Good morning. Today we’re covering expert tips for secondhand shopping. Plus:
In my twenties, I dated someone who made furniture. When we moved in together, they told me they’d build us a coffee table. We were young designers who often made unrealistic promises, and, of course, it did not happen. For years — years! — we made do with a pine plank laid across two milk crates. Temporary was fine until it became unbearable. Suddenly I was fixating on finding a coffee table like it was a metaphor for something else. (It was.) I scanned online shops, Craigslist, and ducked into secondhand stores when I was supposed to be buying groceries. I knew I didn’t want something I’d end up putting on the curb; I wanted something more durable, less wasteful than fast furniture could offer, that felt like mine. But my frantic search yielded nothing I could actually afford. I wish I’d been able to turn to Wirecutter back then. This week, we published an ambitious series of pieces about how to shop secondhand. Journalists across beats — from style, to home decor, to kitchen — went on missions to unearth the absolute best secondhand finds, all within a tight budget. Their hunts yielded game-changing tips (and stunning finds). Shopping secondhand requires patience, search strategy, and a bit of luck. It helps to have some sort of direction on your quest: Is the piece durable, repairable, even buy-it-for-life? Where are the best, most trustworthy places to find it? How can you know if you’re getting what you pay for? What keywords work best? One day, I happened to pass a coffee table on the sidewalk outside a vintage furniture store. It was square, vaguely Danish modern, with a tailored, woodlandy warmth. Upon inspection, I found that it was solid wood — the spiritual opposite of a milk crate — and only cost $50. I bought it on the spot, stretched my limited wingspan across its top, and, fueled entirely by stubbornness, lugged it many blocks back to the apartment and up four flights of stairs. I’ve been devoted to the coffee table ever since, through moves and breakups. I think it was my own perspiring determination, and that sense of having won the lottery, that yielded extreme loyalty. Also, it’s a great-looking coffee table. I hope our journalism helps you find your own version of whatever that might be — with a little more grace and a little less angst. Good luck. How to shop secondhand like a pro→ We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›
In writer Joshua Lyon’s quest to source the perfect vintage couch, rug, and lamp (all for under $1,500) he used his phone as a constant gut check. If you’re shopping in person, take a picture of the item on your phone, suggests Joshua, then turn it into a sticker, and drop it onto a photo of the room you’re shopping for. “Scale and lighting is never going to be exact,” he says, “but it recently stopped me from buying a pair of deep purple leather chairs that would have looked monstrous in my home.” Google image search is your friend, too. When Joshua found a dreamy but damaged 1970s latch-hook tiger rug at an antique mall, a reverse image search quickly revealed several exact matches on eBay and Etsy in better condition. (It ultimately didn’t quite fit with the vibe he was building out — he went with a blue-and-gold diamond-patterned number from Etsy, instead.)
Our kitchen experts’ biggest advice? Estate sales. They swear by EstateSales.net to find local ones. And don’t worry about being first in line: “You can save even more money,” says kitchen writer Lesley Stockton, “if you wait until the second or third day of the sale, when items are often reduced up to 70% off.” If you don’t have a weekend morning to dedicate to in-person shopping, browsing estate sale auction sites like Auction Ninja can offer some of the same experience — and inspiration. It’s where writer Michael Sullivan first discovered and fell in love with an incomplete set of vintage 1960s flatware, before finding the same set in mint condition on eBay for $20. Everything they found — including hand-embroidered table linens→
Writer and style expert Alex Aciman knew he wanted a classic sweater with a weird finish, and by searching “Shetland, Shaggy Dog sweater, Guernsey sweater, Jamiesons,” was able to find the perfect one in 15 minutes. Also? Where you’re searching matters. Alex loves eBay for everyday clothing — like his gently used dream sweater — “because a lot of people are selling things they don’t really understand, so you’re more likely to get a good price.” More search hacks our style experts swear by→
When Wirecutter’s Haley Jo Lewis set out to find a gift for her grandma’s 98th birthday, she took to the internet and dug up her high school yearbook from 1943. eBay, she argues, can be a surprising treasure trove of nostalgic gifts — especially for someone who already has everything. “Not everything sentimental is already stashed away in a box in the attic,” she writes. “Sometimes, there are sentimental items still to be had. And sometimes, your granddaughter has to go looking for them.” “It was just out there, this piece of my grandmother’s life, available for purchase online”→
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