5 Things You Should Always Look for When Vintage Shopping

While, yes, shopping at your favorite haunts like Ikea and Anthropologie can be comforting, you haven’t lived until you’ve scoured through a vintage store or flea market, only to find a one-of-a-kind statement piece you’d never have the luck to pick up elsewhere. There’s just something so satisfying about falling upon an item that you know none of your friends will have, and watching the compliments roll in. Not to mention, sometimes, these items might be much cheaper than similar options at big box retailers.

However, even if you’re a vintage store aficionado, it's hard to know which pieces are actually worth buying vintage—maybe because you think they’ll be too much to care for, or maybe, on the opposite end of the spectrum, because you want to buy every bargain you come across. So read through the expert advice below on the top five pieces you should buy vintage, and find our handy antique shopping guide and graph at the end (pro tip: print it out and take with with you next time you go antiquing).