15 Items You Should Never Pass Up at a Flea MarketLucinda Rogers
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An exclusive, to-the-trade showroom is nice. But ask any designer and they'll tell you, nothing beats the thrill of stumbling across a gorgeous—and potentially valuable—object jumbled up with assorted cast-offs at a flea market or garage sale. We asked the experts what items that make regular appearances at secondhand hotspots are worth investing in, and they were quick to respond with the fourteen categories below.
It's all proof that a sharp eye is better than a fat wallet when you're outfitting a home. (Fun fact: Designers have been known to stock up on must-haves at big-box stores, too.) And there's no need to brush up on your art history. You'll find a quick primer on designers' top flea market finds below. Happy treasure-hunting!
Whether you're looking at flatware, hotel coffee services, or decorative objects like this box, don't be turned off if a silver item has lost its luster. "Sterling cane restored to shining beauty with a little polish," says interior designer Elisa Baran Tréan of Elisa Baran, LLC. Her most recent thrifting haul included lots of sterling silver—a basket handmade in France, salad tongs with handmade wave handles, and Italian coasters with etchings.
To find high-dollar pieces, scout for designer brand names such as Buccellati, Whiting, Christofle, Sciarrotta and of course Tiffany & Co, Baran suggests. One more thing: Check for an etching that says “925,” “92.5,” or “SS” to confirm the piece is indeed sterling silver.
An Antique 19th Century Ornate Cast Iron Framed & Beveled Mirror. Circa 1890s.
ebay.com
$45.00
"A mirror of any kind is an immediate 'yes' for me, especially if the glass has aged," says Caroline Kopp, an interior designer in Westport, Connecticut. A naturally antiqued mirror has damage and wear to the backside of the glass, which can cause haziness or blotches. To some, those signs of age make mirror undesirable but to Kopp and other vintage aficionados, they render a piece "spectacularly imperfect." As Kopp explains, "for us mirror lovers this is not a flaw, and is in fact very exciting."
Hardbacks are a great way to add style to a home—and rare antique ones such as Audubon’s Birds of America can have significant resale value. "Books are a big part of our designs and can eat up a budget, so we are constantly on the lookout for great coffee table books," says Mark Cutler of cutlerschulze, an interior design firm in Los Angeles. He tries to stick to a few themes, like photography, travel, and sports, but admits, "sometimes we buy them because the color of the spine is just right."
Boho Chic Bamboo Rattan and Cane Dining Chairs Attributed to Brighton - a Pair
ebay.com
$795.00
"I never pass up the opportunity to brake for a beautiful or interesting piece of wicker or rattan on the sidewalk that needs a little bit of loving care," says Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based designer Debbe Daley. She notes that port chairs are easy to clean with dish soap and a garden hose, then top with new cushions. Oftentimes, she says, the legs of abandoned wicker pieces are unwinding, but this is something you can easily fix with a staple gun and some glue.
Daley points out that antique wicker lift-top sewing stands are great repurposed as planters for showcasing indoor plants, like a Boston fern. You might also spot a vintage wicker desk like the one Daley found on the street and spruced up for her home. In her view, such pieces "add great texture to a room."
1970's Mid-Century Modern Lucite and Gold Metal Lamp With Shade
chairish.com
$395.00
Willow Wright, owner of Urban Redeux Vintage in Alexandria, Virginia, swears by secondhand light fixtures. "Rewiring lamps is very inexpensive," she points out. Local lamp shops can rewire a lamp for around $25 plus the cost of materials, which adds on another $10 to $15, she says, while more complicated vintage or blanc de chine lamps which require extra time and materials should cost under $100 to rewire. Chandelier repair, though, is best left to a professional and hung by a licensed electrician.
A classic American craft, Tramp Art is a style of folk art that involves creating frames, boxes, and other decorative items using whatever found wood was available—often cigar boxes or shipping crates. Popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, "tramp art" got its name because of the (probably mistaken) belief that many of the people who practiced this craft were homeless wanderers.
The ornate style of woodworking involves the meticulous carving and layering of found wood, or other utilitarian objects like nails and Popsicle sticks. At first glance, some of the ornate pieces could be mistaken as school art projects. But look closer and you’ll see these boxes, frames, and wall pockets are intricately notched and chipped. According to Avery Cox of Avery Cox Design in Austin, Texas, they're coveted icons of outsider art that have become increasingly difficult to find—which means you should absolutely snap a good one up if you see it.
When evaluating Tramp Art trinkets, Cox recommends looking at an item's level of complexity and material type to determine whether you've stumbled upon a valuable investment piece. (Carved wood is valued higher than those aforementioned Popsicle sticks.) Tramp Art can easily be worth several hundred dollars, but you might become too attached to sell any examples you find. That's because they add character and warmth to a contemporary setting. As Cox says, "We love a Tramp Art box on a kitchen counter for holding things like tea or spices."
Colorful, glazed earthenware characterized by three-dimensional flora and fauna, majolica is a centuries-old pottery practice that can feel playful when incorporated into design. (Think: A lustrous platter with a raised lobster or a sardine box with fish finials). Majolica is durable and strong, particularly the Palissy ware style introduced at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London and named for the French ceramicist Bernard Palissy. Today, platters can sell for $1,000 to $6,000 a piece, Cox says.
