All across the Twin Cities religious antiques from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s are being sold. At Theater Antiques in Minneapolis, owner Thom Carchedi says the area antiques business is determined by the mix of the neighborhood. At his establishment in the Uptown area, many of his customers are young people. I think there are various reasons the kids buy this stuff. Some punk kids will wear a rosary as a necklace - as a sacrilege.
Some buyers are collectors.
They hang rosaries one on top of another. One man collects only crosses or crucifixes with the skull and crossbones at the bottom. Stephan Czyzewski, who has bought and sold books for 48 years at the E.M. Lohmann Co., St. Paul, says any crucifix with a skull and crossbones involves St. Francis of Assisi. In other words, you are going to die. You will not be here forever - you will die.