I have recently noticed how popular antiques are becoming, even among the various generations. It is not uncommon for a college student to pick up some old furniture at a garage sale, but all sorts of retailers are throwing back their designs to older styles. Reupholstering older furniture can add a fresh look to the piece as well as character to the room. Every collector knows they have at least one major conversation piece in their collection, and the same should be applied to a room of furniture. Estate sales often have great focal point pieces that are reasonably priced, and they may even come with a good story behind them. The more you can find out about a piece from an antique appraisal or antique price guide the better. If the piece is a family heirloom, it would be beneficial to keep and digitally store the records that might have come with the piece. For instance, my family has a chest my grandfather brought over from Sweden when he was small, but there are very little markings on it and it did not come with papers, so it will be difficult to determine all of its history. Moral of the story? The next time a parent or grandparent starts getting rid of their old antiques that have been collecting dust for years, brush them off and give them a second look. They'll be of no value to you once they're gone.