Where I Source Vintage Furniture Online: Chairish vs. 1stDibs
I love antiquing. There is something about walking into a big antique mall with absolutely no idea what you are going to find. A pair of brass candlesticks, an old oil painting, a blue and white bowl, a stack of vintage books or an interesting little table can be exactly what a room needs to keep it from feeling too new or too perfectly matched.
Those are the pieces I like to pepper into a finished home. They add layers, history and an element of the unexpected. They help create a home that feels collected over time rather than ordered all at once.
But there is a big difference between antiquing for discovery and sourcing something very specific for a design.
If I am looking for an interesting accessory, spending an afternoon wandering through antique stores can be great fun.
If my client needs a British Colonial secretary desk that is approximately 36 inches wide, in a dark wood finish, and needs to coordinate with the rest of the bedroom?
I could visit 10 antique stores from Savannah to Charleston and still come home empty-handed.
That is when I turn to Chairish and 1stDibs.
Think of Them as a Much More Curated Version of eBay
Chairish and 1stDibs are online marketplaces for vintage, antique, pre-owned and collectible furnishings, art and accessories. You can search from your sofa rather than spending days driving from antique store to antique store.
But these aren't quite the same experience as scrolling through a general resale marketplace.
Chairish says its platform connects more than 12,000 small businesses, artists and makers, with about 85 percent of its inventory classified as vintage. The company also says it has kept more than 1.05 million gently loved items in circulation since it began.
1stDibs operates at an even more international and generally higher-end level. The company says its marketplace includes more than one million pieces and works with more than 5,500 vetted professional dealers around the world. Unlike Chairish, 1stDibs does not allow consumer-to-consumer listings.
For me, Chairish tends to be the first stop for many residential projects because there is an enormous range of styles and price points. I tend to think of 1stDibs when I am searching for something rarer, more collectible or particularly difficult to source.
Antique Stores Are for Discovery. Chairish Is for the Search.
This is probably the easiest way to explain how I use them.
Brick and mortar antique stores: I go to see what I didn't know I needed.
Chairish and 1stDibs: I go because I already know what I need.
There is nothing better than stumbling across a wonderful piece in an antique store that suddenly gives a room some personality. But when I'm working on a client project, I don't necessarily have three weeks to wait for the right secretary desk to magically appear somewhere within driving distance.
Online sourcing changes the equation completely.
Instead of asking, "Does anyone happen to have one?"
I can search:
- British Colonial secretary desk
- Mahogany secretary bookcase
- Campaign armoire
- Green chinoiserie buffet
- Rice plantation chair
- Henredon sideboard
- Ethan Allen discontinued mirror
Within minutes, I can be looking at dozens of possibilities.
A Perfect Example: A British Colonial Bedroom
I recently had a client who wanted a British Colonial feel for her bedroom.
We were using the Ethan Allen Cayman bed and Cayman nightstands, which gave us the foundation we wanted. But she also needed two pieces that have become surprisingly difficult to find through current furniture manufacturers: an armoire for the television and a secretary desk.
Twenty or thirty years ago, both would have been relatively common furniture categories.
Today? Not so much.
Rather than spend weeks making trips to antique stores hoping the right pieces might turn up, I went online.
Within minutes, I could pull up numerous secretary desks and armoires, narrow them by dimensions, color, style, price and location, and send my client links to the strongest options.
She chose the two she liked best and made offers.
That is an enormous advantage when I am sourcing for a client. We can still have something interesting and one of a kind without turning the search itself into a part time job.
The Photos and Condition Information Matter
Buying vintage furniture online does require a little more homework than ordering a brand new chest from a major retailer.
I want dimensions. Lots of dimensions.
I want photographs from every angle.
I want close ups of the finish.
I want to know about scratches, chips, fading, veneer damage, repairs, missing hardware or anything else that affects the condition.
One thing I appreciate about these marketplaces is that condition is a major part of the listing process. Chairish specifically encourages sellers to disclose even small scratches and wear and to provide clear photographs of imperfections. Its Buyer Guarantee provides protection if an item doesn't arrive, is broken in transit or is materially different from the description. For most shipped purchases, buyers also have a 48 hour inspection period, subject to the site's policy and certain exclusions.
1stDibs also vets its professional sellers and offers purchase protections for authenticity, items that are significantly different from their descriptions, transit damage and non delivery.
That doesn't mean I would buy a vintage piece without studying the listing carefully. I absolutely would not.
It does mean there is another layer of accountability beyond sending money directly to an unknown seller you found online.
And Yes, You Can Negotiate
This is another feature I use.
