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Antiques only look luxurious. Many pieces are remarkably affordable. Antique furniture is likely to be more durable than contemporary, and when you've owned it for 20 years, you can realize a profit if you re-sell it, rather than carting it to the dump. Antique silver, china and stemware are often less expensive than contemporary, and again, they'll likely increase in value. Not in it for profit? Consider it advanced recycling! Save a tree and buy an antique black walnut dresser! We love the patina of old pieces, and thinking of the many hands that have held a piece of silver, the families that have sat down at an old dining table, the places a vintage hat may have gone, the faces a vintage mirror has reflected. 
Consider the Eastlake loveseat and chair pictured in the shop's parlor corner. These came to Shelton with their owners from a 28-room home in Pittsburgh, and a second move and downsizing brought them to us. We love the beautiful cherry color in the wood, and new upholstery finishes their revitalized look. Their styling brings back a time in history when trade with Japan was opening up, and late Victorian furnishings and accessories feature fans, screen-frame design, butterflies and other Oriental motifs.  Then there's the lovely American Victorian walnut dresser. We'd love to know how it got such a 1920s-looking wheel-cut mirror, and who the craftsman was who made such a marriage look just fine. This piece, from the estate of a disabled veteran who traveled widely, has 'New Orleans' written in bold black ink across the back. Don't we wonder how and where it caught his eye - and aren't we glad he brought it from The Big Easy when he did!
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