Of late, I have been using the term thrifting more and more in my writing. Its a term that for my generation (middle aged Gen X) primarily referred to buying used clothing. Today, however, it is a term that in many respects is synonymous with antiquing. It just appeals to a younger generation of collectors who I suspect think the word antiques equates to expensive, uninteresting and old school! This winter has been really cold and brutal, and that usually drives me to watch YouTube videos. I find the collector ones particularly interesting. The English Roadshow is still infinitely better than the American version as they show earlier and better-quality items without the three-hour history lesson on a baseball glove. Similarly, I get amused at the copycats who video their off-the-cuff appraisals of items for audiences. None of us are experts in everything, but there are some folks out there who have forgotten that. These missed appraisals then spark a whole other group of YouTube videos by experts who attack the first group for messing up the appraisals. It is a bit narcissistic in the end, and they all end up arguing about how many angels really can fit on the head of a pin. What I do find particularly fascinating are the videos done by Millennial and Gen Z urban dwellers who are furnishing their apartments with items they found thrifting. For them, thrifting can cover a host of online platforms - Etsy, Craigslist (definitely old school), Posh Mart and so-forth. It also covers nostalgia or thrift or secondhand stores but rarely antique shops. The difference between them all is, well, to my eyes, not a whole lot. I have been in many thrift shops, particularly in Philadelphia, and the goods are the same as one would find in an antiques shop. The difference is the look and vibe of the place. The music is rock n roll, although you do get the odd edgy jazz beat sometimes. There is a bin of records and a rack of clothing. The stuff is mixed and matched so that you might find an industrial wooden pattern being used to hold fresh flowers just bought from Trader Joes. Its a look that appeals to the generation, although the merchandise is identical to what is being sold in antiques shops. I see this as opportunity for the antiques trade to maybe start thinking about their merchandise in the same way. And I dont just mean changing the name from Sallys Antiques to Sallys Proton Nostalgia Shop! What needs to happen is that the dealers need to look at the shops that merchandise their wares successfully and take a lesson. This past weekend, the daughters and I went thrifting in and around South Street in Philly. The shops were packed, there were lines of customers to check out, and prices were strong. The next day, we were in an antiques mall in New Jersey. The merch was the same, but the booths and arrangement were old school, the soundtrack was elevator muzak, and the prices were half of what they were in Philly. No one was there. The antiques trade needs to wake up and meet the new generation of collectors on their terms, using their language, and in a way that celebrates antiques/nostalgia/secondhand and thrift. Forgive my preaching, but perhaps it is just the effect of the deep freeze on both the antiques world and with the weather. Born to collect should be the motto of Peter Seiberts family. Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Seibert has been collecting and writing about antiques for more than three decades. By day, he is a museum director and has worked in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, he advises and consults with auction houses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly about American furniture and decorative arts. Seiberts writings include books on photography, American fraternal societies and paintings. He and his family are restoring a 1905 arts and crafts house filled with years worth of antique treasures found in shops, co-ops and at auctions.