Top Tips for Buying Vintage and Antiques

We've collated together some essential tips for buying antiques and vintage items.

Be flexible and patient. Commercialization has made us picky and impatient. It takes time and a keen eye to shop vintage, be open-minded, browse and investigate whatever catches your eye. It often means that you come out with something that you didn’t know you needed, but you will love all the same.

Look for quality and think of the up cycle possibilities. Looking at the bare bones of the piece tells us whether something is made of quality and whether it will last. Go with good, natural materials, such as wood, stones, and metals rather than cheap plastics. Even if your table needs sanding down and polishing, it will last longer and radiate quality. In much the same way that you’d imagine a new home decorated with your own furniture, picture an old cabinet or chair with a fresh coat of paint to really understand its potential. Also check out some inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest searching for hashtags such as #up cycle.

Check for hallmarks, stamps and signatures. Having a hallmark, stamp, or signature immediately helps to identify a piece. It also gives your object a story, or a provenance. Buying sustainable means that you add your own part onto this object’s story, helping to preserve it for the next generation.

Always check for the best price and don’t buy on impulse. Don’t be afraid to ask the vendor what their best price is. Also, don’t feel pressured into buying straight away, take a look around and really think about your purchase. Sustainable buying means not buying on impulse and only taking home what you really, really, love. As a final step, with the new ValueMyStuff app you can now check the true value of things on the move. Ask our experts what the fair market value of something is to really know whether you’re getting a bargain.