Furniture
· February 20, 2020
· James

The best places to buy vintage furniture

Etsy

One of the best places to find beautiful pieces of quality vintage furniture is on Etsy. Etsy store owners will have already done the hard work for you of scouring estate sales, antique shops, family attics, and eBay to choose only the best quality pieces, with none of the junk. You can find furniture that needs some love that you can work on restoring yourself or find furniture that has been lovingly restored or upcycled to create something beautiful and unique that you can display in your home.

Vintage Shops

Vintage shops are a good source of everything from jewellery to furniture. As vintage becomes more trendy, there are vintage shops popping up in most areas, so there should be somewhere near you to look. Some vintage shops operate like high-end boutiques, so will only have well-preserved pieces that are ready to go straight into your house. Others take a more ‘junk shop’ approach, where you will need to do a little digging to find the best hidden gems. This kind of shop is ideal for scoring a bargain, or for those who want to restore their vintage furniture themselves to return it to former glory.

Upcycle From Facebook Marketplace

All kinds of furniture pops up on Facebook Marketplace, and usually at a very reasonable price. Whether people are clearing out the home of an elderly relative, or are upgrading their own furniture to something newer, keep your eyes peeled for high quality, genuinely vintage pieces. Furniture bought in this way usually needs a bit of love when you get it home. This is where upcycling comes in. Take a vintage piece that has seen better days and sand it, varnish it, or paint it to get to look like your dream piece of vintage furniture.

Charity Shops

Like Facebook Marketplace, charity shops are often good places for overlooked gems. Larger charity shops often stock furniture, or there may be a larger out of town location used as a furniture showroom. Do some Googling to find these larger sites, as you’re more likely to find something worth saving. Spend some time looking around different shops, and know how to spot genuine vintage amongst the inevitable abandoned Ikea pieces that everyone has. Buy pieces that you can restore or upcycle to create something unique and beautiful that you can enjoy for years to come.

Friends and Family

Are your friends and family having a clear-out? Ask to have a look at any furniture that they are planning to throw out. This can be particularly effective with elderly relatives who may have been saving old pieces of furniture since they got married in 1954. Furniture like this that has been used and loved in a home is often in better condition than the budget finds you might find in shops or online, so pounce on any old furniture that someone offers you. Ask your Grandma if you can have a dig around in her attic, or offer to help friends move in exchange for that side table you’ve been eyeing up.

Please note – You need to be aware of things like damp and excessive wear and tear on furniture (thanks to Home Damp Rescue for this addition). Essentially, do your checks and if a deal seems too good to be true, it may be (yes, even with vintage stores).