I work in a toy and gift store, and every weekend we get people in who are looking for antiques. These people are fooled because there is an antique store on either side of us, and its easy to think the banners between the stores saying "antiques" correspond to the wrong store. Mainly though, we have a really appealing storefront, and I think people just want to come in.

But when they come in, you can spot these people immediately, they just look confused, and they say things like "do you have any old things?" which confuses me, because we do carry a lot of retro-styled wooden toys. But they're just looking for antiques (but why would anyone say "old thing" when they could say "antique?").

What worries me, is when will I be so old that I am cruising around towns looking for "old things" that I remembered when I was young? Will others of my generation? I can't even imagine it! But then, considering my own passion for video games that are already considered "old," maybe it is possible! (of course, I would contest that I am only interested in those games because current games often don't suit me--is that what these same antique-hounds think?) What will these stores be like in the future?