Frank Crafts may not have known much about antiques when he started, but he’s cultivated so much knowledge over the years he’s got tips to share.

Crafts, who describes himself as “an independent filmmaker and professional picker,” will speak at the upcoming quarterly meeting of the Limestone County Historical Society. The Society will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, at the First Presbyterian Church’s Rodgers Center.

Crafts told The News Courier his speech will focus on the ebbs and flows of the antiques market. He first got into antiques after an accident left him unable to continue his career as a sales director for a pharmaceutical company in Chicago.

“I had to figure out what I had to do,” Crafts said. “I knew nothing about antiques other than I had grown up in a home with antiques in it.”

So Crafts took classes at the University of Alabama in Huntsville to learn more. He opened a booth in an antique shop, and now he has six locations in the area — Serendipity, Boneyard Antiques and Willow Cottage in Athens; Lost Highway in Huntsville; and an art display in Nashville.

“I like a lot of it,” Crafts said of his tastes in antiques, adding it’s why he has such a variety of locations. “I particularly like the mid-century vibe, and that’s what the Boneyard focus is, but I like the high-end stuff, too, and so Willow Cottage is the finest stuff.”

On Tuesday, he plans to share what he’s learned about the way items grow and fade in popularity within the market. He used handpainted toleware trays as an example, saying they were worth $2,000 or $2,500 a decade ago, when their popularity was “through the roof.”

“Now they’re $200,” he said. “So we’re going to talk about protecting your investment.”

One tip he offered is to make sure the investment is legitimate, not a heavily manufactured item or a knockoff. He also advises buying antiques that can be kept if the value decreases or until the value is high enough for a sale.

Visit “Frank’s Good Stuff” on Facebook for photos of Crafts’ collection and available items.