If you love antique furniture, then you’re not alone. There is a huge community of antique furniture lovers out there just like you! Yet although it may be lovely imagining that you’re not alone in your fine taste, and that also means you have more people to compete with. With such a huge demand for finding antique pieces, more often than not, another buyer gets there before you do when shopping for a specific item. So what is their secret for finding things first? Here are some of the best tips for finding unique furniture.
Get to Know Your Neighbors
That’s right, even though the first place you can think of is a furniture store, the best place to find antiques is with people you already know. Think of it this way— you may have a neighbor whose family member is moving into an assisted living facility, and looking to sell some of their antiques. The more you can network and get to know people in your community, the more chances you have of finding that fantastic item you’ve been looking for.
Let it be known that you’re a collector, and ask them to keep an eye out. More often than not, people are more than willing to help support your passion, and will let you know when they come across something interesting.
Educate Yourself
The only way you can become a true collector is by knowing your stuff. Educate yourself on various styles, and periods, and understand certain characteristics. After all, if you’re going to be buying something at top dollar, it’s important that you know it’s authentic. Taking someone’s word for it without looking for telltale characteristics that guarantee its authenticity would be foolish!
Use the most of your resources, like books, and even museums so you know how to recognize authentic pieces when you come across them.
Visit Street Markets
Street markets are one of the best places for finding unique pieces with plenty of history. It’s there where you’ll get to know reputable dealers, who you may even get lucky enough to build a relationship with. In other words, they’ll call you before they call anyone else if you get on their good side. Another nice thing about markets as opposed to a traditional store is that you can negotiate. Don’t be afraid to try to get a seller down, as long as it’s within reason. Lowballing someone, particularly for something like unique antiques can really rub some people the wrong way.
Go Online
Last but not least, don’t forget the magic of the internet. There are all sorts of websites out there full of people selling everything from cars, to —you guessed it— antique furniture! Some websites will even let you sign up for alerts so that you will receive an email anytime there’s a new listing for particular keywords you’re searching for.