Antiques – Shopping Locally… Antiques Make the Holidays More-So

Before we go shopping around the county, check this out:
Mark your calendar: If you have some things of yours that you have always wanted to know the value of, here’s a good idea: While you are out Christmas shopping the antique shops on Sat., Dec, 8, drop by Capt. Scrap’s Attic on Route 9 in Seaville between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. I’ll be there offering free appraisals, courtesy of the Captain. I’ll also be signing copies of “The Antique Story Book.” For more information, call 609-624-0111. Hope to see you there.
If you’ve seen the ad on TV and elsewhere, you’ll already know that this year is the year to shop in your locally owned stores. The theory is that the best way to boost the national economy is to do it region by region.
In Cape May County, there’s no sacrifice involved in shopping locally. In fact, taken together, this county’s antique, specialty stores and garden centers make up one enormous, chock-full, fabulously interesting department store. There are decorations, music, restaurants, and, take my word for it, some very fascinating sales people. And there will be bargains, with items from a dollar or two up into the thousands.
Antique shops, especially, offer that “they-don’t-make-‘em-like-that- anymore” quality in everything from furniture to jewelry. That includes your entertainment needs, like china, kitchenware and glassware, decorative accessories like lamps and mirrors, and any number of wonderful gift items.
Christmas is about memories and tradition. Antique shops are full of both. Come get some.
See you around the neighborhood.
Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of the “Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.