In this post: we discuss how buying vintage furniture has changed and the best used online furniture stores to check out.
The Home Green is reader-supported and may receive a commission if you decide to make a purchase through a posted link, at no cost to you. I only include products I would consider for my own home.
A recent experience inspired me to learn more about used online furniture stores. I live near one of the largest antique centers in US and stopped into a shop I hadn’t visited in quite a few years. Chatting with the owner, he shared just how much the market had changed in that time period, that foot traffic has been way down, and that most of his sales are now online. I was a little surprised because my own experiences trying to look at local antique and used online furniture stores had been lackluster.
It turns out, I just didn’t know where to look. Like many things in this digitized world, you no longer need to limit your search to what is closest to you. Just about anything can be found online these days, and furniture is no exception.
Check out these great online second-hand furniture stores and see if one might be worth testing out.
Images courtesy of 1stDibs
“1stDibs is a one-of-a-kind online marketplace that connects design lovers to more than one million extraordinary pieces, from furniture and fine art to jewelry and fashion.”
If you're looking to create a high-end space, this is the place to start. 1stDibs lives squarely in the realm of luxury – everything from the design of the site to the items featured is upscale. Even their content marketing is a step above. They don’t have a blog, but instead an online magazine featuring dreamy interiors, luxury goods, and hot designers.
The company facilitates sales between buyers and sellers and proudly highlights the vetting process that their sellers must go through. 1stDibs only accepts items from established vendors, and doesn’t support consumer-to-consumer sales. They also offer auction-style listings for many of their items.
Another point of differentiation, 1stDibs sells a cross-section of luxury goods, from furniture and art to jewelry and fashion. If you’re in the market for investment-quality furniture or other goods, 1stDibs is a great option.
“Bazaar is a community-driven marketplace for vintage designer furnishings and accessories. Our mission is to make warm, beautiful, and organized homes available to everyone.”
Apartment Therapy is an awesome resource for anyone looking for information on making their home healthier and happier. And with the addition of Bazaar, their site is a one stop shop from information, ideation, and purchase.
Bazaar is a person-to-person listing service for selling used online furniture from well-known brands, in good condition. Among their differentiators, they highlight that they charge lower fees versus competitors. These include a 3% fee when an item sells and then just under a 3% Stripe transaction fee, which does seem to be a bit more straightforward than some other sites.
If you’re looking to add a new piece to your home or find a way to make a fair price for selling it, Bazaar should definitely be on your list.
Images courtesy of AptDeco
“AptDeco is an online marketplace that eliminates the hassle of buying and selling furniture.”
A great resource for anyone seeking a better deal, AptDeco has been built as an alternative to traditional classified ads. While sites like Facebook Marketplace enable you to buy and sell more affordably and sustainably, there are some significant trade-offs. These include the potential awkwardness of having to go to a stranger's house and the challenges of transporting whatever you bought.
AptDeco solves so many of the drawbacks of the typical classified-ad style of selling used online furniture. On their site, individuals list furniture for sale, buyers can purchase for full price or make an offer, and when the sale is complete, AptDeco will take care of delivery. No need to Uhaul yourself to a stranger's home.
Plus, you have access to a greater selection of used online furniture. Typical classified-type listings make you weigh how much you really want something with how far you’d have to travel and how much effort you’ll have to put in to get it. AptDeco will pick up and deliver anywhere in the U.S. so you’re not constrained by what’s available near you. And as a seller, you don't have the risk of giving out your home address to strangers. Win-win.
Photo by Laurey Glenn
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
Images courtesy of Chairish
“Every month, millions of shoppers strike gold (or lacquer, or marble, or ornately carved wood) on Chairish, a platform where buying and selling is smoother, more sustainable, unexpectedly intimate, and always, always delightful.”
I could spend days looking through the listings on Chairish – I probably spent that much time looking through their artwork, alone. Their website is definitely the place to go if your number one objective is to find unique or statement furniture pieces. It’s clear that Chairish.com targets interior designers looking to create one-of-a-kind spaces for their clientele.
Chairish offers a lot more to the world than just the items they sell, including an awesome podcast, a regularly updated blog, a magazine, a pricing book, research on vintage furniture trends, and even a scholarship program for design students. And they seem to do all of these things with a spirit of playfulness and fun.
Unlike some of its competitors, Chairish is a curated marketplace of second-hand online furniture. While items are reviewed and approved by Chairish, when you purchase an item, it comes from a private seller. Each listing provides information about the seller and how they were rated by past customers. Additionally, Chairish stands behind the items they sell, giving buyers 48 hours for returns.
Now that I’ve learned how prolific Chairish is, I think it’s amazing I wasn’t previously more aware of them. I’ve got them bookmarked and look forward to keeping up and seeing what’s next for this online second-hand furniture store.
“Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. It’s home to a universe of special, extraordinary items, from unique handcrafted pieces to vintage treasures.”
When it comes to vintage furniture, you may not naturally think of Etsy but there are a lot of good reasons to retrain that reflex. In addition to being an awesome source of handmade goods, Etsy has a sizable preowned furniture offering.
