Travel destinations planning an antique hunting vacation

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

When planning a vacation, consider adding antique hunting to your itinerary. Whether you are an avid antiquer or a casual collector there are many ways to incorporate antiquing into your travel plans.

Consider the types of items you prefer to collect to help you select your antiquing destination. For instance, Native American artifacts are most common in the Southeastern United States. Arizona, New Mexico and Western Texas destinations are most likely to yield treasures for American Indian antique collectors. In contrast, artifacts from Colonial America are most often lurking in the Northeastern corner of the country.

Upstate New York has several small communities that have been settled for centuries before the revolutionary war. Many New York City antique storeowners travel into the Hudson River Valley to scoop up bargain antiques from early American history and resell the pieces in their boutiques. Since the northeast was settled first, any of the original 13 colonies hugging the Eastern seaboard are sure to yield some unusual relics from early America.

Old movie buffs may want to explore antique stores on Hollywoods fringe, and fans of early cowboy culture are inclined to find saddles and lassos in any of the plains states in flyover country. As with any treasure hunt, a willingness to comb through dusty store shelves after lengthy drives through backcountry roads will increase the likelihood of a terrific find.

Nautical collectors will find all sorts of seafaring antiques at any of the coastal towns dotting the shoreline. Old crab pots and buoys abound in Northwestern communities on the Pacific Ocean. The Oregon and Washington Coasts were also fertile grounds for oysters, salmon and other saltwater cuisine in high demand during the California Gold Rush in the mid 1800s. As a result, there are many relics from that era just waiting for history buffs to rediscover.

If you dont care to traverse Americas countryside in search of your favorite collectibles but still want to find antiques while traveling, you can look for conventions or themed flea markets that feature your favorite antiques. Professional antique dealers tend to bring their wares, and you are less likely to find great bargains. The trade-off is you are guaranteed to find Civil War-era pieces at a convention celebrating all things Confederate and Union.

If you have already selected a vacation spot and it isnt known for the types of antiques you collect, dont despair! Americans are notoriously mobile and many people relocate thousands of miles C trudging their family heirlooms with them. It isnt impossible to find those Native American antiques in the Northeast or those ancient crab pots in Key West. You may want to minimize your search time by logging onto the internet and locating some prominent shops near where you are staying. Many times your best bet is to ask your host at your destination where some out of the way antique stores are in town.

Consider the type of antiquing you enjoy. Prefer outdoors and crowds? Many cities have large outdoor flea markets during the summer so long as the weather cooperates. Check the weather for the time of year you are planning to visit to avoid the rainy season. Some major cities sponsor large street fairs once or twice a month. If small shops with owner/operators are more your speed, remember most of them work in their stores 9-5, and take one or two days off every week. Auctions are a great way to find the antiques you want without having to brave disorderly crowds. Some locales have wonderful old-fashioned auctions held in barns or warehouses. High-end galleries such as Sothebys Christys or Phillips have themed auctions several times a year. You will need to travel to New York, London or Los Angeles to attend one of these auctions in most cases.

Remember to save space in your luggage for the antiques you find. If driving to your destination, you may have a little more flexibility in the size and weight of the antiques you pick up than if you are flying to your vacation spot. When relying on public transportation such as busses, trains, and subways, consider how you will navigate stairs and stowage of your antiques. That 200 year-old pottery might have survived a raid by the British Redcoats, but it may not fare as well after two days in the undercarriage of an Amtrak railcar.

Be mindful of customs duties when your antiquing takes you outside the country. Even if you are only heading to Canada, you may have to pay a duty on a particularly expensive item. If the antiques are too large to bring with you on the trek back home, make sure you know exactly how much packaging and shipping will cost if you elect to mail your treasures home. Finally, some antiques are not legal to bring back to the United States. Know in advance of your departure what items are banned from being brought stateside. For instance, avoid any ivory (antique or otherwise) in Africa. There is a global ban on the sale of any ivory products. Some Indian artifacts are considered sacred and cannot be sold. In China, many royal goods are off-limits. Some travelers try to avoid legal entanglements or customs duties by shipping items back to themselves before they leave the country they are visiting. Think twice. Not only are American government workers already savvy to the scheme, but also the country you are visiting may intercept your package. You may wind up detained or arrested if caught with illegally transacted antiques.

Adding antiquing to any travel plans can result in great new adventures, fabulous finds, and terrific bargains if you are willing to expend a little effort before you reach your destination.