Everything you need to know about vintage shopping and selling online

Sometimes, vintage shopping can feel like an Olympic sport—especially when you’re playing the game online. Between dupes, scams, and AI slop, there are so many potential obstacles within today’s digital marketplace for buyers and sellers alike, and the lack of navigation on some of these platforms is like the Wild, Wild West. During my constant hunt for vintage furniture, there have been many times where I’ve asked myself, is the risk even worth the reward?

Although I’ve managed to find some real treasures on eBay over the years (ask me about what’s on my Watchlist), I’m certain there are a number of things I could be doing better to improve my results. I spoke with 10 vintage furniture dealers about their best practices for sellers and insider hacks for buyers. So if you’re looking to refresh your space with one-of-a-kind items, or if you’ve been thinking about making a career pivot, consider this your handbook. For those that are truly about the vintage life, it’s not a hobby!

Selling

Curate with a point of view

Tricia Benitez Beanum of Pop Up Home

During the early stages of establishing The Modern Republic, business partners Steven Brown and Kenya Abdul-Hadi made the mistake of focusing on trends instead of defining their own point of view. Once they tapped into their shared passion for midcentury-modern, everything fell into place. “We have to go off of what we like and what we believe we can sell,” Abdul-Hadi says. “We service people who like us more for the style and aesthetic and presentation; they trust our eye. We’re not just selling them names, we’re selling them an entire story.”

While curating collections featuring design icons is impressive, this isn’t a motivating factor for Tricia Benitez Beanum of Pop Up Home either. “That’s the difference between being a seller and being a curator,” she argues. “I didn’t start out knowing who made what; I bought things I personally loved, and later learned they were made by specific designers at specific times. That’s how I discovered my style.”

SEO (search engine optimization) and keywords will help buyers find your items

Rarify co-founders David Rosenwasser & Jeremy Bilotti

Most informed buyers probably aren’t thinking about SEO while shopping online, but the keywords used in a listing are critical for discovery within the digital landscape. Now that we’ve entered the age of AI, details have never been more important. You want customers to feel like you’re a trustworthy source who did their due diligence, and that should be reflected everywhere in your listing, from the photos to the titles. “We put a whole lot of care into the descriptions and the data,” says Jeremy Bilotti, co-founder of Rarify along with David Rosenwasser. “The text that you put in your listing is going to be parsed by Google, and now we have Google Gemini, OpenAI, and ChatGPT parsing all of our websites. The more information you can add, and the more specific that information it is, the better it will be found.”

Trévon Warren and Zachary Allen of Portmanteau recommend reading design books and seeking out references that relate to the specific designer, era, or style of the piece, in order to be able to describe it as accurately as possible.

The sale isn’t the finish line

Laura Weiszer, founder of Betsu Studio acknowledges the importance of optimizing listings for terms like the maker, style, material, era, and dimensions of an item, but says the work doesn’t end there. Shipping the items can get pretty messy if you don’t have a game plan, so don’t skimp on the logistics. Weiszer advises negotiating commercial rates with UPS and FedEx “to keep costs reasonable for customers while also covering labels, supplies, and your labor,” and using uShip for oversized deliveries. Building relationships with reliable carriers is key. You’ll also want to “figure out how you’ll pack, freight, insure, quote, and handle damage claims before you list big pieces.”

Don’t bank your net worth on your social network

When Brad Didino Downs started Four Quarters during the pandemic, business on Instagram was booming. The platform served as his main base for promoting vintage furniture finds, but between other accounts getting hacked and algorithms significantly restricting exposure, he realized that solely relying on Instagram was bad for business, and transitioned to email newsletters. “[Instagram is] still important, but I’m glad I [expanded], because there’s limitations to it,” he says.

Julia Johnson, founder of Le Centerpiece, still tries to post weekly because “you have to keep refreshing people’s memory” in order to drive sales, but is more focused on updating her website.

A picture is worth thousands of dollars

Every expert will tell you that photography is everything, and is always worth investing in, especially if your shop is only accessible online. Beanum stresses the importance of getting the angles right and shooting straight on because “if the lines are distorted, the integrity of the piece gets lost.” Ensuring that every detail is captured accurately is non-negotiable, and lighting is crucial, so it’s best to avoid dark or shadowy settings.

Creating your own distinct visual style also makes a huge difference. “When I started, I was like ‘I don’t want to just do a white wall with perfect lighting,’” Downs says. “I wanted something that had a little bit of personality… It’s got color and a mood to it.”

Beanum agrees: “If the photography is strong, the piece can really speak for itself. When the imagery is compelling and the piece is special, it resonates.”

