Shopping Vintage on Etsy (Tips & Tricks Too!)

On a whim I bought this concrete bust of David on Etsy (from this shop) without any idea where it was going to go in our new studio. He now holds a place on our front console that is getting a great linen skirt made for it.

As designers, we shop on Etsy A LOT.  Not only for newly made or custom items (as detailed in this post), but for antique and vintage items too.  Etsy has become a bit of a “normal budget” 1stDibs in that there is some high end antique dealers, but mostly its small shops with decent prices for interesting goods.  You just have to dig a bit more as it is a bit less curated, but in the best way possible! You can still find amazing deals on lots of things on Etsy, where as some other online vintage shops you cannot.

A good example of this was when we were looking for a pair of vintage x-benches for a great project below (you only get a sneak peek here as we are pitching it to magazine right now).  We found the perfect set from an expensive vendor but perused Etsy to see if anyone else had a pair we could refinish.  And we found the EXACT pair we loved for about 1/4 of the price.  We had them repainted and reupholstered and they came out perfect and added that patina we were looking for in the space.

In a quick search I found another one here! Try various search terms like “vintage x- bench” or “antique bench” “wood frame x-bench” and “vintage stools” (some people label them differently!)

When it comes to furniture you can find awesome deals as well as fancier items with quite the provenance.  It’s all about how and where you look.  If you know the maker or brand of the piece you are looking for or the style (i.e. French Empire, primitive or Mid-century) that will help get you more refined results.  Also try searching both “antique” and “vintage” and sometimes you’ll get different results by changing just that preface.

Some great antique and vintage furniture pieces I found on Etsy today:

A French armoire much like the one in our new office and this tessellated horn chair that is so unique and would make a great vanity chair or pulled up to a small desk or secretary.

This pair of rustic beds would be absolutely adorable in children’s room.

An amazing set of Milo Baughman dining chairs (with the price to match).  You can also try searching “Milo Baughman style chair” to see if you can turn up some good replicas, of which many were made.

This antique French settee has great bones (you need to look past old fabrics and dingy paint in order to source gems- this is only $479!) Be sure to message the seller of upholstered goods and ask about the “guts” of the piece to find out if it will need to be redone or tightened up and not just reupholstered.

These gilt bamboo stools are ADORABLE and so great to tuck under a console for extra seating.  Be careful to note if things are newly upholstered or not-  if you plan to re-upholster something anyways, you don’t want to be paying for someone else’s new upholstery job!

I kind of LOVE this unique pair of chairs for a mountain house flanking a fireplace or something. Hmmmmm….

This rustic pedestal table would make a great little breakfast spot- you could pair it with new slipcovered chairs and it would be good to go :) I also love the paint on this pair of chairs maybe paired with a slevver, more modern white breakfast table.

Some 70’s items in chrome whose style is still very current- a faux bamboo coffee table and Regency style side tables.

This antique dining table is pretttttttty awesome (those legs!)

Buying pairs of chairs is always smart (and usually  abetter deal than a single chair). These orange wingbacks and bamboo chairs are both great finds!

You can find great patio furniture that is SUPER durable (like the set I inherited from my gandparents that turned out to be a very valuable Brown Jordan set!)  If you search under that maker or Phyllis Morris you’ll find some funky beauties like this one !

More faux bamboo (lots can be found from Florida vendors for cheap) like this cute dresser that would be adorable in a bedroom painted white with new brass pulls!

We also find great accessories on Etsy too- especially mirrors and frames! I adore both these mirrors- the silver ribbon detail on the first is darling for a little girls room and the leaf texture on the second is STUNNING.

Because I love a good bust- both big and small!

You can find great vessels as well both for outdoors and indoors (there is a bevy of blue and white pottery on Etsy- search simple terms like “blue and white vintage china” or “Blue Willow”)

I also collect rustic gilt frames that I pick up at antique shops and from Etsy vendors.  Search under “vintage gilt frame” and don’t be afraid to buy something with ugly art in it if the frame is good!!! Also you can find complete lots of gold frames for a gallery wall like this one.

I love the curation of these groupings of mushrooms on stands and specimen domes. So great for bookshelves or mantles!

As with any online purchase, check the return policy of the shop before buying and always ask for them to send you more images in daylight if you feel unsure of the color or quality of something. It may require a little more work on your end, but that is part of “the hunt” and that is what is the most fun of all when dealing in antiques and vintage goods!

I hope this post was somewhat helpful! Happy hunting!

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