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Ahhh…antiques. Gosh do I love them. If I could shop anywhere, it would be an antique shop. The smell. The quiet. The never-knowing-what-treasures-you’ll-find. I’m hooked. 

Now some may say that antique shops smells old and musky. I say they smell earthy and dusty. I love that smell. I also love the feeling of knowing there are memories floating everywhere when I walk in the door. Memories from each item, from bygone eras, from all types of people and places. There’s something special about that to me.

I didn’t grow up shopping for antiques. It just wasn’t something we did. In fact, I never set foot in an antique store until I was in my late teens. Ironically enough, the first one I ever went to was quite unusual – a house and barn that had previously been a llama farm converted into an antique shop on the top of a hill on a country road with no town in sight.

I remember that first shop because as I was walking through the different booths, I had overheard a customer speaking with the owner talking about a painting that was apparently a rare find. It made me feel entirely clueless about shopping there, and my intimidation made my leave empty-handed.

I don’t consider myself a true collector of rarities nor do I go to antique shops looking for highly valuable objects. I do go to find items I will actually use, ones that are unique and ones I know will add that extra bit of character to my home.

Over the past decade or so, I’ve learned a few things about how I like to shop, what to look for (and lookout for) and what I wish I’d known when I first started antiquing. You’re in luck because this post is all about sharing my tips and tricks with you. Let’s dive in, shall we?!

Begin where you’re comfortable.

There are so many places to find antiques – shops, flea markets, estate sales, thrift stores, online…the list goes on. I recommend finding an antique mall where you can go to explore for your first few times. The advantage of an antique mall is that they are typically much larger, there is less interaction (more on that later) and you can wander about at your leisure soaking it all in.

If you live in a city, there’s a high probability that there’s more than one antique mall around so don’t be afraid to shop at a few. You’ll quickly discover which malls you like. I have two in my area I visit frequently as the staff is always accommodating and the vendors turn their products relatively quickly which, in turn, means there’s always newness to explore.

Negotiate

It’s ok. Take a deep breath. I used to cringe at the thought of that too. Really. The thought of negotiating anything used to petrify me. This is not the “I’m going to ask for 5k more” job offer negotiating. This is easy breezy, lemon-squeezy “Would you take $5 for that?” negotiating.

I don’t recommend negotiating at antique malls as they are usually a collection of booths that vendors rent so they can sell their products without having to manage the day-to-day aspects of a store. I suppose you could negotiate, but that would likely involve someone calling the booth owner and potentially having to wait if they don’t answer. That’s probably not worth it on small items but something to consider for more pricey pieces like furniture.

Where you can brush up on your negotiating skills best is estate sales and thrift sales. Estate sales are usually hosted either by the family of the deceased loved one or by an external company the family hires. In either case, I’ve rarely been told no when asking for less. This is especially true if it’s later in the day or the second day of the sale and/or if the sellers are motivated. Flea markets are also great candidates for negotiating. I’ve typically had to work a little harder to negotiate at flea markets but had success nonetheless.

Start a Collection

I’m going to contradict myself here because if there’s one thing I can recommend, it’s to never have an agenda when shopping for antiques. The times I’ve been antiquing with a specific item in mind to find, I have never found it and left disappointed. And nearly always when I am looking for nothing specific, I find a hoard of items I want to take home with me.

That aside, I do recommend starting a collection or two (or three if you’re me) of items that you find you always gravitate toward whenever you are out antiquing. If you’re a newbie, I would give yourself some time before you start a collection as I’ve found collections tend to point themselves out to you instead of vice versa. What I mean by that is that you’ll find certain “categories” of items always draw your eye.

My collections include Norman Rockwell plates and prints, copper kitchenware (check out the GORGEOUS copper items I found over on my “Antiques” stories highlights on Instagram), pitchers and aprons. I’ve been finding heavy mixing bowls and rolling pins to be interesting lately as well. Regardless of what it is, there’s nothing more exciting than finding a piece for a collection to which you instantly say “that’s it!” and immediately know it’s going home with you.

Be part of the community.

This is another one that might make the introverts of us cringe a little. I prefer to keep to myself when I’m out shopping, but thankfully Michael (my husband and major extrovert) has accompanied me antiquing on more than one trip. I’m not sure we’ve ever been anywhere without him striking up a conversation with the shop owner or other customers. While it’s not my style, I have learned that it’s a solid strategy for getting the “inside scoop” in the antique community.

Casually mentioning when you like an item or asking about the history of something can lead down interesting paths. Once I was at one of my frequented antique malls looking at the some handmade placemats that I loved (and purchased) when I noticed an elderly woman in the same booth smiling kindly at me. I piped up and stated how beautiful the placemats were. She then began talking about how much she loved making them and that it was a hobby she began after her husband past away. I had no idea I was standing next to the owner of the booth, much less the maker of what I was holding in my hands. After the most kind conversation, I found out she was discontinuing her booth soon, but I was able to get her name and number should I ever want to place an order for placemats or a rug. Amazing.

Not being bashful is especially helpful if you’re curious about pricing. This is more useful for estate sales, especially if there’s multiple companies who handle estate sales in your area. I happened upon an estate sale a street down from my house on a Sunday (which also is when most estate sales are half off). Another lady approached the house the same time as I did. I don’t remember exactly how it came up, but she informed me that the particular company hosting this estate sale was known to be more expensive so she always came on half-off days to any of theirs (mental note? check!).

Regardless of topic, it’s useful to spark up a conversation. You’ll never know where it will lead and what tips and trips you’ll store away for later. Antique shopping, at least from what I can gather, definitely has an inside community so keep your eyes and ear wide open.