Many Chairish and 1stDibs listings allow buyers to make an offer rather than automatically paying the listed price. 1stDibs specifically allows buyers to communicate with sellers and negotiate pricing through the platform, and Chairish listings frequently include preset offer options as well as the ability to submit your own amount.
Not every seller is going to accept a substantially lower price, but it is certainly worth considering.
This is especially useful when I have found the right piece but it is sitting slightly above the client's budget.
Shipping a Large Piece Isn't Necessarily a Deal Breaker
One of the first concerns clients have is usually, "But how are we going to get it here?"
Both platforms facilitate furniture shipping, including large pieces.
Chairish calculates shipping based on the size, weight, value and location of the piece, and buyers can see the applicable quote for their destination. Larger furniture can be delivered through in home delivery services.
Depending on the item and distance, I often see domestic furniture shipping in the several hundred dollar range. But shipping can vary considerably, so I always look at the total delivered cost, not just the furniture price.
If I find a $1,200 vintage secretary and it costs $400 to ship, I don't think of it as a $1,200 desk.
It is a $1,600 desk.
Then I compare that $1,600 against what we could purchase new, assuming we can even find something comparable.
Quite often, the vintage piece still makes sense.
One of My Favorite Uses: Finding Discontinued Furniture
This may be one of the most overlooked reasons to use these sites.
Furniture manufacturers discontinue pieces constantly.
A client may already own a beautiful Henredon chest and want another.
She may have an older Ethan Allen collection and need one additional nightstand.
We may find a discontinued mirror that works perfectly over a client's buffet.
Instead of starting over, I can search the secondary market.
Chairish in particular has extensive listings for legacy furniture manufacturers, including brands such as Henredon, Ethan Allen, Maitland-Smith, Baker, Kittinger and many others.
It gives older, beautifully made furniture another life while allowing me to source something that simply isn't available through today's retail catalogs.
Lowcountry Style Is Particularly Well Suited to Vintage Sourcing
There are certain pieces I am constantly watching for because they work so beautifully in Lowcountry homes.
Rice or plantation chairs are a perfect example.
If I want a pair for a sunroom, library or sitting room, I don't necessarily want brand new reproductions. Chairish routinely has vintage versions available, often with far more character than something newly manufactured.
The same goes for:
- Campaign furniture
- British Colonial pieces
- Bamboo and faux bamboo furniture
- Chinoiserie cabinets
- Mahogany chests
- Brass accessories
- Blue and white porcelain
- Vintage botanical art
- Oriental and Persian rugs
- Old leather bound books
- Traditional mirrors
- Tole lighting
Imagine a client tells me, "I want a green Asian style buffet for my dining room."
That is an incredibly specific request.
I am not particularly optimistic that I'm going to walk into a local furniture store and find it.
But online?
There is a surprisingly good chance I can find something very close to exactly what she envisioned.
And instead of settling for a new piece simply because it is available, we may end up with the piece that makes the entire room.
I've Been on Both Sides of Chairish
I've personally both bought and sold furniture on Chairish, which has also helped me understand how the process works.
Years ago, I found a beautiful Henredon Ralph Lauren sideboard that I intended to use in our own foyer.
It was exactly the kind of substantial, beautifully made piece that is increasingly hard to find new.
Then I changed direction for the foyer.
Because I had purchased a desirable piece from a recognized furniture line, I was able to list it on Chairish and ultimately recoup what I had paid for it.
That experience reinforced another reason I like buying good vintage furniture.
The right piece often has a secondary market.
That doesn't mean I recommend buying furniture as an investment. But there is a meaningful difference between a well made Henredon chest that can be resold years later and inexpensive disposable furniture that may have very little value the moment it leaves the store.
So Which Do I Prefer: Online or In Person?
Both.
They simply serve different purposes.
If I have a Saturday afternoon and want to wander through 40,000 square feet of antiques looking for brass, art, books, accessories and things I didn't even know existed?
Give me the antique mall.
That is where the fun is.
But if I am working on a client's dining room and know that we need a 60 inch green chinoiserie buffet to finish the design?
I'm going online.
The best interiors usually aren't created by sourcing everything from one place anyway. They evolve through a combination of new furniture, vintage pieces, antiques, art, textiles and personal belongings.
Sometimes the perfect piece is sitting in an antique store 20 minutes away.
Sometimes it is sitting in a dealer's warehouse in Connecticut.
My job is knowing where to look.
If you are furnishing a home and want help finding the right mix of new furniture, vintage pieces and one of a kind finds, Bluff & Bay Interiors offers interior design, styling and sourcing throughout Bluffton, Hilton Head, Beaufort, Savannah and the surrounding Lowcountry.