There’s nothing quite like browsing among treasures of the past within a vintage or antique store, never knowing what unusual or spectacular item might be around the next corner. This feeling of adventure also extends to furniture; these pieces are often sturdy and hand-made, embodying skilled craftsmanship that presents unique features that stand out among the mass-manufactured goods of modern society.
However, there is more to vintage furniture shopping than spotting a piece you like and slapping down cash or a card. Before making a purchase, keep in mind the following tips for finding better deals and selecting pieces that will serve you well for many years.
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Stake Out Vintage Locales
While it can be tempting to snatch up the first item that suits your fancy, when you first enter the world of vintage furniture, take the time to learn more about the trade and what makes a quality purchase.
Part of this process is finding high-caliber stores that trade in actual vintage goods instead of newly manufactured products designed in vintage style. If that is what you seek, there is nothing wrong with choosing those products, but those interested in authentic furniture from decades past often have to learn techniques to differentiate between the two.
As you find prospective locales, chat up with the owners to get an idea of what they seek in terms of antique and vintage styles, and learn about how often they receive new goods and whether they can pursue particular pieces or styles if you have something specific in mind. Building a solid relationship may help you in other ways, such as when the time comes to negotiate prices.
Measure Your Space
Even though savoring the vintage shopping experience and seeking the unknown is a part of the fun, when you are serious about purchasing items, you should go into the game with a plan. Consider where in your home you could use one of these timeless artifacts and have an idea of how much space is available.
It can be heartbreaking to walk upon the perfect table or settee, make the purchase, and then realize that you misjudged the space and it will not fit. While you may be able to make other arrangements, sometimes the piece ends up in a garage or attic where no one will see it.
Take measurements so that you know the maximum size that an object can be to fill available space, then keep them on hand (such as on your phone) so you can access them as needed. It will also help to know what type of furniture you think would showcase best in each prospective location.
Evaluate the Furniture Authenticity
You may need to do a little research before you can do this effectively, but if you want to determine whether a vintage piece is worth the price tag, you need to know if it is high quality. One of the reasons why authentic pieces are so sturdy is because craftsmen made them by hand, which is why they have endured so long in the first place. If they are and remain in suitable shape, they will remain so for years to come.
When examining a piece, look for dovetailing first. This is a way of joining two pieces of wood in a way sort of like puzzle pieces, which craftsmen chose because it had a powerful hold. You can identify this by the trapezoid shapes around the joints in furniture with them, such as cabinets.
Also, seek different types of wood, especially in out-of-sight places, as crafters typically used higher quality materials where they would be visible. You will likely notice that the furniture has minor imperfections in symmetry (including the dovetails), which is generally not present with machine-manufactured products.
Finding a stamp or company logo with dating can be another helpful tool in identifying authenticity, but vintage style designers or scammers can sometimes replicate these.
Choose Quality Items
Even if the furniture seems authentic, you should avoid it if it has experienced a hard life and is in disrepair. First of all, items with flaws or damage suffer an immediate reduction in value. Rusty staining or unpleasant odors on upholstery and other furnishings may be impossible to clean and could even indicate the presence of bed bugs or other vermin.
That is not to say that you can’t replace pieces, make fixes, or replace the upholstery. In fact, doing so can turn a piece with out-of-date style into the ideal complement to your favored home color and design scheme. The key is to look for defects that you can fix without too much trouble. Anything too far gone may end up sitting in a basement or garage until you find the time to fix it, which may never come.
Yet, you can repair minor damage such as scratches and basic wear and tear without too much difficulty, and you can likely use this type of damage as a negotiating point to score a discount. The more repair skills you have, the better deal you could get, but you have to know your limits, or you will end up with a useless piece of junk far too gone to be of any use to anyone.
Seek the Rare and Fantastic
Much of the value of vintage objects is that they have a rich history and stand out from modern furniture. However, many of these goods are still common among these vendors, and just because a piece of furniture is old does not mean that they were not relatively common in their time.
Identifying genuinely magnificent artifacts among the masses takes a truly discerning eye, but with enough experience, you will learn to recognize the more exceptional and rare pieces. In time, you will be drawn to unusual pieces and have seen enough period pieces to recognize something extraordinary. With research, you can accelerate this process; the internet is an excellent place to learn what to look for in exceptional furniture.
The Bottom Line
The timeless quality of vintage furniture makes it perfect as a home feature, sure to draw the eye of visitors and connoisseurs alike. However, identifying proper selections is akin to an art form; it takes a discerning eye and a certain level of experience to evaluate if a purchase is worth the cost and whether it will complement your living space. With due diligence and expertise, you will soon learn how to identify quality artifacts and what flaws and defects you can improve to increase the appearance and value of these wondrous items.
