Any old thing: Simonne Le Masurier's favourite things

Simonne Le Masurier loves vintage items. Photo / Babiche Martens

"Let's Go Retro" isn't just the name of Simonne Le Masurier's store, but a way of life. Le Masurier, who lives at Bethells Beach, opened the cute retro and collectables store last year in the old Signal Gallery building on Swanson's main road. "I've always loved old stuff from when I was a young child going through Gran's jewellery box or Grandad's old desk with all its pigeonholes. Walking home from high school, long before it had become popular, I was raiding inorganic rubbish collections for treasure. I was just born loving it!

"The store is full of all the things I love. Plus, it has a lovely, unhurried atmosphere with National Radio playing most days, nice customers and a constant flow of pieces to be polished and processed." From quirky knitting dolls to Crown Lynn to her "desert island books", she tells us some of her favourite things right now.

1 Button necklace

Made by my friend Su McPherson, this is a wonderful collection of brightly coloured vintage plastic buttons on a plaited thread. I love the lightness and simplicity and the way the buttons sit flat against your skin. I've lost count of how many strangers have stopped me in the street to ask about it.

2 Knitting Nancy collection

Otherwise known as French Knitting Dolls, these have been around for donkey's years and were used by young girls to "knit" long cords of wool. You could then sew coils of the wool together to create potholders, tea cosies, dolls and so on. My own childhood Nancy is now in the company of 30 other dolls and although they topple like dominoes when the shelf is knocked, they're just so cheerful that I'm happy to set them all up again.

3 Citroen 2CV

Alas, I couldn't bring this back from England with me but it will always remain my favourite car. My little Deux Chevaux Vapeur was as rough as guts but I just adored it. It was apple green with a hand-painted black racing stripe which ran from front to back - a bit ridiculous really since the top speed was about 80km/h! Some fine adventures were had in that car.

4 Crown Lynn beehive pudding basin

I am pretty sure this is one of the very early Amalco (later Crown Lynn) Specials Department pudding basins with a pale green opaque glaze. All collectors have their favourite areas but as far as Crown Lynn is concerned my passion is for the very utilitarian and plain items like the large straight-sided milk jugs and the "perfectly shaped for mixing" cake bowls. I found this in a dealer's heaven a few years ago when I went to a huge fundraiser sale for the restoration of the St Pauls's Cathedral roof. I was there an hour early and they let me put aside anything I wanted, to be paid for at opening time. Let me tell you that is a very rare occurrence!

5 Pete's Norton Commando

Although it doesn't belong to me I figure that as long as we ramble through life together I'll be first pick for pillion passenger. My partner Pete tells me it's a 1971 750cc Commando and I know it's most definitely his favourite thing so I figure that a free dinner could be had out of this inclusion. Ulterior motives aside, a day trip on the Norton is certainly a favourite pastime.

6 Australian red cedar chest of drawers

This wonderful piece of late 19th century furniture was bought for me by my mother for my 15th birthday. Made of Australian red cedar, a forest giant, it's huge and heavy with barley twist columns flanking the drawers. I've happily shifted it from house to house for 30 years much to the discomfort of assorted helpers.

7 Vintage framed floral prints

There's nothing more warming to a room than a wall of randomly framed floral prints. I had a huge collection of these in our dingy un-renovated kitchen but when I opened the shop I moved them all there. There was mutiny in the family! They were popular around the Depression when you would often find prints in women's magazines which could then be framed at home or professionally for minimal cost.

8 Bakelite wool dispensers

Anyone who's tried knitting with a frisky cat around will appreciate the practicality of these 1950s bakelite wool holders. The base screws off and includes a handy needle gauge. My collection started with three beehive shaped ones which I found in the tiny West Coast town of Blackball about 15 years ago. Since then I've only managed to add four more so they're not very common. The 1950s was an amazing period for innovative design and I love that the style filtered down to the most mundane household items.

9 My desert island books

For years I've been compiling my essential book list in case of abandonment on a desert island. They must be books which I could happily read countless times for however many years it takes to be rescued. At the moment the list includes: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton, The Bone People by Keri Hulme, Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx and just added is The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas.