It’s hard to know what to buy at thrift stores and what to pass on. Here is a guide to help you decide what to thrift and what to buy new.
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Shopping for antiques at thrift stores is truly one of my favorite things to do. Finding a vintage gem within the clutter is the best feeling. Thrift store home decor can save you money, plus it creates a home full of unique items that tell a story.
With that being said, It’s easy to get carried away and want to buy everything at the thrift store, but not so fast! There are a few things you should pass and some you should grab. Keep reading for 10 things you should buy at the thrift store, with some tips and a few things you should buy new.
Looking for a few places to thrift shop? Take a look at my guide to Where to buy vintage furniture and other home decor items.
Chairs
It’s hard for me to go thrift shopping and not buy a chair. Seriously, my house is slowly filling with vintage chairs. Going vintage on chairs can easily create a collected look with unique chairs that stand out.
Mix and match for a cute dining table look or put a chair in the corner with a plant, vase, or stack of books (vintage, of course, 😉) with a candle on top.
When shopping for chairs, a few things to think about first. Before you buy, sit in the chair and carefully move a little; does it squeak? Is it sturdy? Is it comfortable? Look at the construction. Is the chair put together with joints for glue and staples? This will help you decide if it is worth the money.
If the chair doesn’t pass all the tests, but you still love it consider some things. Where will this chair live in your house? Will it be used often or more for decor? Would you be willing to refurbish down the road?
Doors
If you are looking for a unique way to add character to your home, look for vintage doors on your next vintage shopping trip. Antique doors can be found in unique designs and can be an easy way to update cheap doors.
Look for antique doors at building material warehouses and used home improvement stores like ReStore. One thing to remember when buying antique doors, they will usually take some work to get them ready to install in your home. Most doors will come with old paint or beat-up wood finish and you will likely need to refinish or repaint. The great thing about this, you can make it your own and add new hardware.
If you choose to refinish the door, use a stripping gel to remove paint and then sand and either paint or stain the door. Here is a great post about refinishing antique doors.
A quick tip to make shopping for vintage doors easier; make a measurement list on your phone of the doors you would like to replace and keep a measuring tape in your purse or car to easily measure doors while shopping.
Looking for more ways to make home improvements on a budget? I’ve got you covered!
Picture Frames
Most of the picture frames in my home are from a thrift store. It is an easy way to create that collected look with frames for art, pictures, or DIY decor ideas. While shopping, keep an eye out for vintage art, like oil paintings; it’s always a bonus when you find great art with the frame! Also, look for inexpensive art or prints with a frame you like or one you can refinish or paint.
Use the frame for another piece of art or photo, make a chalkboard or a mirror. If you are looking for antiques, look for all wooden frames. Plaster or composition frames indicate it is probably not older than the 19th century, but can still be beautiful frames. Read this post to learn more about identifying antique picture frames.
Glassware
Not only can you find beautiful glassware at thrift stores, but it can also be very fun to hunt down different designs and colors. Be careful though! You may become obsessed like me and end up with a large collection of vintage glassware.
Look for cocktail glasses, tumblers, and wine glasses. Hunt down a complete set or collect different designs for a mix-matched look. When shopping, notice the clarity, and weight and check for any chips. The better the clarity, the better the material and if there are bubbles or imperfections, this could indicate either vintage glassware or inferior material was used.
Pick the glass up to feel the weight distribution. This is more important than the entire weight as crystal glassware, a nice material can be lighter. The base should be heavy but so it doesn’t top over, but not too heavy that it is uncomfortable to hold.
If you are shopping vintage, make sure it isn’t vintage crystal which can have lead oxide. Instant lead tests can be helping for quick testing.
Candle Holders
When shopping for candle holders, brass candle holders are what I look for the most. They are my favorite to incorporate into my decor and look great on a dinner table. Show up to the flea market or thrift store early to snag brass candle holders, they will go fast! Use a brass cleaner bring the candleholders back to like and keep them in good shape.
Wood Furniture
Some of my favorite pieces of furniture I found at a thrift store. The most important thing when buying wood furniture at a thrift store is to make sure it is good quality and therefore, worth your money.
Look for wood furniture like tables, dressers, rocking chairs, and other solid wood furniture pieces.
To check that it is solid wood and not a type of compressed or particle wood, look at the end grain (the edge of the cut wood). If it is solid wood, you should be able to the grain of the wood and not particles of wood compressed. Avoid particle wood, it won’t last. Also, look for signs of handcraftsmanship, like woodworking joints like dovetail joints, and check my post to find the best places to buy vintage furniture.
Mirrors
Similar to picture frames, you can find unique and beautiful mirror designs at thrift stores. When shopping, consider the material of the mirror frame. Is it a carved frame? if so, what is it made of? Wood or plaster or both? This will help you determine if you can repaint or refinish it.
Also, take notice of any signs of wear or cracks. If you are shopping for vintage, look at the glass closely. The old glass will have imperfections like wavy spots or small bubbles which modern mirrors will be free of.
Bakeware
Similar to glassware, finding vintage bakeware designs at thrift stores leads to a unique mix-matched collection of quality bakeware. You can find many different designs that range from mushrooms to flowers. Check the bakeware for heavy scratching, cracks, or chips. Leave it on the shelf if it has too much wear and tear.
Unique Decor
Unique is the theme of this post! Thrift stores can be a great place to find small decorative accents like brass items, trinket dishes, vases, and vintage lamps.
Silver
Before buying antique silver, it’s important to understand the different types. Solid silver is uncommon because solid silver is too soft to be used often. Instead, most of what you’ll find is sterling silver or silver plated.
Sterling silver is made up of primarily solid silver and the rest is other metals. Sterling silver is more durable and will hold up better with proper care.
Silver-plated items are made from a base metal, often nickel, and covered with a thin layer of silver. They often carry the words “silverplate” or “electroplate” or the initials “EPNS” for electro-plated nickel silver.
The first thing to look for when you have found an item that you think could be silver, look for markings on the underside or back. These are called “makers’ marks” or “silver hallmarks” and indicate the purity of the silver, the date it was manufactured, and a mark that corresponds to a specific silversmith.
Most sterling silver items are marked with the word “sterling” or the number “925”. Silver will be stamped as 925, 900, or 800. These numbers indicate the level of purity of the silver. Sterling silver has a purity of 92.5 percent or higher or “925”. Most unmarked items are silverplate, but there’s always the chance that your piece is sterling.
You can also look up makers’ marks online. A great source for silver identification on the internet is the Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks, and Makers’ Marks. You can conduct a free search by manufacturer or by type of mark.
What to buy new
Thrift shopping is fun! But there will always be a few things you should buy new.
Bedding
For obvious reasons, don’t cha think?
Pillows
Hard to wash and harder to get old smells out.
Cookware
Vintage pots and pans, and baking sheets can have cracks that lead to flakes getting into your food. Yuck!
Appliances
Unless you can test them in the store, pass.
Antique Crystal & Hardware
Crystal made before 1969 could contain lead oxide.
Sources: Love to Know, Tatler,
