When to Buy Antique Furniture vs. Buy New
The market for secondhand furniture has grown exponentially in the last ten to fifteen years with big companies like AptDeco and TheRealReal entering the market, but also well-known brands like Williams-Sonoma (Rejuvenation) and Urban Outfitters (Urban Renewal) creating their own resale sites for antique furniture and vintage goods. Along with these large companies, online communities like Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, and even Nextdoor allow anyone with the internet to search for used furniture and items to complete their own spaces, or flip and resell. Where to start with second shopping can be a bit daunting, so we have created a quick guide for you to reference as you scour both online and local shops to find unique, well-crafted pieces for your space.
When to invest
When shopping secondhand, searching for two features will get you far! If a piece you are looking at is pricier, really consider the quality of the item. What would this item go for if it wasn’t antique or secondhand, and now that it is older, will the item continue to tire or will it continue to grow in value as it ages with time? Vintage can look cool, but you want to always ensure your piece is really well made. Look for what the item is made from, and when it was made. These two elements will help you determine if what you are buying is worth the investment.
Explore Current Trends
If you are shopping for unique decor pieces in your home that might only last a few years or seasons, have fun! Look for items that maybe you would feel guilty about buying at full price, in stores right now, but that you still really want. You can find exciting pieces with lots of character without having to invest, and you can trade these in when you are ready to switch up your space with less guilt since you didn't pay full price. Trends come and go, and sometimes we want to indulge in them! Secondhand shopping can be a more mindful way to go about it.
Shop With a Purpose
Because the secondhand and resale market is so vast it can be a bit daunting to begin. First find out what you are searching for, whether it's a couch, dining room table, or headboard. From there determine the look or decade you’d like for the piece to give off, and then begin your search. Narrowing down the exact look you want before beginning the search can better ensure that you will be happy with your finished product. Sometimes we can get caught up with how something a piece of furniture looks in the shop, next to all of its other vintage or antique finds. But once we bring it home, it might not mold well with our other pieces. Take your time finding exactly what you love.
Secondhand furniture can take out a bit of the stress, by minimizing the need to buy something before a trend fades, or a piece sells out. There is always something on the secondhand market that looks like what you want, it just starts with you determining what you love-and we can always help with that!