Location-Specific Tips:

Antique Malls (multiple vendors) –As I mentioned earlier, malls are typically comprised of multiple (sometimes hundreds) of vendors who pay a fee to display their merchandise in the store without having to manage the daily responsibilities of store ownership. Pay attention to the booths in an antique mall. Are they primarily antiques? Or do you notice several that are more “crafty” (aka NOT antiques)?

The two malls I frequently visit are almost all antique booths.I’ve even asked for booth requirements at one, and it came as no surprise that they were somewhat stringent (photos required of the merchandise you plan to sell, keeping with seasonal trends, etc…). Malls with stricter guidelines tend to have more dedicated booth owners. That means antiques are turning more quickly which, in turn, means there’s more newness when you shop. Another good indicator is whether you ever see booth owners attending to their spaces.

Insider Tip: Antique malls are also an fantastic alternative to traditional holiday shopping (and yes, even to Black Friday!). My local mall hosts a special Black Friday event, and booth owners can choose to participate with a certain % off or not. If looking for seasonal items, my advice is to start early in the season. November is a great time to score festive treasures.

Finally, antique malls nearly always have holding spaces up front so never feel like you have to carry everything around with you. Just ask for a space, and you’ll likely be given a clothespin or some other object with a number to carry around for whenever you’re ready to checkout.

Antique Shops (one owner) –I’m fortunate to live in a small city where we have an entire street of small antique shops, most only having one owner. I don’t tend to visit these as often as I find antiques turn a little slower in these types of shops, but I do visit occasionally. If you do one thing at a local antique shop, it’s that you need to ask the owner “Where do you find your merchandise?” I’m always amazed at where local shop owners find their product, and it’s an excellent way to learn about other antique spots you might not know about yet.

Insider Tip: I’ve found it’s easier to negotiate with shop owners if you are purchasing more than one item. Keep in mind it’s likely their livelihood so be conscious of that when offering a different price. But if you have more than one item you are considering, it might “sweeten the deal”.

Estate Sale – I am GIDDY to talk about this section because these might just be my favorite locations to find antiques! Typically, estate sales are sales held by homeowners to sell the possessions of a deceased loved one. While I in no way want this next bit to sound morbid, the benefit of estate sales is that it’s usually older belongings and/or older homes so finding antiques is quite easy.

I usually scout out what estate sales I want to go to a day or two in advance. I use Craigslist and type “estate sales” in the For Sale section as well as use an app called EstateSales.net. Both places typically have multiple pictures and lists of what they will be selling so I will skim it over to see if anything catches my eye. Some advertisements will also say what the “hot” items are. It should be noted that I have been to estate sales where cars were lined up and down several blocks before they opened so if there’s something you want (especially if a “hot” item), you need to be on time if not early.

Most estate sales are either Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. Occasionally, there will be some on Friday as well. It’s pretty typical that if it’s two days, the second day (usually Sunday) is half off. And don’t forget that it’s rather easy to negotiate pricing at estate sales, especially the second day so don’t be bashful.

Insider Tip: Don’t be shy about opening cupboard doors and exploring rooms. Unless there’s a sign that says to specifically not open it, peek inside. At most estate sales, they lay everything out, but I’ve been to many where various items were still in cupboards and have scored a few beautiful items I wouldn’t have otherwise found.

Flea Markets – I don’t have as much experience with flea markets as our area doesn’t have them frequently. I’ve been to a couple and found a few unique things, but I do find that you have to “dig” for antiques a little bit more amidst other vendors who are selling different kinds of items. Still it’s a great place to find some treasures and to negotiate, albeit more time consuming. 

Online – Lastly, you can also find antiques online. I’m a person who likes to be able to see and touch what I might be purchasing to decide if it’s the right fit for me. For that reason, I rarely buy antiques online, but I do browse a few different sites just to see if there’s anything that intrigues me. I will search antiques on Craigslist and occasionally pop over to eBay. I know many people who love both so online antique shopping is really personal preference.

Inspiration and Resources:

Below are links to people, shops and other places where I find antique inspiration:

• Jesse Lauzon – I follow Jesse on Instagram, and his collections are incredible. He also writes the most witty captions and is a must-follow for me.
• The Makerista – Gwen is a home design blogger who is always sharing her thrift sale finds on her stories. She has a shop for her second-hand treasures and the best hashtag to go with it – #thriftlikethemakerista.
• Adventures in Abbyland – Abby is one of my favorites to follow. She lives in an old farmhouse in the Michigan countryside and also owns a shop called The Found Cottage (and getting ready to open an antique extension of the shop soon!). She shares her vintage finds and also sends out a newsletter of antiquing events happening in her area.
• Harry and Frank – Emily lives in the UK and just opened an online shop this past year with the sweetest finds. Head over to check it out.
• Pinterest – This is THE place for all kinds of antiquing inspiration. Be sure to check out my Antique board!

As always, if you have any extra tidbits of advice that you’d like to add or inspiration you’d like to share, leave a comment below. Antique shopping has become such a hobby for me, and I don’t see it ending anytime soon. Beyond that, antiques by their very nature are second-hand which is the most sustainable way to shop. If I’m going to purchase something, I like knowing that I’m able to give an item a “ second life”, and in doing so, prevent that item from ending up in a landfill.

I also want to add that shopping for antiques, like any other kind of shopping, should not entice you to purchase something just for the sake of “having it”. I’m conscious about what I buy and that what I do purchase brings me joy. While I have a few collections that are purely for style, they are items I know I will love and keep for a long time. Outside of those, I try to only purchase what I know I will use.

With that, I’ll end this antique saga. I’d love to hear what you found helpful, and if you have any other advice that would be helpful for others. Cheers!