The world of antique furniture has changed drastically over the years. Gone are the dusty rooms, creepy relics, and stuffy auctions that once defined the market — this is no longer just your grandmother's game. Shopping for secondhand furniture has never been more accessible, or more fashionable.
Spending hours scrolling through countless pages of patinaed, one-of-a-kind pieces has become somewhat of a favorite pastime of mine, and clearly, I’m not alone; the US has become the largest market for antique e-commerce sites. With over 11.91K vendors to choose from, the United States now accounts for over 50% of the world's vintage e-commerce, and interior design trends suggest that's only going to increase. But where should you be shopping for secondhand furniture online?
Willow Wright, the owner of vintage furniture store Urban Redeux, says, “Scoring unique items online requires a mix of patience, creativity, and knowing where to look.” All the choice out there can be both a blessing and a curse. What are the best online secondhand furniture stores, and what should you be shopping for?
Well, we may have a few tips for where to start. We’ve consulted bonafide experts of online thrifting to discover their tricks of the trade when it comes to knowing where to shop for vintage and antique furniture and home decor online. Below, we've broken down the most popular secondhand furniture marketplaces, highlighting which is best for what, so you can shop secondhand like the experts.
1. Etsy
Since launching in 2005, Etsyhas established itself as the place to shop for all kinds of weird and wonderful artisan products. But what you might not know is that alongside the endless personalized goods and handmade earrings lays a treasure trove of vintage and antique items, just waiting to be discovered.
Jordan Samson, founder of interior design firm Jordan Samson Design, told me that Etsy is one of his most visited sites for finding affordable pieces for the home. But to prevent becoming quickly overwhelmed with all the options, he recommends approaching the site once you have a specific item in mind. “Lighting is a great starting point; vintage Murano-style lamps or brass fixtures are amazing finds, and Etsy has tons of options,” he says, adding that driuwhout is one of his favorite stores to shop on the marketplace.
He also recommends shopping on Etsy if you're looking for a vintage rug or carpet. “Persian, Turkish, and Moroccan rugs are amazing secondhand finds," he says." You can often get high-quality, authentic pieces at surprisingly good prices on Etsy.”
As a marketplace for thousands of different sellers, prices can vary drastically from store to store on Etsy, but there are a few tricks to distinguishing the duds from the diamonds. Look out for a small purple star next to a seller's name — this means they have Etsy's stamp of approval, and is a trusted seller. These stores also generally bring in consistent 5-star reviews, reply quickly, and send their pieces promptly.
But that's not to say stores without this stamp shouldn't be trusted. Smaller stores might not have made enough sales to earn verification, but can still be worth looking at. If in doubt, try messaging the seller directly — many are more than happy to provide additional information (and even images) on request.
Another thing to keep in mind is that sellers can come for all over the world, and are in charge of shipping costs, so make sure you check before you check-out, to prevent being landed with a shipping fee in the triple digits!
2. Facebook Marketplace
Perhaps the most intimidating online marketplace for shopping secondhand furniture, Facebook Marketplace best captures the chaotic energy of an overflowing garage sale or thrift store, just online. With over one billion users, there’s no shortage of pieces to be found there — and there's an art to doing it. Once you know how, you're likely to find pieces for a fraction of the price you'd get them anywhere else.
Someone who has perfected the art is Virginia Chamlee, author of Big Thrift Energy (available on Amazon) and a weekly Substack column called What’s Left. She's previously shared her tips on how to find good secondhand furniture online with me, but when it comes to why to shop on Facebook Marketplace, it's simple: the deals. As sellers aren't necessarily in the business of interiors, but rather just trying to get rid of things they no longer need, they often don't know the value of what they're selling. (Virginia recalls a mid-century armchair by Adrian Pearsal she scored for $60.)
As listings are directly connected to the seller's personal profile, it's easy to communicate and verify them yourselves. You can also set up notifications for certain keywords and searches, so you'll find out when new things are listed (which happens frequently). Just watch out for scams, don't share you bank details with anyone, and when you see something you want — act fast. Things don't stick around for long (especially the good stuff) and there is nothing quite like the heartbreak of the thing that got away.
3. 1stDibs
If you've got a bit more budget to play with, or are looking for an iconic chair or piece from a specific design house, 1stDibs is the secondhand marketplace to go to. Launched in 2000 as an alternative to the Parisian flea markets the founder had grown so fond of, it's an undeniably luxurious option for antique and vintage furniture and home decor. However, with higher prices comes unrivalled quality and strict authorization rules, so you can be sure you're investing in something authentic.
1stDibs is for pieces you'll keep forever, and is where a lot of interior designers source for their design projects. But even if you're not shopping, there is a lot you can gain from browsing the site's offerings; "It’s a crash course in design vocabulary and helps you pinpoint the styles you’re drawn to,” says interior designer Jordan Samson.
