Where to Buy Vintage & Antiques: 15 Proven Places

Hi there! I hope you had a great weekend! My sweet husband and I hit a couple of thrift stores on Friday.  This fits in perfectly with today’s topic: Where to buy vintage and antiques, since thrift stores is #5 on the list!

First we stopped at a thrift that supports our local city mission (where I filled the cart) and then we headed to the nearby Salvation Army where I bought books–because I need more books! [Like a hole in my head, LOL.]

If you’re a book lover like me, let me know in the comments and suggest some good books for all of us to consider. I especially love mysteries and am always looking for new authors.

Before we jump into the list, I wanted to mention two FREE resources that I have on this topic:

• A Facebook LIVE video that I shot in my FB group (Your Vintage Headquarters)
• A PDF document listing the 15 places with the links to LOADS of resources.  You can find it in my Member Library under “Business Resources.” [Gain access when you SUBSCRIBE HERE.]

Without further ado, let’s jump into the 15 proven places you can buy vintage and antiques!

1. Garage Sales

In my humble opinion, garage sales provide one of the best sources for vintage and antiques for treasure hunters like us. You NEVER know what you’re going to find, and if you attend them regularly and often, you WILL find treasures!

• CHECK: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Yardsales.net, and/or your local newspaper.
• READ: Finding Vintage & Antiques at Garage Sales and 10 Vintage Items Often Overlooked & Undervalued at Garage Sales Both have LOADS of tips that will help you find great antiques and make more money.
• BUY: Your Definitive Guide to Becoming a Garage Sale Superstar and 25 Vintage & Antiques Often Overlooked & Undervalued at Garage Sales

2. Estate Sales

Estate sales provide a great source of vintage whether you’re looking to sell or decorate. Arrive early to find the best quality, arrive late to get the best deals.

• CHECK: Estatesales.net, Craigslist, and/or Facebook Marketplace to find those near you.
• READ: Why I Love Estate Sales!

3. Curbside

Discovering “junk” along the roadside is one of the most satisfying ways to find vintage and antiques because it’s FREE!

• CHECK: Garbage days in areas near you, areas that recently held a neighborhood garage sale,  Craigslist, and/or Facebook Marketplace to find “free on curbside” listings.
• READ: Garbage Picking for Awesome Vintage & Antiques and the related video

4. Flea Markets

I love a good flea market! You will almost always find booths with prices low enough to allow for resale. Some are annual or seasonal, others are weekly–all are worth checking out.

• CHECK: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook events, and/or your local paper
• READ: Why I Hunt for Vintage Finds at Church Flea Markets

5. Thrift Stores

While thrift stores are NOT my favorite place to shop for vintage, I do occasionally find a hidden treasure. That keeps me going back, hoping to find more. During the winter months, when options are few, it’s one of the few places available to shop vintage. Definitely check them out; you may find that in your area they stock great stuff.

• SEARCH: “Thrift stores” online and a list of those near you will pop up.
• READ: Can You Find Good Vintage & Antiques at Thrift Stores?

6. Facebook Marketplace & Craigslist

I frankly enjoy scrolling mindlessly through FB Marketplace and Craigslist on occasion, and pretty regularly find excellent deals. For example, I bought a hutch recently for $15, chalk painted it, and now use it for display in my booth. It’s priced at $125.

• CHECK: Facebook Marketplace and/or Craigslist
• READ: How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace (to learn how FBMP works)

7. Church & School Sales

Frequently churches and schools hold garage sales as a means of raising funds for school programs. Usually large numbers of families contribute, so in some ways, it’s similar to a neighborhood sale. Some are indoors (photo on the left) while others are held outdoors (photo on the right). Go early for the best picks.

• CHECK: Facebook events and/or your local newspaper. Take note of annual events and put them on your calendar.

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8. Destination Garage Sales

Also on my calendar I have included several large annual garage sales that I want to make sure to NEVER miss. One in Warrensburg (NY), billed as the world’s largest garage sale, has hundreds of sellers and thousands of shoppers. 

• CHECK: With fellow vintage-lovers for ideas and/or this list put out by The Spruce
• READ: Preparing to Shop at Garage Sales + FREE Printables

9. Friends

I have both long-distance and local friends who enjoy giving me their cast-offs, which is SO sweet. I pretty much take everything because I’ll just pass non-vintage items onto a thrift store. 

I have a policy against buying vintage or antique items from friends because I feel very uncomfortable setting prices and very often the items they’re selling are not good sellers for me. We have to be very wise about what we buy!

10. Online: eBay & Etsy

While it takes effort to find items priced low enough on eBay and Etsy to make a profit, they can be found. Look for things inadequately described that others overlook. Check for large lots of items where the price/item ends up being relatively low. You can also make offers on items with fixed prices (on eBay).

• CHECK: Ebay and/or Etsy
• READ: How to Shop Antiques & Vintage Online (Martha Stewart)

11. Antique Shops & Malls

My strategy with antique shops is to only shop those that have low enough prices to leave room for a profit. With malls, I do a quick walk through to find the one or two vendors (hopefully more!) who have the kind of prices I’m looking for. ALWAYS ask for a discount on items over $10-20 to get at least 10% off.

• SEARCH: “Antique shops” and/or “Antique malls” online and you will be served a list of those in your area.

12. Live Auctions

I love live auctions! If you’ve never been, don’t be afraid. Here’s what to expect: attend the preview, register at the door for bidding number and card, raise your hand with your card in it when you want to bid–lower it after the auctioneer recognizes you, raise the card to bid again and if you win so they can read your number.

• CHECK: Your local newspapers, search “auctions” online, and/or ask dealer friends for recommendations
• READ: 15 Auction Tips for Beginners

13. Advertising

Many dealers successfully use advertising as a method for obtaining items to sell. This is especially worth looking into now since there are free online options (e.g., FBMP & Craigslist). Be prepared to make appointments and establish safety protocols for yourself.

• LIST IN: Your local newspaper, regional antique publications, FBMP, and/or Craigslist

14. Antique Shows

Antique shows are becoming a bit rare in my neck of the woods, but I do attend them, especially during the winter. I treat them much like antique shops in that I’ll walk through the entire show looking for the booths with good prices. I’ll shop from them and treat the rest of the show like a museum that I can learn from.

• CHECK: Facebook events and/or search “antique shows” online and a you will be served a list of those near you.
• READ: How to Haggle Like a Rock Star

15. Adirondack Girl @ Heart

I hope you don’t think it presumptuous of me to include myself in the list! I wanted to be sure that you knew that I sell from many venues at reasonable prices. In fact, several dealers around the country make purchases from me, particularly when I run a sale, which is fairly regularly.

• CHECK: Etsy and eBay
• READ: How to Buy Vintage & Antiques for Business or Pleasure

I hope you found today’s blog post helpful and that you’ll come back for another visit. If you enjoyed the post, why not subscribe and get access to my Member Library where you’ll find today’s list in printable form (under “Business Resources? JUST CLICK BELOW:

Bye for Now,

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