Collectable
Treasures
Geoff Klass Story
by Milan Renaud
Photo: Pieter de Ras
“The cbd is dead!” said an acquaintance. And I paraphrased
Roger Whitaker in response: “Let me take you by the hand
and lead you through the streets of Jo'burg and I'll show you
something to make you change your mind.”
Geoffrey and brother Jonathan Klass own paradise. Eight
floors, four of which are accessible to the public, of
collector's dreams and aspirations. Collectors Treasury is
the name of the business nestled in the heart of
Johannesburg's CBD. “Security?” snorts Geoff, “You are
safer here than in the north.” He isn't wrong. He's been
mugged in Rosebank and twice in Parktown. We had
parked at Jewel City next door. Art on Main is around the
corner, where you'll find William Kentridge's studio, in the
Maboneng Art Precinct. And security is tight. Very tight.
Geoff leads us past display cases obscured by boxes of
treasures. Books, gee-gaws, silver, glass objects to kill for.
Even some to die for, doll! We head downstairs, a good
place to start- the beginning. Thousands upon thousands of
books, catogorised, have colonised the floorspace as the
shelves are overcrowded. Ditto old vinyl records. The Klass
brothers have had their business in the CBD for over 30
years and don't want to be anywhere else. “For me,” says
Geoff, “the Johannesburg CBD is, was, and always will be
the lifeblood of our country.” And this shop is his lifeblood,
his hobby, passion and raison d'etre. When pressed further
about why their continued presence in the centre of
Johannesburg, Geoff talks about a sense of history.
“What the young people of today don't realize is that in the
1950's and 60's, Johannesburg was a very cosmopolitan
place. It was a destination. When an opera company went
on tour, they went to London, Vienna, New York and
Johannesburg. Chanel, amongst many other big brands
advertisements mentioned shops in Paris, London, New
York and Johannesburg. Our city was a global cultural and
fashionable place to be. And with the current rejuvenation of
the city, it is becoming so once more. Besides,” he says,” in
which other city in the world do you get such a cross-section
of people? On any given day, we have locals from all walks
of life popping in. And then the same with the foreigners,
from the famous to the student back-packer.” Indeed,
Collectors treasury has had its fair share of famous faces,
including such stars as Catherine Deneuve and an instantly
recognizable rock star or three.
The creation of the Maboneng art precinct around the
corner, which houses the world famous Art on Main, and the
equally famous Jewel City, Jo'burg is re-emerging as a
cultural and business hub. Jewel City ranks alongside
Antwerp as a diamond centre, with millions of rands worth of
gems being worked, set and traded on a daily basis. With the
M1 and M2 highways surroundin