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5 Practical Tips for Buying Antiques and Vintage Home Décor
Adding a few vintage and antique items to your living area will definitely give your home a unique character and stylish touch. However, finding and choosing what pieces to get can be a challenge. Even if you’ve been shopping for antique and vintage home décor for quite some time now, you know how overwhelming it can be to pare down your choices and make sure these individual pieces work together. To help you out, we’re offering these five practical tips that can make your antique and vintage home décor shopping adventures a little bit easier.
Do Some Research Before Making a Purchase
Even though a spontaneous visit to a vintage or thrift store is usually a great way to find hidden gems, going there can also turn out to be a little disappointing at times. There are a lot of stores that claim that they carry the best selection of vintage and antique items, but in reality, they’re just selling cheap and poorly made knock-offs to make some quick cash. To save yourself the trouble of going to these shops, it’s smart to do some research beforehand.
Whether you’re shopping at a physical store or a buy and sell online marketplace for secondhand furniture and home décor, it’s always a good idea to check whether the vendor is legitimate or not. This will help you make certain that the vintage and antique décor they’re selling is real and kept in good condition. In this regard, LookingFour makes it easier for you because our Sigurado Sellers go through a three-step verification process. Doing some research about the store or seller first will also help you avoid wasting your time and effort in visiting the physical shop or transacting online.
If the vintage and antique stores you plan to check out have online presence, you can visit their social media or online marketplace accounts to check their credibility. Often, you’ll be able to read comments left by their customers; if many of them can vouch for these stores, then the probability that they are selling genuine articles will be quite high. When shopping in an online marketplace, It’s also a good idea to purchase only from verified vendors since they’ve been deemed by the platform as trustworthy sellers. Finally, you can also ask your friends—who are vintage collectors themselves and who might be familiar with or have shopped from these stores before—what their experiences were like.
Pick Items That Are Still in Good, Usable Condition
Antique furniture and decorations that are showing their age do have a certain charm to them. However, they might not be the most practical things to buy if you’re looking for vintage items that will see daily use. Sure, the patina of that antique wooden cabinet may look great, but you won’t get much use of the piece of furniture if it’s missing a door and one of its legs is cracked. When buying preloved living room furniture, like a classic sofa or a sofa bed, you should get items that are still in good, usable condition. This way, you can enjoy your purchase and avoid subsequently placing them in storage because they turned out to be unusable.
Buy Items That are Easy to Fix
Not all damaged vintage or antique furniture or home décor is a lost cause. Some of them just need a bit more love and elbow grease to become usable. That being said, if you don’t mind buying flawed pieces, make sure to select items that are easy to fix. Vintage and antique items can be expensive, so you don’t want to spend more money to have a product repaired. You can also choose pieces that can be repaired via DIY methods to help you save on cash and resources.
Choose Classic and Timeless Pieces
Vintage home items come in many different styles and designs, but even though you have a large selection to choose from, it’s wiser to stick to classic and timeless pieces. Antique or retro styles that have withstood the test of time will continue looking good even after many decades have passed. Plus, they’re easier to integrate into a variety of interior design ideas, so you don’t have to buy new furniture or decorations to make your living areas stand out.
Don't Go Overboard When Choosing Antique or Vintage Pieces
Without a doubt, vintage and antique shopping can be a fun experience, but it’s in your best interest not to get too carried away by your excitement. You will encounter many interesting and beautiful pieces when you shop, however, it’s impractical to buy everything that catches your eye. You’ll always want to have to take your budget, the space you’re working with, and your sense of style into consideration when shopping for items. This way, you can avoid going overboard and spending for pieces you don’t actually need.
With so many types of vintage and antique pieces for sale out there, it can be overwhelming to buy items that fit your home décor ideas. However, if you consider these tips, you can ensure that you’re getting the right items without overdoing things.
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