The difference between a good room and a great room is usually at least one antique or vintage piece. It can be a painting, a dresser, a rug, a lamp, whatever. An older piece adds character, history, and keeps things from looking to perfect and matchy. It makes a room look collected over time (even if it was thrown together by a decorator in six weeks).
“That’s really great, Dana, but I don’t have a rich aunt who left me any artwork,” you say?
If I can’t go to local estate sales or peruse antique shops, I immediately turn to online sources. Some are better than others. This post is to talk about two that I use all the time, Chairish.com and 1stDibs.com.
First, I am not compensated by Chairish or 1stDibs. Neither has asked me to to promote them. They have no idea I’m writing about them. And I don’t sell anything on either site. But I love vintage and antique shopping and have had enough good experiences with these outfits that I want to encourage others to give them a try. I bought my first item with 1stDibs in 2012 and my first item off Chairish last year.
Basically, they are each a centralized marketplace matching buyers and sellers. Chairish and 1stDibs are similar. With both, you create an account and start searching for items by category, with the ability to filter results to a great degree of specificity. You can follow items and sellers (or “shops”). Chairish shows you the name of the shop, but a couple years ago 1stDibs started keeping the seller’s name hidden, divulging only the location. Can you find ways to figure out who the seller is? Yes, that’s possible. You can figure out how to go around the site. But if you complete a sale outside of the websites you risk either getting banned, or losing buyer protection and customer service.
In my opinion, 1stDibs tends to have more expensive listings than Chairish but they both have their range of high and lower end things. Rarely are items cross-listed. You should absolutely bargain, but only after a little preliminary research into what you’re looking to purchase. And keep an eye on shipping costs.
Both sites offer customer service and other benefits, and while there are still risks, I find it less “Wild West” than eBay because of their vetting and review process. And if you have a good experience purchasing off the site, you can always go directly to that seller next time rather than through the third-party site.
So what have I bought off 1stDibs and Chairish? I don’t want to list everything but, for example: An Italian bombé chest, a French end table from circa 1790, Chinese famille verte rouleau vases, vintage malachite objects, a Meiji period Japanese bowl…still going! Every piece has a story and adds character to a room.
It’s a special treat to find an original vintage painting for a very, very reasonable price instead of buying a framed print from a big retailer. Be patient and check back often. Follow items you like and often the seller will message you with a discounted offer to sell it.
And have fun searching for a unique piece!