I love the stories of people's lives, and the things that surround them. When I was in college, I worked several jobs to make ends meet. One of my favorite jobs was in the University Libraries Archive Department. We were responsible for sifting through letters and memorabilia left to the library by the alumni. It was fascinating to see the things that people had kept to remind them of their years at University. We sorted letters, clothes, and books into categories and decided which had historical perspective for the University. We threw away what we thought didn't matter.
As an antique dealer, I believe everything matters. I no longer have to decide what to keep, and what to throw away. I keep it all. If someone loved something enough to keep it for decades, then it is important to me. That means my life is crowded with a lot of other peoples memorabilia, and I sometimes think of myself as a memory keeper.
For example, one day a sweet little lady came to my store with a box of carnival glass tumblers and a matching pitcher. The set was in pristine condition and a lovely blue green color with grapes and leaves clustered all over it. She explained how she had wrapped each piece carefully in newspaper the day the last of her children left for college. Sure enough, the newspaper wrapped around each glass had early 1970s dates. She went on to talk about other items she had at home including her husbands record collection. I found out about how she and her husband had met. He gave up a career as a musician in Memphis to come to St Louis and marry her. He played with many famous musicians in Memphis. But he knew she would never leave St Louis, and moved to suit her.
Another customer brought a box of memorabilia into my store, and told me of how she had made a living teaching piano. There was all her sheet music, and a ruby flash souvenir glass from the Illinois 1930 state fair. She told me how her father had bought it for her because she said it was beautiful. I looked at the very sprightly lady and realized she must be well into her 80s to have a glass etched with the year 1930!
There is a long list of customers in my antique store who have stories surrounding their beloved items. I cherish every story I hear because my customers cherish them. When I resell one of these items, I tell the person buying it the story that the original owner told me. I hope the stories survive along with the item, and I hope I am keeping some memories alive. I hope for this because each antique, and each story, is the artifact of a long and fruitful life deserving of someones full attention.
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