4. Chairish
Much like 1stDibs, Chairish is a more high-end take on the online thrifting trend. Think of this less like a thrift shop, and more like a highly curated vintage showroom. Founded in 2013, this website works directly with trusted sellers to build up their curated collection of vintage goods. While you shouldn’t necessarily expect to find bargain deals here, you’ll be spoilt for choice with rare and highly coveted pieces that are part of design history.
Similar to 1stDibs, if you can't afford to shop, Paige Kontrafouris suggests using the site as a tool to acquaint yourself with various design aesthetics, to get a better idea of what appeals to you. “I love using places like Chairish and 1stDibs to do research and learn about pieces I like, what they are called and usual price points they go for," she says. "I find a lot of times since they are a more curated selection the pricing isn’t the best on sites like that but it's a great tool to use as research.”
5. eBay
When it comes to buying secondhand furniture online, eBay truly paved the way. The site has come a long way since it was first launched in 1995, when founder Pierre Omidyar created it to sell on an old broken laser printer. While a large part of the site's success is owed to the ‘90s beanie baby obsession, eBay has maintained its relevance and is still a go-to marketplace today for those on the hunt for vintage and antique furniture.
Unlike many of the other sites in this list, eBay functions as a digital auction house, adding an extra degree of exhilaration to your search. But this doesn’t mean it has to be a stressful experience. Willow Wright recommends setting alerts for specific brands and items, so you’ll know as soon as one goes on sale. It can also help to be specific in your search, a huge number of items are uploaded every day, so a bit of clarity can go a long way.
Paige Kontrafouris, interior designer and antique expert, turns to eBay when she's looking for a good deal and unique pieces. It can also be a particularly useful tool for upholstery and design projects, she says. “All of my window treatments and designer fabrics have been sourced secondhand via places like eBay and Facebook Marketplace, and it's allowed me to save thousands. Even as a professional interior designer who has access to trade account pricing, it’s still cheaper secondhand!”
eBay acts as a middle ground between sites like Etsy and Facebook Marketplace. Here you can find a good mixture of sellers, with some who have carved careers out of sourcing antique goods, while others use the site to quickly sell unwanted goods before moving on. This combination means you’ll find a large range of prices, with plenty of good deals to be found.
6. Craigslist
Both Virginia Chamlee and Paige Kontrafouris include Craigslist as one of their favorite online marketplaces for shopping secondhand furniture, and if it’s good enough for them, that's good enough for me.
One of the earliest websites of its kind, Craigslist launched as a classified ads platform back in 1995. It functioned as a digital hub to advertise whatever you pleased, rental properties, job openings, skills and services and, most crucially to us, unwanted belongings. Similar to Facebook Marketplace, here you will be able to find furniture at the lowest prices possible, provided you're willing to search for them.
It also operates on a city-by-city basis, filtering your searches by local availability. This makes the process of collecting and selling more convenient, though it does mean the issue of transporting your goods is entirely your responsibility, which can present difficulty when buying larger pieces of furniture.
7. Estatesales.net
Estatesale.net is a surprising favorite shared by many of the interior designers I spoke to. Virginia Chamlee says it's a site she regularly turns to when searching for well-priced items that are available for collection in her local area. The family business began in Memphis, though since gaining success, now operates across the United States.
Virginia first told the Livingetc team about this marketplace when she shared her best estate sale tips with our interiors editor, Emma Breislin. The marketplace allows you view a list of sales happening in your area, along with information about the home and images of some of the items you can expect to find there. But, for online shoppers, you can actually also directly purchase pieces from the estate sale online, from the comfort of your couch.
With various options available, sellers can choose to list their items as available for immediate purchase, or to sell them through an auction. Estate sales can be largely hit or miss, depending on whether your style aligns with the sellers, though if you’re lucky you can stumble upon some incredible finds, and antique expert Paige Kontrafouris says she's unearthed plenty of "hidden gems" through these online listings.
8. AptDeco
But if the idea of having to lug a sofa across the city is enough to put you off considering shopping secondhand furniture on one of these online marketplaces, there is another option. Aptdeco offers similar deals of secondhand pieces without any of the complications or inconvenience of having to collect them yourself.
Their professional services makes shopping secondhand online a completely hassle-free way to score great deals. Not only does this completely streamline the process for you, but it also expands your options from your local area to the entire country. (You'll just have to pay for it.)
Their website is organized by brands, so you can easily filter through to find designs that fit your style, and you'll find all your favorite name brands available at a fraction of the cost, as well as unique pieces you’d never find anywhere else. Their advanced search system and filter options also make it super simple to narrow your options down, so all you have to do is shop.
These days, no interior is complete without something old and patinaed that gives it a touch of character and warmth, and shopping secondhand furniture is the easiest way to do it. Plus, it's better for you budget and the planet.
You'll be surprised with what you could find, and where! Our interiors editor, Emma, only just recently discovered that even Rejuvenation has a vintage furniture section. Happy thrifting.
