Antiques Should Be Used Every Day at Home - Not Put Away to Collect Dust

In nearly every town in America, there is at least one antique shop, and probably a thrift shop. They thrive because they get plenty of business these days, from shoppers of all ages. Young kids want to score on Antiques Roadshow, so do thirty-somethings. Older people are looking for a piece of their childhood that went to the charity bazaar or trash and they want to recapture those feelings of security and carefree days of their childhood. Or, they can now afford the Christmas present they never got, from the Roy Roger pistol set to Betsy Wetsy to Mystery Date.

With the popularity of the antique shows on TV, like Antiques Roadshow, Cash in the Attic, The Collectors, and many others, more and more people are getting into antiques. Even stuff from the 70's and 80's can be considered antiques these days.

With so many people buying these pieces of remembrance, or getting into antiques as an investment, lots of closets are filling up with carefully wrapped packages and boxes. These items are placed high up on a shelf, or behind glass doors. Antique textiles are packed away in drawers or chests, to be pulled out once in a while to conjure up those special memories again.

Those older items, whether bought from the store or handed down from Grandma, like her good end table or matching dresser and chifferobe, are put away in a guest room so they will be safe.

The best thing to do for you and your emotional well-being is to take these items out and enjoy them. Don't keep them packed away or on a pedestal to admire from afar. If they are overly expensive, maybe you should donate them to a museum or build them their own cabinet, but enjoy them today because you never know what tomorrow may bring.

Those old coin banks and metal cars can be grouped together on a table in the living room or den. Those antique jars can hold bathroom items. The old crock can withstand everyday use holding those spatulas and wooden spoons.

A dresser can be used to hold clothing in the bedroom. Or it can hold towels and linens in the hall or bath, or silverware and tablecloths in the dining room

The older quilts made in this country are usually well constructed. The quilting is closer, the fabrics sturdier, and the dyes are resistant to fading and migration. So use that heirloom quilt on the bed, or lay it on the back of the couch.

Quilts that come from across the seas, made from the cheapest cotton and poorly sewn together, can be bought in both discount and the higher priced stores. From practical experience, I can tell you that the modern assembly-line quilts made overseas only last through the first few washings. I have bought a few and noticed all the hanging threads, then pulled them out of the washer with ripped seams, disintegrating fabrics and faded colors. So you can buy the older quilts made here in America with peace of mind that they can be used and enjoyed. If you are afraid to use them, hang them on the wall and enjoy the view!

Do you need a new table in the living room? Pull out that adorable chest or table you found at a flea market, and use it there. You will get to admire it everyday, and it will have the chance to develop a beautiful patina. The new tables really don't stand up to wear and tear as well as the older pieces, and they are real wood. New furniture uses lots of manufactured woods and thin veneers that give the appearance of wood, but can't be refinished and won't last that long.

Pull out those antique candlesticks and put them on the dining room table. Lay down a good tablecloth or a thin summer quilt and cover it with a thick piece of clear plastic from the fabric store. The tablecloth is safe and you can enjoy it every day, or every time you use the dining room instead of the kitchen table. You don't use the dining room? Why not? Are you saving it for more important people than you? Who are they?

By the time you hit middle-age and realize that material things are to be used for your own pleasure, you will have missed out on years of enjoyment. And if you use a quilt and it gets worn, or a canister gets broken, you can always say you enjoyed it. Believe me, life is to be lived. If you died tomorrow, plenty of people would enjoy using those precious items you have tucked away for company. Make yourself the company.

A few tips to preserve your older things:

- Keep them out of the sunlight, or use UV glass. Sunlight is very fading.

- Use conservation glass for framed art. It can be bought at art or supply stores, for only pennies more than regular glass.

- Don't display heirloom pictures, because photographs can deteriorate. Have them duplicated or have a camera shop make photos, even blowing them up to a bigger size, frame them and show them off!

- Washing antique quilts should be done in a washer without an agitator, on gentle cycle in cold water. Don't dry clean them. Dry on cool air setting. Don't wash them unless they are heavily soiled, just airing them out or spraying with a fabric refresher is usually good enough. If you use them for the top quilt, with a blanket and sheet underneath, you can enjoy them during the day and throw them onto a side chair at night.

- Don't use harsh chemicals to clean furniture. Usually a damp cloth followed by a dry cloth is fine, with a yearly light, thin waxing.

Using older things at home teaching your kids the meaning of history and respect for the past. They learn so many things as they grow and you tell them the stories of when you were little, or what you remember about your ancestors and your childhood. Treat yourself today, and enjoy the things you have. Years from now, you will be so glad you did.