A curated COLLECTION OF VINTAGE furniture and decor FROM FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE, AUCTIONS, ANTIQUE MALLS AND THRIFT STORES!
School is back in session, which means this mama is back hitting the roads!
Although my kids are old enough to stay home alone, I try hard not to leave them for extended periods, which usually limits my trips to quick pickups from auctions and Facebook Marketplace.
Now that they are back in school, I've been hitting the roads and traveling further to hunt and pick for my home, vintage markets and my shop at Sweet Clover Barn.
I've been thrifting, auctioning and picking for years now and have my usual routes, which usually take me through Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania or Virginia. I hit a variety of places including auctions, antique stores, antique malls, flea markets and thrift stores.
Before I get to my recent vintage finds, I thought it would be helpful to share some tips to get the most out of shopping on Facebook Marketplace.
Helpful Tips when shopping Facebook Marketplace
1. SET YOUR LOCATION AND RADIUS. I am willing to travel for the right piece, so I set my radius to the max, 100 miles.
2. SAVE ITEMS THAT CATCH YOUR EYE. Even if you don't plan on purchasing a particular item, click "Save" to train the algorithm to show similar items when they become available.
3. CHECK SELLERS OTHER LISTINGS. You never know what additional items a seller could be offering that you may also be interested in purchasing. More than once, I've been able to pick up two dressers from one seller, simply by checking their other listing.
4. FOLLOW SELLERS. Do you tend to buy a lot from the same sellers? Make sure to follow them in order to stay up-to-date with their listing.
5. CHECK OFTEN! High quality, affordable items will go quickly. Maximize your chances by checking often and don't forget to check the "Today's Picks" and "Newly Listed" categories. (If you've been saving items that are your style and catch your eye then the algorithm should show you similar items in the "Today's Picks" category.
6. ALWAYS REPLY TO SELLERS. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to respond politely to sellers if they reply back that an item is "pending pick up." Many times I received a message a day or two later asking if I was still interested because the original buyer was a no-show. A simple "Ah bummer! Thanks for letting me know. I am still very interested, so please keep me in mind if the sale falls through" can go a long way.
THRIFTED POTTERY
I'm a HUGE fan of vintage green and amber pottery and have been incredibly lucky to find some awesome pieces over the last couple of weeks. Secondhand stores, particularly church missions and thrift stores are the best places to find super affordable vintage pottery.
Can you believe the amazing collection of vintage green pottery below was found on one trip to my favorite thrift store?
VINTAGE NEUTRALS
With Fall markets in full swing, I've been concentrating on collecting and curating a large variety of vintage neutrals.
I'm a neutral decorator myself, so hunting, picking and gathering vintage neutrals comes easy and naturally. The hardest part is resisting the urge to keep everything!
I'm a vintage wood sign lover, so as soon as I saw this chippy old "Wholesale/Retail" sign I knew it would make a great addition to my office.
I'm also a sucker for vintage brass animals and have been able to pick up a variety of great ones over the last couple of weeks.
I love using crocks as planters and these larger ones I just scored will be perfect for larger plants and trees.
Antique Dressers/Furniture
Over the past year or so, finding affordable, good quality, secondhand furniture has become much more difficult. It takes a little more time and a lot more patience, but it can be done.
I gave the dresser a raw wood look makeover and the oak cabinets will get repaired, receive new tops and black metal sofa legs, the same ones I used on my oak card catalog.
This $20 antique dresser was stripped, bleached and updated with new hardware.
I shared the pair of drop leaf side tables last month, but it's worth sharing a quick before and after.
vintage holiday decor
I'm a sucker for vintage blow molds, especially Halloween and Christmas ones. I mean, how can you resist a bright orange pumpkin or jolly Santa?
Orange really isn't my color, but I make an exception for blow molds and wouldn't dare paint over them.
I did, however, paint over these adorable inexpensive jack-o'-lanterns that I bought a couple weeks ago. I gave them a faux concrete makeover and they're the perfect addition to my neutral Halloween decor.
Fourth quarter is the biggest quarter for retailers with Christmas decor and gifts being top sellers. Because of this, I collect vintage Christmas decor all year long and just recently picked up a few great items.
I'm pretty sure I'm keeping the Santa blow mold, but the rest of the items will be for sale and heading to my vintage booth this winter!
Do you have a favorite from the finds I shared?
