5 BEST ANTIQUING CITIES IN AMERICABy Janet Firth

• Antiques are treasures that bring us back into the past.

• By definition, an antique is at least one-hundred years old

• Most people collect antiques for their good design and intricate beauty, and some collect antiques for their high-priced value.

• But where are the best places to shop for and purchase antiques?

• History Channel stars of the show American Pickers, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, have shared with USA TODAY some of their favorite cities for antiquing.

ANTIQUES

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

“Everybody has a little bit of a treasure hunter in them” -Wolfe

Nashville is unique in that it is different from most metropolitan cities and contains small gems like folk art, face jugs, and southern-style pottery.

Tennessee State Fairgrounds and a nearby city called Franklin are also great places to explore when antiquing in Nashville.

• Philadelphia is one of America’s oldest historic port cities that just happens to be one of the best places in the country to discover antiques.

• According to Wolfe, “Philly is a treasure trove. People are renovating block after block and the most amazing things are coming out.”

• Make sure you explore Philly’s Historic Antique Row while you’re in town, there’s no way you won’t find something special.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

•Wolfe and Fritz have recently been to the Pacific coast to check out the Seattle Antiques Market, and left astonished by all the wonderful maritime antiques and timber items.

• Although you might get quite a bit of rain while you explore Seattle, there’s something beautiful that cannot be pinpointed about the way an antique looks in the rain.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

•The city prizes it’s vintage gifts with monthly antique auctions and a plethora of shops to venture in.

•Fritz comments on this Atlantic-coast town as being antique friendly, saying: “There is an abundance of stuff and lots of shops. It’s a really neat town with a lot of history.”

•Although New Hampshire might be one of the smaller states, it sure isn’t little in terms of the amount of antiques it has.

PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

So next time you’re thinking about traveling and want to incorporate antiquing along the way, make sure to stop in any of these cities, not only to explore some of America’s most charming places, but also so you you can get lost in time for a

while in their antique shops.