HOUGHTON -- Anything over 50 years old can be considered an antique, and one of the main reasons antiques last so long is because many of them were handmade.
Artisans took the time to sew and thread every single piece, and if you look closely, it is easy to see the care these crafters put into every piece.
“The thing about antiques is that they are everlasting. Current things that you buy, of course, are kind of throw away; they don't last, but maybe a year or two and you have to rebuy. Antiques last forever,” said shop owner Betty Chavis.
With such a vibrant mining history in the U.P., this shop also has shovels, knives and picks from the Copper Country mining days. One mining hat was used in the 1950s which enabled miners to see through tunnels.
Betty's shop contains a variety of different collectables from costume jewelry, to all types of glass.
“People come in every day, talking about, oh my gosh I remember this, my mom had one of these. Oh, my grandma had one of these, or my dad. Oh my gosh,” said Chavis.
Antiques can teach us about our history, and every one of these items has a completely different story to tell.
“I think it's a glimpse of the past which, after a certain age, I think we realize that time is passing. It's a connection with our roots with people that we have loved, with people that we knew, or people that we didn't know,” said collector Linda Dresch.
Antiques are a rarity, and you never know what the items we love today will become in the future.
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