Here are some of the trades that are vanishing...

Katsut Manek(Beaded Slippers)

Peranakan Beaded Slippers are shoes that date back to the early twentieth country. These slippers are made of Peranakan cut beads which are treasured as these beads are no longer available.

A completed pair of beaded slippers can fetch up to S$1,000, depending on the design and craftsmanship. The price seems reasonable, considering the time it takes to complete a single pair.

Some words from Mr Robert Sng:

“This is a very very slow process”

“You can only finish this work if you enjoy doing it.”

“I concentrate on three rows of beads at a time, that's about two hours in one sitting”, Sng adds,

“If I stay any longer my eyes get tired and my neck muscles begin to ache.”

“My slippers cost between S$700-S$900 depending on the design -- it might sound like a lot, until you realize that it takes about a hundred man-hours to complete,” says Sng.

He also reveals that he managed to sell only one pair in the last three months.

“The young ones these days would rather spend on a branded leather bag,” he observes. Hence the need to keep his curio shop stocked with other, more salable items.

"For me it's now just a retirement activity. It's a labor of love and a good conversation piece. Tourists come to my shop and ask questions about what I do -- it's a chance for me to show a bit of our culture to them.”

Link: http://travel.cnn.com/singapore/shop/robert-sng-shoemaker-who-slaves-100-manhours-over-pair-kasut-manek-slippers-733673

Where to find him:

Little Shophouse

43 Bussorah St., Kampong Glam, +65 6295 2328

Lion Dance Costume Maker

The S$1,000, two kilogram lion head is often decorated with a red bow on its horn, silk pom-poms and bells.

The fur trimmings around its head is often sheepskin or rabbit fur, never of synthetic materials.

The lion head has two eye-holes which allow the lead dancer to see where he is going.

Some words from Mr Henry Ng:

"At that time, there was so much demand that I would make the lions into the night, sometimes until the sun rose.”

“The skin on my fingers became thick because I was always handling bamboo, and until today, I cannot be identified by my thumbprints.”

“You have to give the customer what he wants. If he pays more than $1,000 for your lion and it falls apart after a few steps, he will run away.” But he said: “As long as there is still demand, I will continue making lions.”

Link: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_57_2004-12-27.html

http://backstage.tnp.sg/backstage/content/making-lions-heads-cny-series-part-6-6

Link for video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvHGXc4f9x4

Traditional Bakery

These fresh loaves of bread baked at various bakeries in Singapore are suppiled daily without brands on wrappers, labels, no-frills...

Link: http://blogtoexpress.blogspot.sg/2013/10/unbranded-no-frills-bread.htmlhttp://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121130-386939.html

Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3moBZPFNDJk

Lantern Painting

Some lanterns are specially commissioned for special occasions. Made of paper, bamboo and glue, these lanterns are painstakingly handpainted with Chinese calligraphy and motifs.

Link: http://backstage.tnp.sg/backstage/content/still-hanging-there

Parrot Astrologers(Fortune Tellers)

Parrot astrologers were fortune tellers who used green parakeets to pick up tarot cards. They interpreted the tarot cards to foretell a person's future. Parrot astrologers were South Indians and the business began as a five-foot-way trade in early Singapore.

Link: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_602_2005-01-04.html?s=Rag%20and%20Flag%20Day

Mama Shops

In the past, a typical “mama” shop sold snacks, sweets and ice pops. It mostly catered to school children who frequent these shops. In 1986, there were 136 “mama” shops. Nowadays, it has slowly decreased.

Some words from Mr and Mrs Ramaswami:

“Unlike the other parts of Orchard, we don’t really get tourists here. "

“People who visit our shops are mostly old timers.”

“Now, everything is too spread out, it gets difficult to compete,”

“No one is going to take over the shop, and that is okay,”

“At our age, whether we earn money or not is not important, what is important is that we are occupied.”

Links: http://vanishingtradeofmamashops.blogspot.sg/

http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/photos/mama-shop-the-original-supermarket-slideshow/

Link for video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxr832aMetU

Trishaw Rider

Trishaws were first introduced in Singapore in 1914 as "pedal rickshaws”, when bicycles were innovatively added to the passenger seat of rickshaws.

Some words from Dr Lee Suan Yew:

"Imagine that, one man pulling at least four of us at one go. You have to be very strong to do that."

Link: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_932_2005-01-24.html

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/the-rickshaw-puller-who-saved-lee-kuan-yew-20140629#sthash.B3zM4xs5.dpuf

Street Cobblers

Street cobblers are specialized in fixing all types of shoes and the trade is a dying trade in Singapore nowadays.

Traditional street-cart cobblers are fast becoming a thing of the past, so track them down while you still can.

Some words from Mr Yamaguchi Taro:

“I’m used to working for long hours. People from my generation are used to being tired. We’ve been tired forever. It’s not good to rest you know -– that means I have no job!”

“For the same job, I charge $10 but they can charge some $40. Sometimes, it’s even more expensive than the cost of the shoes. The customers will come to me eventually.”

Although street cobblers are in short supply, he’s happy that both his daughters, aged 39 and 35, are learning the trade from him and are now helping out at the stall on a part time basis. They have a plan to strike out on their own and open a shop at a HDB block.

He says: “I will still carry on here even though they have their own shop."

Link: http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/shopping/feature/interview-five-street-cart-cobblers#picture0

http://www.ghettosingapore.com/the-heart-and-sole-of-cobbler-square/

http://mothership.sg/2014/04/this-cobblers-name-is-yamaguchi-taro-and-hes-been-mending-shoes-in-yishun-for-21-years/

Link to video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYU13IXywEU

Street Vendors

Food is always a good option for street vendors. Kacang puteh (literally means white bean in Malay) used to be a favourite snack for Singaporeans, who loved to buy one or two cones during their visits to cinemas. The trade, however, experienced a big decline since the nineties. Today, there may be only a handful of them still holding on to this trade, such as the one at Selegie Road.

Link: http://remembersingapore.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/vanishing-local-street-vendors/

Traditional Chinese Medical Hall

Traditional Chinese medicinal halls are known for their various bitter medical concoctions and would give some of us the creeps just by the sheer smell of its herbs. Unlike the modern-looking and brightly-lit medicinal halls found in shopping malls today, the ones located at old HDB estates are somewhat wedged between battling rising costs and sluggish business.

Link: http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/NDP-2013/features_photoviewer.aspx?cp-documentid=253073584&page=21

Kacang Puteh Sellers

Among the vanishing traditional trades in Singapore, this is perhaps one that is facing a real imminent threat.

Kacang puteh sellers of the old did not limit themselves to a fixed location. They were mobile. They moved from place to place holding their cart or tray of snacks, or wherever the demand was. Popular spots where kacang puteh sellers could be seen were outside schools and cinema lobbies.

Link: http://www.ghettosingapore.com/kacang-puteh-seller-and-the-popcorn-of-old/

Street Barber

Roadside barbers were barbers who operated mainly out of makeshift tents on the roadside. Roadside barbers or street barbers were began as five-foot-way traders and later set up tents and shops.

Link: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_49_2004-12-24.html

Ice-ball Vendors

The first ice-cold dessert were ice balls made from finely-grated ice, packed into a ball and topped with a type of coloured sugar coated syrup, typically held and eaten using the hands. The tool used for the trade is a pushcart laden with bottles of soft drinks and drinking glasses, a plastic container for drinks made from pink or red syrup, various ingredients for the ice-balls, and a wooden ice shaver.