To find their listings, you can navigate from the Home & Living tab to the general furniture section and look through the mix of new and vintage furniture OR you can use one of my tabs below to navigate directly to listings (or just search at the top if you know exactly what you are looking for).
Because Etsy is a platform where individual shops can list their products, you do have to investigate each seller's individual terms and conditions. Although each seller can set their own terms, many have extensive delivery service areas or free local pickup.
One of the things that I love the most about Etsy’s preowned section is that it combines both finding preowned furniture and, in many cases, refurbishing that item. Many of the sellers post an image of an unaltered item and give the buyer the option of selecting how they would like it refinished. I love this so much. I always have such high DIY dreams, but the reality of my life means that having someone else do this step is a great way to have a completely unique piece.
I haven’t tried out Etsy for furniture yet, but now that I see how extensive the selection of used online furniture is, it’s on my shortlist.
Floor Found - great discounted, open-box furniture
“By making it feasible for more retailers to turn returned items into available inventory, we are able to support the sale of beautiful items at a discount…while also keeping hundreds of thousands of pounds of furniture out of landfills and in circulation.”
Ever wonder what happens when you return a large item of furniture? Unfortunately, in the past it had a good chance of ending up in a landfill. Enter Floor Found, determined to change that reality by helping retailers sell those opened by barely used items of furniture.
Floor Found works with major retailers by picking up, warehousing, and listing items so that they can find homes and stay out of landfills. If you’re looking for a great deal from a well-known brand but prefer to be the first owner of your furniture, I highly recommend you check out the inventory at FloorFound.
Kaiyo - quite possibly the most frictionless among used online furniture stores
Images courtesy of Kaiyo
“Kaiyo is an online marketplace committed to great design, exceptional customer care, and a more sustainable planet.”
It’s clear that Kaiyo wants to take as much of the hassle out of buying and selling used furniture as possible. Jumping on their website, they explain their process for both buyers and sellers in a short video or, if you prefer, easy-to-follow infographics. If you still have questions, they list a phone number (an actual phone number!) that you can call.
They purchase furniture from private individuals and then resell it on their site, so as a seller, you can quickly move through the selling process. This process includes pick up, cleaning, pricing, photographing, posting, selling, and white glove delivery to the new buyer. As someone who has tried most of the typical methods of buying and selling second-hand furniture – Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, consignment shops, antique stores – the idea that I could remove the pain points of having to find a large vehicle, schlepping furniture around, finding a buyer, meeting strangers, etc. is a complete game changer.
In addition to promising an excellent customer experience, they have quite an extensive selection of really desirable furniture – Kaiyo seems to focus on popular brands and items in good shape. As a cool, extra sustainable touch, they plant a tree for every item sold. I would definitely recommend bookmarking Kaiyo.com for your next online second-hand furniture purchase or as a great avenue to upcycle something that’s not working for you anymore.
Rejuvenation - a heritage of vintage offerings
“We were founded in 1977 in Portland, Oregon as an architectural salvage, lighting, hardware restoration shop. Reclaiming vintage pieces is how we began. It’s still at the core of our business and a big part of how we are moving into the future.”
I first became aware of Rejuvenation as a seller of classic fixtures that look vintage so I was interested to learn that Rejuvenation got its start selling actual vintage pieces. I was also surprised to discover their selection of pre-owned furniture and other items. Many of the items are a primitive or weathered style, so if you’re looking for this kind of texture for your home, Rejuvenation is a great place to start.
If you need finishing touches beyond furniture, Rejuvenation could be your answer there, too. They also have art, pottery, lighting, and outdoor items, as well.
Renovation Angel - recycled kitchens and baths
images courtesy of Renovation Angel
Did you know that there's a place to purchase gently or sometimes never-used luxury kitchen and bathroom cabinets, fixtures, appliances and more? Check out our full article on Renovation Angel!
Sabai Revive - a leader in circularity
Images courtesy of Sabai
“The 1st Furniture buyback program in the U.S. This is our way to ensure every phase in our product’s life is accounted for. Trade yours in, or buy one secondhand. It’s part of our closed-loop promise.”
Buyers of Sabai furniture have a lot of reasons to feel good. Not only is Sabai among the most ethical companies around, but they are a true partner in helping keep their furniture in homes and out of landfills. Sabai Revive is proof of a strong commitment to being part of the solution for dealing with waste in the furniture industry.
The Revive program provides a place for owners of Sabai furniture pieces to sell them when they’re ready for something new, and gives buyers an opportunity to purchase used, refurbished, and open box items at discounted prices. Even cooler, they offer replacement parts for their most popular items so that they can be easily repaired by buyers of new and pre-owned Revive products alike.
It’s hard to imagine a better partner than Sabai in furniture buying. Anyone looking for new or pre-owned furniture should consider them as a first stop.
I hope that checking out these used online furniture stores encourages you to consider second-hand furniture in your home. Share your experiences in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you!
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Excellent Guide! Would love to have more info about this “channel” for those of us who are now at the stage of selling……what constitutes “vintage”, how do we effectively utilize these top online sites, and how is shipping dealt with, etc. (Also consider cross-publishing this article to the retirement focused newsletter Next Avenue)
Thanks for your comment, Marty! Great idea to focus on selling – I know that could be helpful information for a lot of people!