Features

“Sentimentality is huge,” says Lori Huffman, in reference to the antique business. Indeed, Lori opened her business, For Old Times’ Sake, eight years ago because of her own life-long fascination and love for anything old. She has an eye for the unique and can see the potential in pieces that others may pass by. Her shop is an eclectic mix of antiques, collectibles, salvage pieces, and high quality consigned clothing.

“The true definition of an antique is anything 100 years or older,” explains Lori. “Collectible has become the word to include all those other items that don’t fit into that classification. If someone wants to buy it and collects it, it is a collectible, whether it is a small item or a piece of furniture.” From an investment point of view, “real antiques have the potential to at least hold their value or even increase, unlike new furniture, which as soon as it is delivered to your home loses some of its value,” says Lori, but cautions against thinking your antique dining set will one day pay for your child’s college education. “I believe in the sentimental value of antiques more so than the monetary worth.”

The opinion among certain experts in the field is that refinishing your antique will cause it to lose some of its value. Lori disagrees. “Say you have your grandmother’s round oak table and you’re not using it because it is in pieces in the garage because it is in too bad a shape to use. To me, that piece is not worth anything. You should have it refinished, use it, and enjoy it.”

If you’re new to the whole world of antiques, or think that your house does not suit the style of them, Lori Huffman suggests starting with a few pieces. A family heirloom is a great place to start. It won’t look out of place if it has significance to you personally. There is nothing wrong with mixing vintage and modern; they can complement each other beautifully.

If you’re unsure, try collecting smaller pieces first, and fill in with more once you know what you like.

As an antique dealer, Lori has seen a lot of trends come and go. The recent trend has been the unfinished, distressed, shabby chic look, but already that is changing. People are starting to add some paint to their unfinished pieces to give minor touch-ups, without complete restoration. Her prediction is that the next trend will be finely painted furniture, nicely finished. “After that it will probably swing back to refinishing and the circle will start all over again,” laughs Lori. “That is the nature of people. They like change. If we didn’t have change, then nobody would sell anything.”

Above all, Lori believes people should collect the things they love. “If you want to start a collection, the best place to start is to look back and see what you’ve gotten from a grandparent or parent. I would be willing to bet that up to 80 percent of the people that come in to my shop who collect things, and come here looking for something specific, it is because of something that they got from a grandparent. That’s what starts almost every collection. Sentimentality is huge. That is the biggest part of this business.”