Why Do We Like Antique Stores?
When I was just a young boy I was privileged to know two of the best people on Earth. They were my grandparents. I have written about them before. I guess they will always be one of my favorite topics. No apologies here. They fill my mind with nothing but good memories.
Grandpa John on the far right in Kansas as a young man
Those memories are one of the reasons I love antiques. I love to walk around in antique shops with my wife and look at little pieces of the past that make me remember. My grandparents were not what I would call collectors at least in the modern sense because they were simple people without much money. But they did have a rather large collection of items that would make any antique dealer drool. All of the items that they had were handed down from family. I remember an old drum that was in one of the buildings at their farm. When I asked my granddad about it he said it was from an uncle or great uncle of his who was in the civil war. That was very possible since my grandpa was born in 1895.
Grandpa and Grandma Barber and John Jr. Probably in the 1920's
My love of antiques is easily fed by the abundance of local shops in the Lafayette area that carry antique items. There is Leaping Leopard Antiques at 2145 South 4th Street, Lafayette, Ravens Roost Antiques at 2200 Elmwood Ave, Lafayette, and there is even a decently run and stocked pawn shop which has a lot of interesting antiques and old coins called RamZ’s at 205 Farabee Drive N in Lafayette.
Bottom Line? There is not shortage of nice shops to visit in Lafayette if Antiques are your thing. One thing that you may want to know is that if you go to Leaping Leopard Antiques be prepared to see some really interesting stuff. One booth that I always really enjoy looking at when visiting their store is one that is filled with Western items. Old cavalry uniforms, pistols, a huge buffalo head and other very cool old West kinds of things.
Maybe this weekend is your time to come to town and visit our shops. All you are required to bring are your memories.