Victorian majolica gets its bright colors from a tin glaze that contains lead, so you won't want to use these for serving. Try hanging majolica pieces on walls where there’s not much space (think: above doorways; on narrow walls) or in a place where you can create a grouping if you're lucky enough to score a few of these eclectic pieces. "They also work very well on plate stands or mixed into a bookshelf or hutch," Cox says.
Beloved for 130 years, Pendleton blankets are comfy, wool classics with recognizable stripes and geometric patterns, often inspired by Native American designs. When shopping flea markets, look for the iconic Pendleton tag sewn onto the blanket to denote authentic pieces, says Karen Nepacena, owner and principal designer at Destination Eichler in the San Francisco Bay area.
While new Pendleton blankets cost $189 on up, the retail price of vintage Pendleton throws start around $150, with many blankets going for a few hundred dollars and some rare, vintage ones going for even more on resale sites. Among the most sought-after designs is the classic Glacier National Park Blanket featuring four simple lines in green, red, yellow and black, Nepacena says. "Pendleton has been creating blanket collections in honor of National Parks since the early 1900s. This particular design for Glacier National Park was the very first of its kind, which makes sourcing a vintage version even more special," she adds. "The simplicity of the stripe design is timeless and this blanket design fits great into any style home. After dry cleaning, these vintage blankets are great for sofas or folding across the bottom of the bed."
1960s Mid-Century Modern Plycraft Eames Style Cha…
chairish.com
$3250.00
The iconic mid-century modern living room staple, an Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman is a $6,500 investment. Released in 1956 and inspired by English club chairs, the recliner's timeless design is meant to evoke the feel of a worn-in baseball mitt. While you're not likely find one of these mid-century mainstays lounging in a flea market, Nepacena says you could very well come across a similar style manufactured by the now-defunct company Plycraft at the time to mimic the Eames chair. Look for the manufacturer markings underneath the seat; the Plycraft pieces can still fetch a few thousand dollars. "Even if the upholstery is no longer in good shape, there are many furniture restorers that can help bring these pieces back to life," she says.
What may look like a simple ceramic planter could be a very expensive one, especially if the marking "Gainey" is on the bottom, says Nepacena. The Southern California pottery brand suspended its ceramics manufacturing a decade ago after 60 years in business, but the glazed handcrafted planters remain in high demand, and, Nepacena says, can sell for hundreds of dollars per piece.
"Use them to plant a succulent grouping or to house an indoor plant such as a rubber plant or snake plants," she says. "They look great in any space, whether an apartment, balcony or inside the house."
From retro-kitsch butter trays to colorful mixing bowls, vintage Pyrex pieces are having a major moment with nostalgic collectors hunting down the brand they remember from grandma's kitchen. While a stray Pyrex bowl isn’t usually worth much on its own, full sets and sought-after patterns tend to be high in value.
Pink Daisy and Snowflake pieces, for example, were the first patterned dishes to be released using a new screen printing process in 1956. Today, they're among some of the most beloved patterns, with resale values of these pieces often over $100.
"Once you start with one piece, you will start to recognize the pattern in other shapes and sizes and over time can collect multiple to make a whole set," Nepacena says.
Nineteenth-century dressers made out of English pine wood easily sell for $2,000. But you’ll often find these honey-toned pieces in the $500 range from people who don’t realize what they have, says Anastasia Casey, founder of IDCO Studio and Design Camp.
To gather details on a dresser, slide open the top drawer and look for a manufacturer's stamp, Casey says. Anything pre-1900's is likely too old to be stamped, but the older an item, the more it will be worth. If you find a drawer that's stuck, no worries! Casey suggests rubbing coconut oil or a bar of soap along the edge of the drawer for an easy fix.
Mid-Century Scandinavian Teak Dining Chairs - Set of 6
chairish.com
$2495.00
While they come in a variety of styles, you'll recognize these for their classic Scandi minimalism and clean design. Modern ones in a set of eight or more are the most difficult to find, Casey says, so they'll hold the most value.
And you don't have to have a Scandi home to incorporate these gems into your own decor. "I love these dining chairs paired with something more traditional for a layered look," she says.
Famous examples of travertine can be found on the Colosseum in Rome or the Getty Center in Los Angeles. This slightly pitted limestone is formed by mineral deposits from natural springs, giving it a nice range of coloration, from creamy ivories to peachy pinks.
In the home, you're most likely to see this natural stone in a tile format. But travertine coffee tables, consoles, side tables, pedestals, and dining tables are hot items at vintage stores and flea markets these days, says interior stylist and vintage expert Leah Ashley.
Prices can be anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands depending on the size and quality of the piece, Ashley says. And provenance matters, too: The prices go up even more if an item is from Italy, so ask the dealer what they know about the origins of the piece.
Stoneware is one of the most ancient forms of ceramics. To create stoneware, clay is fired at much higher temps than it is to make porcelain or earthenware. The end result is durable, utilitarian pieces like bowls, pitchers and crocks have lasted for generations, says Ashley. She thinks they're liable to last for many more, too: "I love to collect stoneware and display it on open shelving in my kitchen," she says.
Many stoneware pieces are highly collectible and valued at anywhere from $100 to $100,000. Generally, these pieces are stamped by the manufacturer, which can help you in an initial Google search to find out information on authenticity and value.
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