Never hide the imperfections

Condition details are absolutely essential to a listing. While wear and tear is often expected for vintage items, not disclosing the full extent of damage is in extremely poor taste. Downs captures every defect with the hope of avoiding returns, but also because he wants to be upfront with customers. Allen stresses that “your description of the item’s condition can make or break a good customer experience,” so be as descriptive as possible. For new and seasoned sellers alike, honesty is the best policy, so don’t hesitate to admit when you don’t know something. Always be transparent, note any flaws, and never use filters on your photos. Nothing is more important than your integrity and reputation as a seller.

Always include measurements

Buyers requesting accurate measurements to confirm the dimensions of an item should be expected, so don’t forget to include them in the listing. “If a customer is shopping for a piece of furniture or artwork that needs to fit very specific dimensions, they rely on the information you offer as a seller,” Warren notes. Beanum also points out that white backgrounds can make it difficult to understand proportion so she recommends having items of other sizes in the frame because it “gives real perspective” so the size translates to the viewer. “I’ve made the mistake myself of thinking something was large and it arrived tiny,” she adds. “Scale matters.”

Pricing will vary

Sellers typically determine their prices based on the market, condition, rarity, and demand. “You could have the same model and year of a chair, but condition, upholstery, and whether the color is more sought after can significantly change the value,” Beanum says. “There’s also the hype around a particular style. If something hasn’t been available for a while, that can affect pricing as well.” Bilotti notes that new productions and reissues are typically less expensive compared to the vintage originals, but sometimes there are exceptions—he and Rosenwasser will price vintage Eames desk chairs “significantly lower” compared to new models on the market.

Then there are coveted collectibles like a vintage Eames lounge chair that might be priced above retail because of features like Brazilian Rosewood panels, a material that is now endangered. Given that Beanum has over two decades of experience under her belt, she prices rare pieces based on instinct and then sees how the market responds. “If it sells quickly, you’ve essentially helped create the market value,” she adds.

Set your own terms and conditions

Items including a coffee table on wheels by Gae Aulenti for Fontana Arte on sale via Le Centerpiece.

Establishing policies is one of the most important steps for sellers and small business owners. Most third party platforms like eBay have policies and agreements in place to protect sellers and buyers. If you have your own website, set yourself up for success by creating terms and conditions. Are all sales final or are you willing to give customers a 30 day window? What can a customer expect if an item that they purchased is damaged in transit? The sooner you sort this out the better! Save yourself from potential headaches by providing legal disclaimers.

Buying

Don’t be afraid to ask for more

Laura Weiszer of Betsu Studio

Laura Weiszer, founder of Betsu Studio, believes that a good listing “answers every reasonable question before someone has to ask it.” She notes that “measurements, materials, features, and flaws should be apparent in the photos and spelled out very clearly in the description.” So if you’re unsure about anything, reach out to the seller directly—Bilotti strongly encourages buyers to “get a phone number, get on the phone, and talk to somebody.”

Confirming that all the important details are included is critical, so consider asking about what’s not shown in photos as well. Warren warns that “it’s easy to click on an item, fall in love and purchase it, but you want to be aware of what you’re buying.” When buying items sight unseen, Beanum insists on requesting additional assets for scale references because “a video of someone sitting on the piece or standing next to it helps you understand scale in a way photos sometimes can’t.”

Card the merchandise

Abdul-Hadi’s pro tip for buyers is asking if the item in the listing is actually old. You can usually tell immediately in-person by touching it, but won’t have that option when shopping online. “We primarily buy things that are older from the ’80s on back, but a lot of people are making newer items that look old,” he explains. “So that’s one of the questions we ask, ‘Is it old?’ or ‘How long has it been around?’ Things that give it some age or time as opposed to ‘I just got it from HomeGoods.’ Even though it looks vintage and it looks like our style, we don’t want to be in the business of selling stuff that they can go somewhere else to get it.”

Negotiating is welcome, but the price is usually right

There’s so much work going on behind the scenes, but the amount of effort that goes into bringing a piece to market is often overlooked. “Dealers have to find it, move it, clean it, lug it, photograph it, and promote it,” Beanum says. “When a dealer sets a price, all of that effort is factored in. So when you ask a dealer for a significant discount, just know it can feel dismissive and be seen as an insult.”

Beware of scams

At some point, everyone encounters a scam in the digital marketplace. This may seem obvious, but if a listing seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t legitimate. A quick Google reverse image search can weed out most scams, but if the price for a rare item is unusually low, that could indicate condition issues. “If something feels off, the price doesn’t seem right, or the condition isn’t clear, think twice,” Allen warns. “When in doubt, ask questions, compare it to others in the market, and follow your gut.”

