With fast-changing novelties like “Fortnite” or “Netflix”  sweeping the nation, the things people of this generation entertain themselves with change constantly, leaving behind many small treasures, including antique stores.

In the past, people must have thought that novelties like the telegraph or the Kodak camera would be timeless. But truthfully, anyone from Generation Z would not recognize these names without proper research. Most people my age believe that there is nowhere to find these items, or more importantly, appreciate the culture of how these things were invented. It is almost as if these things have disappeared, only living on in museums.

Antique stores are great ways to observe and purchase items from long ago. They also open a door for a fun, educational experience that connect people from today to people from the past. However, like the telegraph or Kodak camera, not a lot of people my age have even heard of them.

4 out of 10 students at Pelham Middle School that I interviewed have never been to an antique store, and don’t really plan on going to one either.

“I think that they’re just pawn shops for junk,” says 7th grader Sean McCormick.

While McCormick was not the only one with this view point, some young kids believe that it is necessary for people to go to antique stores to gain knowledge of others who lived long ago. Forgetting revolutionary objects like the the original phone or the typewriter would be a tragedy of epic proportions.

“Antique stores help us learn about how things used to work in the past,” said Melani Maselli, another 7th grader

The reason why many people from Generation Z are so quick to forget older things is because in the everything is always changing, especially in New York. The world is always going a mile a minute progressing in technology, medicine and ways of life. So, there is never really a time for kids to stop and really appreciate the origin of these things that we couldn’t imagine living without. Our generation has always been told that older things aren’t as good as things we have now.

Take the iPhone for example. It’s not an antique, but in a matter of years we went from the original iPhone to the iPhone 10. Just because technology has progressed doesn’t mean that the bedrock in which these things were created are anything less than masterpieces. However, despite their young age, we look at the original iPhone as if it was an ancient relic.

Antique stores are amazing because they are the foundation of Earth. They are what keeps the bedrock that preceded of all of the advanced technology that we have today more alive. Interest from the general public, especially from kids, will help to forever hold these items up and honor the legacy of their creators, and everyone who was alive back then.

“My feeling is that older objects do present a window to the past; they hold a lifestyle,” said Kathryn Boone, owner of Timeless Treasures, an antiques store in Pelham.

Antiques represent the timelines of how people lived a long time ago. Not giving attention or care to these objects may result in forgetting the past. Of course, there are some people that believe that the past was horrible, with hate, a lack of equal rights, and no wifi. But those people fail to recognize the amazing things that made history special.

Antiques are reminders of the past, and each object tells a story of its own. Even though some things back then were messy and hard to discuss, there are things that are in need of acknowledgement. If we just slowed down and stopped to listen for a moment, maybe we could hear the stories too, and start to grow a love and understanding for the past.

So, next time you’re on a walk or in need of something to do, instead of grabbing a hold of your Xbox, venture a little into a store like Timeless Treasures and find something that speaks to you. Older things aren’t worth less than newer one. In fact, they’re often more valuable.