Antiquing

I have always been a huge history dork especially when it comes to asian history. I have never thought that there would be stores selling priceless and timeless valuables that people have managed to find and collect and sell to these stores for others to enjoy and treasure. When I met my boyfriend, one of the topics we talked about was antiquing. 

I still remember the first antique shop we explored together and we both found a animatronic dog that played the drums and its eyes would light up. The owner said it was a 1950's Japan made toy. That was very fascinating to learn. The store had a lot of amazing things with some many stories and history to it. I got that toy and gave it to my boyfriend as a gift which left him speechless. To this day he values that animatronic dog and all the other antiques he has with all the care and love he has. 

Antiques started as ordinary things when they first came out. They probably were used on a daily basis and enjoyed by the very first owners. As decades passed, their value rose and they became priceless as they were passed through many hands and generations. That is what fascinates me and you can see the style through the different generations, brands, companies that have risen and fell through the eras. 

I have been to many antique shops since then and every one I've been have blown my mind and there is always something that catches my eye. The one shop that I was recently at was in Rockford, Illinois and there I saw a gigantic harp case as shown in the photos above that just below my mind. It was priceless to see. What fascinates me more is the amount of letters I saw from what I believe were from WWII. Do you know how interesting it would be to read those letters? How could anyone just sell those to antique buyers like that? You should treasure something so precious. 

And my boyfriend found one of his dream clocks, the Prairie View one. He has been searching for one so long and now another item on his wishlist has been met. 

Antiques are not only for collecting but finding pieces of ancestors and history. It is going into these places know what you have an interest in and looking for what you have a passion for or else you will put a big hole in your pocket or become a hoarder. It another sense is redefining yourself or finding who you are, searching for inspiration, and learning. 

It is also to continue on the story of the piece. What story would it share with you? What adventures would it experience with you? All antiques are nothing but a long string of stories, history, and memories.