1993-2021) was engaging with the general public and their questions from the practical 'where are the toilets?' (go around the corner, then right through the centre of the building until you get to the books, then through into the café). Through to the more complicated when people would bring items they wished to sell, identifying which dealers might be interested and calling them to the front counter. Or on the flip side knowing where to direct customers seeking a specific item, often based on very vague descriptions of what the customer may be seeking.

The front counter remained manned by the same person who’d assisted Sheila through 2021-2024 until her services were no longer required.

1993-09-24

2003-11-26

2004-01-01

2005

2005-11-19

2009-09-03

2012-02-24

2013-02-14

2014-02-06

2015-08-20

2017-08-24

2018-01-02

2018-01-03

2020-03-06

2020-12-20

2021-05-06

2021-07-02

2021-10-12

2021-11-28

2022-01-04

2022-07-02

2022-07-22

2022-08-18

2023-09-29

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Screenshot: "The Great Outdoors" © Seven Network Limited 2003

Just beyond the front counter was the front entrance, containing the fire panel on one side and tourism information for the surrounding area on the other.
Plastic barriers were installed on the front counter during COVID-19, as most retail did during that period.
In something of a turnaround from previous policies prohibiting food and drink in the Packing House (due to concerns around dealers’ wares), lollies and other sweets began being sold at the front counter in 2022.
The front counter featured in an episode of “The Great Outdoors” in 2003.
Facing the front counter mounted on the second entrance doors was a reflector for the infrared entrance counter. The counter had been installed in 2001 to attempt to track the amount of people visiting the Packing House. The data was sometimes poorly recorded, often on scraps of cardboard or paper, and was only some years later that it was all recorded on a spreadsheet, allowing the data to be studied in more depth. Unfortunately during the COVID-19 period both doors needed to be open for a touch-free entrance so post 2019 data was no longer recorded.

Chambers

Gareth M.

Front Counter

More information

Front office

Garden in the middle