We all know with the tough economic times that it has been a struggle to sell antique furniture. The bigger ticket items have been a hard sale to push. Customers will tend to go to shows and spend a small amount of money on a treasure but are hesitant to spend a larger sum of money. We need to educate the public to recycle and reuse and put that thought to use when making a purchase toward furniture.

The "Shabby Chic" style of transforming a tired and boring dark dresser into something white, new and fresh is a fine example of the recycle-reuse concept. Why not take the dresser sitting in the basement and give it a fresh coat of paint to match the college dorm decor?

A small antique cupboard has great storage ideas for small apartment living Also, think of items being tossed to the curbside for the local landfill. Drive by and see and old chair that may need a new seat cushion or a fresh coat of paint. Hotels and motels that are redecorating are super places to find a discarded table that can be reused for that hobby/craft/sewing room! Don't forget to frequent your local Goodwill stores to rescue a one of a kind chair to add to your own for the holiday seating....

My favorite rescue piece is a card catalog from the elementary school library that I was working in. It is now safe and sound in my office/hobby room filled with supplies for numerous altered art projects.

When my brick and mortar antique shoppe closed many of the antique furniture pieces were put to practical use, such as:

• A large kitchen step back cupboard is now a holding place for rubber stamping supplies and craft books
• An old pine cupboard is storage for all sewing supplies and fabrics.
• A primitive writing desk became a jewelry working bench.

The possibilities are endless...

It is sad to say that the younger generation and the limited state of income that our economy has also put a decline in the amount of antique furniture being sold. The buy now pay later situations have increased the sales in new furniture. The furniture that is not so well made and will be replaced after moving it a couple times. If, that money was invested in an antique piece wouldn't that make more sense? Let's transform our throw away society....

Remember Antique Furniture is well constructed and will become a family heirloom to pass down from generation to generation.

Tammy Desiderio

Heritage Heirlooms

http://www.rubylane.com/shops/heritageheirlooms