Have you ever heard the saying one man’s trash is another man’s treasure? It’s a simple concept, but my interpretation of it led me to believe it meant nothing ever loses value if given to the right person that’ll value it. A bit sappy, ok, I know, but it’s nice to believe that everything will eventually find its place no matter how long it’s been around. Antique stores and flea markets are treasure troves for such misplaced discoveries.

Although both establishments get the label of being tedious just by the nature of their given establishments having so many items at any given time, there are countless opportunities to find exciting and unexpected things! So whether you’re looking to find some fine China or hunting for a 40s style radio, hold tight because there are tons of spots to get antiques in Buffalo Niagara!

Antique stores are interesting because they’re like a small door into the past. The definition of antique is “a collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its considerable age.” That means that to be an antique nature, it has a solid connection to the past. Specialty items are the name of the game when it comes to antique stores. We’re talking mahogany chairs, tables from the civil war (basically the things you’d find on Antique Roadshow only stationary). Antique stores are mainly for the curious. It’s not a matter of how much cash someone has on hand that determines the item’s quality.

No, for the curious, it’s all about the quality of the search. Because in a lot of cases, antique stores are relatively inexpensive if you’re looking to pick something up (although there are certainly higher threshold items for those so inclined). It’s about the process of coming in wanting one thing, feeling around, then discovering something entirely new out of the corner of your eye and being sucked down a rabbit hole of unexpected discovery. Finding a hat that once belonged to a Vietnam vet, or maybe a jacket styled in the way of a 50s greaser, gets you so excited to put it on you can’t wait to slide your fingers into some pomade.

If the antique store is essentially about the search, then the flea market is definitely about the hunt! The flea market is the polar opposite of the antique store. Where the antique store’s general vibe is that of calm and organization. The flea market is about the rush of the moment. The act of finding something in the now and calmly securing it as your own before anyone else gets it.

I don’t want to paint the picture of some urban hellscape where people are running, pushing, and shoving each other to get a signed copy of Weekend At Bernie’s on VHS (no I’ll save that description for Walmart on Black Friday). No, that’s not what it is at all. A good flea market is like a bazaar, with all types of bartering happening at all times. The pace of everything is also quite fast.

An antique store is a somewhat limited enclosed space. Many flea markets take place outside, or they’re usually in vast spaces on the occasions that they’re indoors. More space equals more movement which results in a noticeably faster pace. It’s very much a first-come, first-serve environment. Do you want that coat worn by Harrison Ford’s stunt double in Temple of doom? Got to grab it quick! See that old wooden stick that supposedly belonged to the gentleman thief nameless namekian? Better get it while you can!

The flea market is all about the art of trade. The hustle and bustle of commerce. If you keep your eyes open and move swiftly, there’s no telling what wonders you can scoop up.

Something new equals something boring in my eyes. Something new has no exposure. It hasn’t lived (since I’m referring to animate objects, I was speaking figuratively). But something that’s been cared for, something that’s been passed on for several years from person to person and generation after generation, that’s much more interesting just off concept alone. I’d take a working phone from 1955 over a modern phone any day because besides it being retro cool, it’s been around. Hell, it being in working order shows me it’s built to last. The real charm of antique stores and flea markets is they give us a chance to search through the past if we want and even reject the present to some extent if we so choose.

Whether you prefer the quaint orderly feel of an antique store or the immediate touch and go sensibility of a flea market, both places allow us to pick and choose what we want to pull out of time as well as put back. Because as long as such establishments exist, time is relative (at least when it comes to inanimate objects) and there will always be tons of opportunities to find antiques in Buffalo Niagara.

So go on, explore the past in the small ways you’re allowed. Who knows what you’ll find during your search or hunt. Even if you come home empty-handed, I’m sure you’ll find some new respect for the past in whatever way resonates with you. Because when you’re handling the past, it tends to rub off on you.