Antique. For some, it’s a word reminiscent of dusty trinkets. For others, antiques are tangible history — and the pursuit of a prized antique is an adventure.

LuAnn Riggs, of Artichoke Annie’s, said antiquing is as popular as ever.

“We have 130 dealers from five states, and we’ve had buyers from almost every state,” Riggs said. “Everyone comes, from small children to grandmas.”

Still, she would like to see the younger generation reignite their interest in antiques.

“We need to figure out how to get them started,” she said. “We need younger dealers. Someone that wants to deal and wants to earn a little money on the side.”

Riggs explained that attending auctions and maintaining a dealer’s booth at an antique mall could be both a fun pastime and a good part-time moneymaker.

The Marketplace manager Dwaine Witte said competition between antique malls isn’t too fierce, because they never sell the same pieces.

“When someone comes to an area, they usually go to more than one,” he said. “So when they come to town, they shop until they find the piece that they’re looking for. Having more stores in the area makes it more of a destination, because they know there’s a variety of places to visit.”

Both Witte and Riggs agree that antique galleries are often more enjoyable, because buyers can peruse the showrooms at their leisure.

“At an auction, they would have to stay all day. Here they can just shop and leave,” Riggs said.

Auctions can be a jackpot for deal-seekers, though. At auction, the price of each piece is only as high as the highest bid. However, antique dealers have to buy low at auctions and sell higher at galleries, in order to make a profit.

Professional auctioneer Al Tweet advises all antiques buyers to research before they purchase. With auction sites such as Ebay and Craigslist, it’s easy to find out what similar items are selling for. Antique auctions also put their more interesting pieces online before the auction, in order to draw people in. This can give you a chance to do some research.

Also, websites and books exist to help even the novice buyer become knowledgeable on specific types of antiques. It’s important to know the value of items, because value fluctuates greatly depending on demand. Tweet says buyers who keep pieces on the shelf for sentimental reasons can expect to lose money.

The best-selling trend right now is jewelry, because gold and silver prices are up, Tweet said. Even sets of silverware are selling high, just for the silver.

A certain level of expertise is a good thing in the antique world, because falsification can be a real problem for naïve antique purchasers. For instance, hand-made quilts have a certain number of stitches per inch, as opposed to those made by machine. With wooden furniture antiques, specific types of wood, joints, varnishes and saw cuts were used, depending on the time the piece was made. It’s these seemingly minor details that can make a huge difference.

Fear of falsification, combined with a lower regard for antique items, is taking its toll on the industry.

“Younger people in America are not as into the old-fashioned, collectable stuff anymore—they’re into modern things. It’s a dying thing, and that’s a shame.”

Witte sees hope for antiques, though.

“There’s been such an influx of reality shows that concern antiques,” he said, mentioning “Antiques Roadshow” and “American Pickers.”

“People may get a little more interested from that exposure. As more students come out and shop, more may realize they really like it.”