Protect your wallet

Most verified platforms have policies in place to protect buyers. (I’ve personally never worried about the legitimacy of anything that I’ve ordered on eBay.) Weiszer warns about sellers that try to push you off-platform or only accept irreversible forms of payment like Zelle or PayPal Friends and Family in order to avoid fees. It’s no secret that platforms are taking a big cut from a sale, so sellers will often inflate shipping rates in order to make up for the commission.

According to Rosenwasser, if you want a good deal, and feel comfortable with the seller, there are smart ways to take the risk. You’ll want to “give yourself two layers of protection,” like using PayPal with a credit card for example. It ultimately comes down to the reputation of the seller. In addition to checking if they have a strong selling history (read the reviews!), make sure the seller knows exactly what they’re talking about. “On our end as a dealer, the last thing we want is a problem,” he adds. “We don’t want a big credit card claim that we’re sitting here for months worried about.”

Do or dupe

During the pandemic, Beanum noticed a new generation of content creators feeding into the fast furniture economy with the endorsement of dupes, which she found disappointing. The reality is that a dupe will never hold up in quality or craftsmanship of the original and “in person, the difference is obvious.” Allen acknowledges that originals can be expensive, but with dupes you “lose the artist’s hand and the humanity in the piece.” Regardless of your level of education in the design world, there’s also a lot of misinformation floating around, so sometimes pieces are incorrectly attributed to designers even on the most reputable platforms for vintage furniture. “If you’re going to spend the money on the real deal, make sure you can tell for yourself and don’t rely on a name in the title,” Weiszer says. “Even if the silhouette is ‘identical,’ the materials, craftsmanship, longevity, and aura are not.”

Authentication

A green leather chair and and lamp sold by Four Quarters

Nowadays, it’s pretty easy for anyone to get duped. Even some of the most seasoned dealers have fallen prey to false advertising at least once. There are a number of ways to authenticate vintage items, from reverse image searching and certification to labels and hardware. Some dealers will also provide substantial provenance with their offerings which can also be helpful for buyers.

While some sites offer authenticity verification, it’s not a perfect system. If you’re ever unsure about the authenticity of a listing, Rosenwasser recommends inquiring about labeling. If there isn’t any, ask the dealer how they can prove it’s authentic. Sometimes labels fall off, but little details like the grain of the wood, the shape of an arm, or the number of screws can be big giveaways.

Weiszer recommends inspecting markings and construction, confirming materials and period-correct hardware, and cross-referencing with manufacturer catalogs and ads if possible. Beanum will also examine seams because “you can tell a lot about how well something was made just by looking closely at them,” and Downs pays extra attention to screws (noting that flathead screws are old whereas cross-head screws are new) and foot protectors.

Knock it off

When a designer or manufacturer is named in a listing on Rarify, it means that Rosenwasser and Bilotti are 100% confident in its legitimacy. If they’re ever unsure, it will be labeled as “in the style of” or “attributed to.” This usually happens when they realize a vintage piece that they purchased isn’t authentic so they’re “clarifying that we aren’t speaking to it being marked, labeled, etc.” Using Marcel Breuer’s Cesca chair as a prime example, he points out how manufacturers include Knoll, Thonet, and Gavina.

“We’ve bought things from good places where they say ‘attributed to,’ and I know something that they don’t. I’m like ‘Actually, that’s legit. I’m gonna buy it,’” he says. “That’s where there’s value to being the most expert collector in a certain subject in the world because maybe you find 100 things that say ‘attributed’ to, and you know five of those are legit and the other 95 are ‘in the style of.’”

Etiquette is everything, so mind your manners

A pair of vintage lamps for sale via Portmanteau New York.

Whether you’re a buyer or seller, there’s never a good reason to be rude. If you ask a question and don’t get the answer that you wanted, find it in your heart to move on instead of lashing out at the stranger on the other side of the screen. “You expect people to be civil and kind, it’s not that complicated,” Downs says. “People act differently online than how they’d act in real life. Just be cool, it’s not that deep.”

Vintage sellers don’t operate like big-box furniture retailers, so don’t expect all aspects of their service to be provided instantaneously. Carefully read the description, review the photos, and double check the measurements, and ask questions before completing your transaction. If you’re an unhappy customer, consider contacting the seller directly to find a solution for the problem before composing a negative review on Google. Common courtesy is a virtue.

“Be mindful that sellers in the world of vintage and antiques often spend much of their lives scouring for finds,” Warren adds. “It’s easy to look at an online platform and forget that there are humans behind the brand, most of whom dedicate their lives to this line of work.”