Where to Find Vintage Decor on A Budget

Anyone in the mood to talk about vintage and antiques goodies?! I hope so, because today’s post is all about where to find vintage decor on a budget. This is actually one of the questions I get all the time. Where do I find all my vintage decor? Well you might be surprised to know that I don’t typically shop at fancy boutiques or antique stores. Sure, it happens occasionally when I feel like splurging or I find something that I cannot pass by. But most of the time I’m working on a pretty tight budget and I have to get creative with where I shop–especially since vintage decor and antiques are becoming so popular and expensive these days. I know many of you decorate on a budget as well, so I thought it would be fun today to share a few of my best tips.

1. Ask your mom. And your grandma. And your great aunt.

Ok, I have to list this first because I’d say that at least 50% of my vintage decor has come from my family–primarily my mom. She’s always had a love for vintage, her house is literally like walking into an antique shop. Honestly, it’s hard to visit her and not sneak things into my suitcase. Fortunately for me, she’s been very generous with letting me “borrow” a lot of her antiques, which has been a great help when it comes to decorating on a budget. Now I realize your mom may not be an antique lover, but I’d be willing to guess that your grandma, your aunt, or someone in your family might have a few old things sitting around that they no longer use. I say go out on a limb and ask Granny if she’d be willing to part with that porcelain pitcher that’s been sitting in her kitchen cabinet for years. Or maybe that galvanized watering can that is sitting on the back porch collecting dust. I bet she’d be more than happy to gift it to you if she knows how much you’ll love it in your own home.

2. Yard Sales

Let’s take a moment to imagine a Saturday morning in June. It’s 7:00am, the sun is already high in the bright blue sky, and the air is starting to warm. The only sound you hear is coming from the birds off in the distance, happily singing and chirping. It’s a glorious, peaceful morning. All of a sudden you spot a crazy blonde, rushing to her car, with a long list in one hand and a large thermos of coffee in the other. You can tell she’s very excited, obviously in a hurry to get somewhere fast. She jumps in her SUV, throws on a pair of dark sunglasses, and speeds off down the road. Where could she be going, you wonder. YARD SALES. That crazy blonde (me!) ain’t no fool and she knows the best treasures are hidden away at yard sales on an early Saturday morning. I know this may not be everyone’s cup of tea and it can sometimes feel like finding a needle in a haystack–especially when you’re going from sale to sale with no luck, but it pays off. I’ve found some of very best vintage decor at yard sales for dirt cheap. This coke crate is a great example of that.

Believe it or not I found this coke crate for just one dollar at a yard sale several years ago. Yep, one dollar. This easily goes for $20-$30 in most antique shops. Bargains like this are what keep me going back for more. I do suggest finding “older” neighborhoods. You know, neighborhoods that are full of retired folks and empty nesters. That will be your best bet for finding antiques–at least that’s been my experience. Either way, get out there and give it a shot. There are few things I enjoy more in this world than a Saturday morning spent on the junkin’ trail.

3. Auctions

This one is a little tricky because not everyone lives in an area that has auctions. I’d suggest Googling it to see if anyone does them in your area. If you do find one I’d highly suggest you make an appearance. You never know what treasure you’ll find. This past summer I scored an antique scale at an auction. And if I remember right I got it for $20. Sure, I had to stand there for two hours while I waited for the bid to come up, but it was worth it. Real, antique scales like this one are insanely expensive in most stores.

4. Thrift Stores

You probably wouldn’t think that places like Goodwill and Salvation Army have vintage decor, but they definitely do. Now you’ll have to be picky about what you purchase, I always say there’s a difference between vintage and junk, but it’s definitely possible. And it will save you a ton of money. A few months back I came across this vintage tallboy dresser at my local Salvation Army.

The price was $130, but the next day was “half-off day” for the entire store. You better believe I waited until the next day so I could get this baby for $65. A little paint and it’s now one of my favorite pieces of vintage furniture. (You can see the full project in this post.)

5. Online

I can’t talk about finding vintage decor on a budget without mentioning a few online sources. First up is Amazon, where I’ve purchased a ton of vintage inspired items over the years. They seem to be adding more and more budget-friendly options everyday, which is awesome. Now obviously you aren’t going to find real, authentic antiques on Amazon, but you might be surprised to know that you can find some really amazing stuff that looks just like the real deal. In fact, I recently found this vintage tin letter box on Amazon last week and I’ve been completely obsessed ever since it arrived on my doorstep. Another great online source is Viyet, which is a really cool site where you can find pre-owned designer furniture and decor at a fraction of the retail price. This is awesome if you’re on the market for more high-end items that are really unique and rare, but you’re still trying to shop within a budget.

I mean, how adorable is this?! It looks like it belongs in an episode of Fixer Upper. Way to go Amazon, you nailed it with this one. I was so inspired by this find that I did a little digging and was able to find several other vintage inspired decor that truly looks like the real deal:

VINTAGE INSPIRED DECOR THAT LOOKS LIKE THE REAL-DEAL

1. Vintage Tin Letter Box

2. Enamelware White Pitcher

3. Ceramic Kitchen Canisters

4. Set of 2 Vintage Wood Serving Trays

5. Metal 2-Tier Tray

6. Large Vintage Wooden Tray

7. Rusty Watering Can

8. Metal Dust Pan Mailbox

9. Metal Vintage Laundry Basket

Well friends, those are my best tips for finding vintage decor on a budget. I think the big takeaway here is that finding bargains on antique decor is really all about the hunt. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort to track down those hidden treasures. So get out there and get busy on that junkin’ trail. It isn’t always easy, but I promise it is worth it in the end. I’ve saved a ton of money by doing the things I’ve mentioned in this post, so I hope it is helpful to you too.

Thanks a million for stopping by today! Let me know if you have any questions or tips of your own to share, I’d love to hear it! xoxo