Antiquing may be one of my favorite things of all time. Living in Florida though, it is so much harder to find affordable antiques because of the tourism. When I lived in Pittsburgh, you literally knocked on someone's door (that lived in the middle of no where of course) and asked them if they had anything for sale. And honestly 9 times out of 10 they did! I have bought some of the coolest stuff out of barns and garages, which is what got me started as a collector. Now just like anything else in my life, I do not excel at antiquing, but I stumble upon things like the music box (above ^) that sometimes turns out to be a great find! I actually bought that box with my boyfriends mother in a REALLY nice antique store in PA. and paid $25.00 for it. Now I figured it was probably made in the 1940's and has been sitting in someone's closet for the past 20 years. I come to find out though that it was developed in the early 1900's, my great grandmother had one, and my dad used to listen to one as a kid! Totally worth the $25 that I paid for it! I also bought a pantry that was probably made in the 1970's (forced my friend to drive it down to FL in the trunk of his SUV) thinking that it would be a great couple project for me and Lon. Yea....not so much, we couldn't even figure out how to strip the paint off let alone turn it into a masterpiece! Hopefully, we will get it done and I can show everyone how cute it is.
The best thing for me about antiques though is the incredible history. To think that someone bought that music box brand new, and might have listened to it with their family at dinner time is just crazy cool! I started collecting books and plates initially. My collection is not extensive (because I am already a hoarder and have no room for anything!) But I wouldlike to one day have a house full of restored antiques. If you have never bought an antique, add it to your list, you won't be disappointed! You are not however to become obsessive like me, and stop at every yard sale that you pass on the high way! Happy Picking!
My husband and I love shopping in antique stores. We don't usually buy anything because we don't have money to spare, but it really is so fun to look at the inventions and common household goods of yesteryear!
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