For the past several years, a weekly antique market in Ho Chi Minh City has turned into a rendezvous where youths and the middle-aged alike, including expats, gather to buy and sell antiques and reminisce about the yesteryear.

The antique market, held every Sunday since 2013 inside Cao Minh Café, tucked away in a small alley on No Trang Long Street, Binh Thanh District, teems with commotion from vendors and shop goers.

The venue appeals to clients from different age brackets and walks of life thanks to its wide array of age-old items.

While elderly people come to the market, which is a household name among local antique buffs, to look for mementoes that hold memories of their childhood or the wartime years, youths mostly come to indulge in their collecting hobbies, sip coffee or learn more about items used by previous generations.

Shoppers, window shoppers and stall owners pay an entrance fee of VND30,000 (US$1.3), which covers part of the drinks.

The market sessions typically run from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm.

“The market is actually a reputable exchange venue for antique enthusiasts who come to trade or just show off their prized collectibles. The artifacts’ values lie in their age and rarity,” Khanh, a stall owner, said.

“Aficionados go to great lengths to scour for rare items or heirlooms throughout the Mekong Delta and display them for sale at the sessions,” he noted.