Antique furniture shopping is as hit and miss as retail therapy can get. It’ll either leave you feeling exhausted and disappointed, or you’ll find a hidden gem that perfectly compliments your interior design and home decor.
Following we will help you to distinguish 2 definitions “Vintage Furniture” and “Antique Furniture” along with where you can find them. Moreover, we will recommend you eBay Antique Furniture – the best choice for antique collectors!
What are Antique and Vintage Furniture?
While the terms are often used interchangeably, there’s actually a clear difference between vintage furniture and antique furniture.
Vintage furniture tends to be considered as items that are more than 20 years old, so most 20th-century furniture counts (although this can often be referred to as just retro furniture). For instance, this 1970s PEdestal Chair is vintage furniture.
1970s Pedestal Chair
Antique furniture, however, is usually at least 100 years old. Given the greater need to verify that antiques are actually antiques, you’ll normally want to find a specific antique dealer for these. For example, the below open armchair is antique furniture.
Open Armchair-English, circa 1755, made by Matthias Lock Sr., limewood and pine, carved and gilded, modern silk damask upholstery
How do you seek antique furniture?
Shopping for antique furniture has plenty of perks, but it also comes with some risks that you need to keep in mind.
Sounds obvious, I know, but the dealer should be honest as to whether it is a replica, a restored antique, or the real deal- all three are valuable in their own rights, as long as sold as such. Though remember great fakes can even fool the masters, which is why we’re encouraging you to choose the right platforms/stores to buy antiques.
Today, there are many online marketplaces for you to shop for antique furniture. Among these e-markets; Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Gumtree have majorly boomed over the past few years.
Gumtree
You’ve probably considered browsing Gumtree numerous times when you’ve been in the market for a used car or some affordable second-hand tech, but its true treasure trove comes in the form of antique furniture. It may take more time to sort the good from the bad, and the legit sellers for the ones best avoided, but give it some real energy and you just might come away with your home’s new statement piece.
Classified ad site Gumtree has seen a 37% search increase for antiques and collectibles since the start of 2021 – and many of those searches are for affordable items that can add a truly unique touch to your interior.
Some Top Antique Funiture on Gumtree
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a goldmine of antique furniture if you know where to look. Often you’ll be able to find pieces at lower, more affordable prices than you would elsewhere, just make sure you know what you’re looking for so you can narrow down your search with more specific keywords, and then let the algorithm take it from there.
Antique Funiture on Facebook Marketplace
eBay
Finally giving you the chance to put your account to good use, eBay antique furniture selection (while constantly changing depending on supply) is full of unique pieces.
eBay antique furniture is one of the best choices for collectors. We will discuss the reasons below and inform you on how to seek rare items as well as tips and tricks for a convenient eBay antique furniture shopping experience.
If you spend enough time figuring out which sellers have the best offerings, you’ll reap the benefits. And just think of the surprise when people ask you where it’s from…. “Oh, this? This is an eBay antique furniture!.”
eBay Antique Funiture
eBay antique furniture
You seek a set of Vladimir Kagan dining chairs or a 19th-century landscape painting, don’t you? Your first thought might be to head to a blue-chip auction house or to contact an antique dealer, but as of today, you may be able to snag these items from an unexpected source: eBay. eBay can have many things on your need-to-buy list.
For example, you seek a set of Vladimir Kagan dining chairs or a 19th-century landscape painting so they were sold on eBay:
A set of Vladimir Kagan dining chairs and 19th-century landscape paintings have already sold on eBay
We want to provide eBay’s millions of global buyers with a luxury shopping experience for furniture, art, antiques, and modern design.
eBay, which gained traction in the early days of e-commerce with its bidding model, just launched eBay Collective, a curated section devoted to art and antiques from vetted dealers.
eBay Collective
eBay antique furniture items on eBay Collective are searchable by category or vendor, catering to both discerning shoppers looking for something specific and curious collectors who are always in the market for an enticing find. Following are some categories you can choose to find suitable and favorite eBay antique furniture.
While some of those items have been available in other areas of the site, eBay Collective brings them together in a single, curated experience.
All dealers are regularly vetted by eBay to ensure quality and authenticity. Dealers on the platform include the likes of Bernd Goeckler, Maison Gerard, and Todd Merrill Studio.
Designer Vicente Wolf, whose company VW Home is also featured, called the site “an uplifting alternative for quality dealers.” Designers and aesthetes alike will be bookmarking eBay antique furniture.
Some tips and tricks
Below are some tips and tricks for buyers to go shopping and help them to purchase whatever types of eBay antique furniture. These tips and tricks also assist you to find exactly eBay antique furniture you want for a second.
- Make sure you always search under “antique furniture” as well as “furniture” for whatever item it is, as sellers have to select one of the other in a listing.
- Most furniture will be in the collection only, so set the search to your local area (Do within 25 miles for most things, more if it’s really special)
- Be specific in your search terms, eg: “3 antique oak chest of drawers” rather than “chest of drawers.”
- Search under specific brands, styles, and product lines – for example, Louis XV Gainsborough chair
- Set timers for auctions, and have a firm maximum.
Final thoughts
eBay is one of the most prestigious platforms for everyone who wants to source antique furniture. You can find whatever you want from the 19th even the 18th or 17th century. However, you need to check the authenticity of products before purchasing and avoid scammers.
eBay antique furniture, they’re not only decorations but also priceless things for owners to collect and trade. We hope that you will find whatever eBay antique furniture you seek and love at the best prices.