Are you looking for that perfect retro piece for your home? Do you have a love of old things, or perhaps even a specific collection of old things? If you answered yes, you might enjoy antique hunting. The Lehigh Valley is a great place for antique hunting, but if you’re going to go out searching for treasures, there are some things you need to keep in mind. Use these tips before you head out the door so you can come home with the best deals.

1. Know What You’re Searching For: Before you start shopping for antiques, know what you’re looking for. Are you looking for carnival glass? Antique fishing poles? Old Coca Cola memorabilia? Whatever it is that you are hunting for, be sure you are an expert on that item. Do your research and know what to look for, along with what you might expect to pay for the things.
2. Hit the Flea Markets: You may naturally gravitate to antique shops when hunting for items for your home or collection, but flea markets are a great spot to shop. With lots of vendors carrying a wide variety of items, you may have to work a little harder to find what you want, but it can pay off with good deals. A good suggestion is to get to the flea markets early as people searching for antiques know what they are looking for and will quickly walk through all of the vendors to find what they want. They could be grabbing the same items you want, too.
3. Yard Sales Can Have Antiques, Too: Yard sales are another place to look for antiques. Once again, you may need to hit many garage sales before you find what you’re looking for, but treasures do exist. Get there early and scan quickly for what you want. If the sale has nothing, move onto the next.
4. Check the Items Carefully: As with anything your purchasing, be sure to check the items carefully. You will want to not only look for damage to the item, but you’ll want to make sure that items are not replicas being passed off as antiques. This is where your research and knowledge will come into play.
5. Ask Questions: Be sure to ask the seller questions. You may want to ask if they guarantee authenticity and what their return policy is. You may want to ask if the seller only deals in antiques. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions.
6. Decide What You’re Going to Do With It Before You Buy It: Before you buy, figure out what you’ll do with the piece. Will you display it? Will you resell it? Will you add it to a collection? Make sure it’s going to be of use to you.
7. Make Sure It’s Worth the Money:When you find that piece that you’ve been searching for you can easily get carried away and pay too much. Don’t get carried away. Make sure you know what a reasonable price is for the antique you’ve found.
8. Be Prepared to Haggle: This is not easy for everyone, but you should be prepared to haggle for antiques. Most prices you see are the ideal price a seller hopes to receive, but there is usually room for negotiation. If haggling is not your strong point, bring someone with you who loves to haggle. They’ll enjoy negotiating a deal for you, and you’ll love the better purchase price.

Are you ready to head out antique hunting in the Lehigh Valley? Do you have favorite places where you like to shop? Be sure to use these tips when you head out, and hopefully, you’ll find yourself some great deals!