Over my holiday break, including the week between Christmas and New Year, I spent time in Florida. I was blessed to have my family visit, including my husband, parents, daughter and her husband, and my son and his girlfriend. The weather was delightful, sunny, and warm, but one of the best things I experienced during those days was shopping at the flea market and antique store with my Mom and my kids.
Down the highway from the place we stay, they have a flea market that opens every Friday and runs till Sunday. There is a wide variety of things there, including antiques and refurbished home decor and lots (I mean loads) of junk. It is fascinating to look through the items and find unique treasures and many things that may be better off retired to the junkyard. My Mom and I spent one day looking through everything, and because my Mom has a great eye, we were able to pick up a cute little ladder that was repurposed into a plant stand and a bench that was perfect for my front porch. We also visited the antique store that same day, where we found a cute little antique table.
My parents, especially my Mom, have always been interested in antiques and collectible things. My Mom collects cowboy memorabilia, and my Dad loves things that relate to golf. I love old things too, but I don’t have an eye for genuine antiques; I like looking and discovering things that speak to me regardless of their value. I also love things that belonged to my grandparents and great-grandparents because I feel their connection to my past.
When the kids arrived for Christmas, I offered to take them to the antique store to see if we could find anything else -- Maybe some things that my Mom and I overlooked and if anything appealed to them while they were visiting. That second trip to the antique store was even more enjoyable to me because of the enthusiasm and excitement of the group of millennials/genZ. The “girls” and I found artwork and glassware that we just had to have, including a vintage hand mirror that my daughter discovered. It was beautiful and unique. My son-in-law was fascinated by the political memorabilia, and my son spent the whole time looking at old money - silver coins and paper money from confederate times. I enjoyed seeing them all hunt through the store and get excited by every find. The shopping experience was so much more valuable than anything that we bought, bonding with family over the discovery of interesting things.
Why do flea markets, antique stores, vintage things, and history appeal to us? We crave lessons from the past to help us appreciate the present and plan for the future.
The Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says on their website, “To study history is to study change.” I would add that history helps us value those that have gone before us, learn from their mistakes, and understand their ideas. History also teaches us empathy for others.
As we walked through the flea market, my Mom and I remarked how hard people of the past worked. They lacked so many of the conveniences that we have today. The people working the flea market are hard working also. Not only do they collect their things and restore them, but they also haul, stage, and price them, then spend every weekend selling to people like us. When I find myself complaining about my job, I need to remember how hard some people have to work for a living.
History helps us relive our past, as in my Mom collecting cowboy toys from her childhood, and it helps my kids who were born into the internet age relate to people that lived long before they were born. History helps us see where we have been and allows us to predict our future.
History is inspiring, fascinating, and fun. I recommend that you observe and appreciate old objects, read history books, talk to your parents and grandparents about their past. You can gather a new perspective about your life by gathering information and ideas from their history.
You can also enjoy an afternoon bonding with your family by opening up to the joy of flea markets and antique stores. Happy shopping!
Dr. Julie Cappel
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana’s
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