“I probably got my first antique in 1975.” It was an Aladdin lamp Steven Finch found in a small shop on South Main Street in Salt Lake City. He kept it for more than fifty years before finally selling it. That one purchase began a lifelong fascination with objects from another time, one that today fills Marmalade Antiques, Steven’s wonderfully unexpected shop tucked inside his historic home in the heart of the Marmalade neighborhood.

“Each object has a story. And we’re just a temporary steward.” For Micah Bleiweis Christensen, standing amid the extraordinary collection at Anthony’s Fine Art & Antiques, the word “steward” comes up again and again. It is how he describes his role in a business filled with objects that have already survived generations, crossed oceans, passed through families and estates, disappeared, and occasionally been rediscovered, only to arrive - sometimes rather improbably - in Salt Lake City.

“I had $500 and an idea.” Ron Green’s journey to founding The Green Ant was not meticulously planned. It unfolded naturally, shaped by his love for vintage furniture and an unexpected turn in his career.

“I’m a preservationist of history. Every piece here has a story.” Capital City Antique Mall, a cornerstone of Salt Lake’s antique scene since its opening during the summer of 1999, is more than just a store to Ralene Barton; it is a living museum. Ralene, the shop’s third owner, has been part of the store’s journey since she became a dealer in 2011.