feature image via Emily Henderson
I am a big fan of buying and selling used goods. It’s great for your wallet and the environment. Buying from members of your community and keeping the money flowing in your local economy is a great gift. Secondhand furniture sites really allow you to curate a home that is uniquely yours by helping you fill it with hard-to-get pieces (like vintage).
I understand the “throw away” culture we live in; everything from clothes to furniture can be discarded. If you would for a second, think about the life of your furniture after you get rid of it. Just because it disappears from your sight doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. Let’s all collectively decide to be mindful of our footprint on our earth. What you have can be used to bless others. This goes for furniture, clothes, as well as skills!
10 Secondhand Furniture Sites that AREN’T Craigslist
I have to admit, I’m on these sites weekly. We have a placeholder coffee table until I find a wooden vintage option (preferably mid century or Spanish). I also occasionally browse console tables, TV stands, night stands, and bookshelves. We are in the process of slowly switching out cheaper items in favor of more “grown up” items made of wood that’s not engineered. Don’t worry, anything we get rid of will find itself in a new home. We aren’t monsters.
1. Apartment Therapy Marketplace (formerly Krrb)
Apartment Therapy Marketplace took over for Krrb, a company you probably heard of a few years back. They have a great selection of stuff that doesn’t suck and isn’t weird. I once found a bunch of really creepy animal figurines on Craigslist while browsing decor and am scarred for life.
Apartment Therapy Marketplace is the mecca for good vintage, reused, refurbished, and also handmade goods. It’s a great way to support your local economy as well as artisans. Once you find something you like, you just message the seller to set up the buy. Their goal is to make furniture buying and selling safe and fun within your community.
2. Furnishare
Furnishare is kind of like Chairish (#8 on this list). The site is very well organized and you can browse anything type of furnishing you want. Then it’s as easy as dropping it in your cart and having it delivered. This is great for people who are so-so about messaging a stranger then going to that stranger’s home to pick up something you bought from them (or be murdered). They even have a white glove team that will set up the furniture for you.
3. EBTH (Everything but the House)
This might be the coolest and most unique site on the list. If you love estate sales, now you can browse them from the comfort of your own home. Sellers mostly list loot from an entire estate or at least a handful or items, so you will have a good assortment to choose from. Even better? If you have lot of items, they will come photograph and catalog for your! It’s like a classy Ebay.
4. AptDeco
Currently only serving New York, New Jersey, but Boston and Philly will be soon.
I love, love, love this site. I’m always browsing. The furnishings on this site are a mix of vintage and name brand, but all beautiful. If you want something from West Elm or CB2 but don’t want to pay full price, AptDeco is where you go.
It’s also really easy to sell furniture on AptDeco where your listing won’t get lost among the shuffle. AptDeco will boost your post and target potential buyers within 24 hours and if your item sells, you just pay a reasonable commission. Think of the commission as an advertising fee or the fee you would pay to “boost” your Facebook post.
5. Offer Up
Offer Up is all about community. You can download the app and see what people are buying and selling in your area. How cool is that? It’s basically like Tinder for furniture and home decor.
6. Facebook Marketplace
If you haven’t been on Facebook Marketplace, you’re missing out. I was skeptical at first, thinking this would be one of the secondhand furniture sites that are terrible, but after browsing furniture, it’s actually got some pretty good stuff on there. Like the other sites, you can narrow by price and distance and then just message the seller. You can even see what other things the seller has up for grabs.
7. Let Go
Let Go is both a site an an app where you can browse everything from furniture to electronics. You can narrow your search by price and distance and then message the seller if you are wanting to buy. The site has a cool and colorful interface so, unlike Craigslist, you don’t feel like you’re browsing a dark hole of scary.
8. Chairish (both high and low end)
Chairish is a cult favorite among many interior designers, including Emily Henderson. In fact, the feature image hutch is from Chairish, sourced by Emily for her design assistant, Brady. What this site excels at is having designers and taste makers curate special collections of their favorite pieces. The collections are constantly changing and it’s pretty easy to spend a long time on the site shopping the selected looks alone.
Chairish has a super awesome vintage collection, but also has really, really amazing fine art. The prices are a full range, from super low to super high. It’s the best of both worlds; kind of like an Ulta for furnishings. I highly recommend.
9. Sotheby’s Home (luxury; formerly Viyet)
You’ve heard of Sotheby’s auction house, so this should come as no surprise that they took over the luxury consignment site, Viyet. If you have a hefty budget and a taste for the finer things, this is where you come. Furniture starts at $1,000 and boy does it go up from there. It’s also fun to make a “dream list” of stuff from here. Like what you would buy if you won the lottery. For me, it’s a blue Yves Klein sculpture.
10. 1st Dibs (luxury)
Now if you’re a fancy pants, you might scoff at the thought of using secondhand furniture sites. But, it’s really the best and easiest ways to find good vintage. If you’re a lover of antiques, and you appreciate these pieces enough to pay a higher price, then this is the site for you. 1st Dibs is a great site if you want luxury furnishings. They have really high quality pieces that are unique and in good condition. If you want that perfect statement piece, you will find something here.
As I get older, I get more interested in buying with a conscience. I care about where the furniture is made and the quality of life of the workers. I care if my furniture will last 3 years or a decade. I care if I will be contributing to a landfill or if my furniture is quality and will last generations. That is why I love secondhand furniture sites.
Even better? If you’re buying vintage, it’s not being reproduced so you have an item no one else will have. If you live in a rural area (lucky you!), you probably have really great antique stores. Some of us are not so fortunate. So secondhand furniture sites help us furnish a room creatively and cost effectively, as quality vintage furniture will mostly be cheaper than quality modern furniture. Try it out!
-Kristen
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