There’s something about the charming little antique shop at 4 Charles Street, New Norfolk that makes it different from any other. Its owner, Joshua Papera, is a teenager.

The enthusiastic 18-year-old not only owns The Finer Things Antiques & Jeweller’s, he is the antiquarian and jeweller. It’s an all-round passion. Josh grew up in the Derwent Valley and never left, starting in Bushy Park before moving to the heart of New Norfolk. “I absolutely love New Norfolk,” he says. “The trees, parks, people, the shops, regular classic car shows and the weekly market on high-street!”

His passion sparked when he was eight years old, on trips to Gowans Auctions in Moonah with his grandfather, where he’d be allowed to bid on smaller items. “Then when I started high-school at New Town High (now Hobart City High), I realised Gowans was just down the road, so I would sneak out of school, make a few bids, then sneak back,” Josh says with a grin. “I realised that my collection was starting to build, but my bank account certainly wasn’t. I decided to take my things, with my dad and his trailer, to the New Norfolk Market, where I had a blast and would always sell tons of items.”

After a few weekends at the New Norfolk Market, Josh realised that this adventure felt right. “I seemed to just have a natural eye for exquisite things,” he says. “I would see a room full of pieces, but I’d be able to pick-out the most magnificent things straight away!” And while books and the internet have been helpful in refining his taste, Josh found that the best knowledge came from person-to-person interactions, like with owners of other antique shops.

With all this knowledge and a good eye, he decided to follow this path and began searching for a place to call his business home. Unfortunately, due to his age, there were many failed attempts. After hearing ‘no’ many times, Josh gave up for now and kept at it with his market stall.

“Then one day I was approached by a man named Dave, who at the time I didn’t know very well. He was the owner of the artHouse in New Norfolk, a comfortable cafe in the centre of High Street. He said he was about to acquire a new building and wondered if I would be interested in becoming his tenant. I was thrilled!”

“ Start small, you don’t need to have an empire before you’re 20!”

The building in question became the home of The Finer Things Antiques & Jeweller’s, but it’s seen many businesses over the decades, including a candy store. “When I moved in I wanted to bring back a bit of its history, so I started uncovering hidden windows, removing paint off green-tiled walls, and restoring some original lighting,” he says. He also planted a purple wisteria so that in summer the beautiful purple flowers would droop down overhead as customers walked into the store.

Josh likes to fill his store with one-off and unique pieces. He’s always on the lookout for things that catch his eye, such as Sally the Seahorse, a magnificent yellow seahorse that Josh pounced on, and is now a permanent display at his store. “We never stick to just one style, we love to curate pieces from around the world, and take pride in truly having ‘something for everyone from anywhere’.”

A new endeavour he’s taken on in jewellery. He tries to craft pieces that tell a story or have a personality. “Jewellery has always interested me because it attracts beautiful people, starts meaningful conversations and can tell so much about a person,” he says. He self-taught making and mending jewellery from YouTube, and now it’s a part of his shop’s offerings. “Now it’s me and two other jewellers here.”

Josh’s grandfather would be proud of him. After all, it was their time together that sparked Josh’s interests. His grandfather was always buying and selling great pieces, from original films to entire bars. Sadly, he passed away before Josh started high school, so much of this journey has been lonely, as few in his life understood his passion, but his love for antiques and the hunt for stunning things was so strong that nothing could deter him.

For any other young people who want to start their own business, Josh understands that it can be daunting, hard, and isolating. “Start small,” he says to them. “You don’t need to have an empire before you’re 20! Just ease into it, don’t cut out your social life to be in the big game. Having a place and people to retreat to each week is so important. You can get tied up in your own world, because when things go a little south (which they do sometimes, and that’s okay!) you have friends and/or family who can give you the time to listen to you, comfort you, and take your mind off things.”