A collector of "fun things to look at," Benson is the manager of M.E. Benson Antiques, which belongs to her daughter, Marsha Ellen Benson.

The store recently relocated to 18480 Prospect Ave. from its prior residence on Big Basin Way.

The move promised to be lucrative for the Bensons, with lower rent and a gain of five times the space. Unfortunately, the move has proven to be unsuccessful, as Benson says the rent was unexpectedly increased at the beginning of December, leaving the mother and daughter no other choice but to close up shop.

Benson's Antiques spent 22 years on Big Basin Way, until the building, owned by Joe Long, was condemned earlier this year due to heavy mildew, rot, and an unstable foundation and roof.

After six months of searching, the Bensons gave up on their hope of staying in the Village and moved out to the new location.

The move from Big Basin was likely less painful for Benson than it would have been in former years, when she was known as the queen of Saratoga. "Saratoga used to be friendly and just darling. Everyone knew your name within a week" Benson says. "Business used to be thriving. Now business has gone down to nothing—it's just awful. It breaks my heart that this little town has changed."

Benson, who moved to Saratoga in 1970 from Michigan, believes the changes began after the earthquake, when new tenants moved in and the sense of community grew fainter with each rent raise and tenant turnover.

"Merchants are so busy trying to make a living that they don't pay attention to one another," she says sadly. "People don't care anymore; that's what has killed downtown."

As Benson can point to any item in the store and name the manufacturer, value and origin, she can name now-gone Saratoga stores, families, events and tales not often told.

New residents might be surprised to know Big Basin was once home to Halloween and Christmas walks, an Easter celebration and a retailer hotline to connect every store along Big Basin in case of emergency or theft.

In the antiques business, there are a lot of "used to's"—items that used to belong to this person or that family, people who used to buy a certain something and events that retailers used to participate in.

Benson and her daughter used to visit trade shows and garage sales but don't have the time anymore. Now they rely on customers to bring items into the store.

In addition to keeping the store up and running, Marsha Ellen has focused on her antique jewelry repair work and custom made jewelry, while Lillian offers her appraisal services at estate sales. These hobbies are likely to be the main focus for Benson and her daughter now that the shop will be closing.

Estate sales can be very lucrative, as Benson has been flown from Washington to Oklahoma to evaluate estates and select prize pieces to put up for sale. One large estate sale led to a sizable collection of ornate, lavish jewelry that soon found its way onto the television show Dynasty, after the costume designer walked into the store on a trip to Saratoga.

Benson explains that no one goes into the antiques business without a vested interest. "Our family is a bunch of old antiquers," Benson says. Her collection began with a set of 1923 dishes and an antique knack from her mother. Mary Ellen's collection began at age 4 with miniature frames. Her first frame cost 50 cents and was the size of a thumbnail. She now owns 450 frames, some worth more than $100 apiece.

Many items have hidden value, which is why Benson warns customers to be wary of throwing out objects they find when doing routine cleaning or cleaning after the death of a family member. "Always call a dealer to look through the house—it's worth paying them for," she says.

Benson acknowledges the difficulty in assessing items, as her eye for noteworthy pieces has come with many years of practice.

"You learn a lot just from going into stores," she says. "You learn to notice what is valuable and what will be valuable."

This rule is also beneficial when beginning a collection.

"You want to look for things that are inexpensive but will grow in value," Benson says. "Don't collect what's popular."

Popular items include Fostoria crystal, Shelley china, tin wind-up toys, costume jewelry and Regency furniture. Art deco and art nouveau styles are also in demand, along with small-shoe collectibles and oil paintings.

"Over the years, you notice trends by what people bring in, what's selling at the store and now what's on sale at eBay," Benson says.

She acknowledges the good finds on eBay and at high market retailers but is hesitant about their escalated prices.

"I've seen transactions that broke my heart," she says. "Antique dealers don't get rich, and if they do they're cheating somewhere. You can't make that much money off of other people's things. I believe we have done well because people know I'm honest."

M.E. Benson Antiques, located at 18480 Prospect Ave., is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday until the store closes at the end of December. For more information, call 408.255.3410.