Why we deal in antiques...

Because we never actually wanted to keep the items in the first place, we just wanted to protect them.

There isn’t an antique dealer out there who doesn’t cringe when an antique is being abused.  There is very little like the awe on our faces when we see something unique, different, or just wonderfully made.  There is almost a reverence in us when we squat before the item that has caught our eye.

Because our spouses won’t let us keep them…

In the British version of “Cash in the Attic” the poor collector is often accused of being a hoarder.  The host shakes his head a little and looks sadly at the person in question.  Yes we hoard, at least a little, but mostly we just protect, until we can pass it on.  Remember we found these items on dusty shelves, on blankets in yards, wrapped in ancient newspapers, or even in box lots.  We have respect for the items.  O.k. we might be a little like the proverbial dragon with the gold, but we’ll give to the just prince/princess on a quest.  Happily!

Because we LIVE for the hunt…

Just one more garage sale, just one more auction, there will be something awesome around that corner! In another age, we might have been the great tribal hunters.  We’ve dilligently studied our prey.  We’ve spent years searching the different habitats.  We are good at coming back with the goods.

Because we get to do work we love, and others walk away happy for it!

I think this is the most important part.  We love finding the items. We love holding them, learning about them, discovering their history, and protecting them.  It is a matter of honor for us to leave the antiques in better hands than we found them.  Those hands are the many people who are on their own quests.  The ones who know what it is we have in our shops, possibly better than we do.  The customer who has been looking for this item forever, or the one who’s heart was just grabbed by the item.  This is the true joy and the true reason we deal in antiques..to find underloved, undervalued items and place them in the hands of those who will love, cherish and protect them.

Yeah, as my sister put it, we’re foster homes for old stuff.

And we love it.

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