These Common Thrift Store Finds Can Be Worth a TON of Money

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Much of thrifting and flea market shopping comes down to serendipity. You just happen to be perusing the store when new inventory hits the floor, whether it’s a rare vintage rug or a unique piece of wall art, and you’re the first to pounce. But uncovering the diamonds in the rough also requires a good design eye (or at least some help from Google) to help you spot collectible Depression-era glass or know whether a chair is special enough for a DIY reupholster job.

Michele Lange, who has a BFA in interior design and now buys and sells thrifted treasures, gives this tip: Take a picture of your find and upload it to Google Lens to see what comparables sell for on the Internet. “Oftentimes I’m shocked to learn that the piece I spent $4 on is selling for $50 to $60 on Etsy or eBay,” she says. “Thrift stores can be a gold mine if you know how and where to look.”

Below, learn how to shop thrift stores like a designer, including 20 items to be on the lookout for when you’re secondhand shopping.

For more expert antiques and vintage shopping tips:

• 20 Items You Should Never Pass Up at a Flea Market

• 15 Best Places to Buy Vintage Furniture Online

• The Best Flea Markets in Every State

• The Best Architectural Salvage Stores in Every State

Vintage Picture Frames

The more antique, ornate, and old world, the better, Lange says. Her best tip: Look beyond the tacky art in the frame.“A lot of times people can’t see past the faded, dated, and out-of-style artwork within the frame,” Lange says. “Try to completely block that out instead focus on the frame details, interior mat, and overall construction of the piece.”

Also, remember that you can paint anything. Look for pattern and texture, not finish. You can always change the surface color.

Then, when it comes to styling, check out a site like Etsy, which has an incredible resource of digital download artwork that can be purchased for as little as $1 to $5 per piece and printed at a local printer in a size that fits your frame.

Heath Ceramics

Kristine Renee of Design Alchemy says she’s always on the lookout for vintage ceramics and pottery, with her go-tos including earthen stoneware, decorative plates to hang as wall decor, and colorful vessels for florals. Heath Ceramics pieces are special finds. The brand, which got its start in 1948 in Sausalito, California, is influenced by midcentury modern design principles.

“I always get a rush when I land a new piece to my ever-growing collection,” Renee says. “I don’t personally smoke, but I never turn down a Heath ashtray—hello, new coin drop!”

Beyond the ability to have a unique, one-of-a-kind gem, you can also save by shopping vintage pottery and ceramics versus new. Renee says she often sources new pottery for more than $600 dollars apiece. Vintage is definitely the way to go for searching for the “look for less,” she says, with an equal amount of personality.

Art Glass

Thrift stores consistently have loads of glassware in stock, but zero in on the art glass—the pieces that are mostly ornamental but can also be used as vases or paperweights or add visual interest to a stack of books, says Samara Goodman, a Washington, D.C.-area interior designer with Samara Interiors.

“Their unique shapes and colors are perfect for one-of-a-kind decor that is artistic and reflective,” she says.

Before heading to the checkout, run your finger over the piece to feel for any chips or cracks that can be difficult to see, she advises.

Umbrella Stands

Umbrella stands are great organizational tool for things other than umbrellas. “I love to use them for holding kids’ sports equipment like lacrosse sticks and baseball bats,” says interior designer Laura Hildebrandt from Interiors by LH.

You can also put faux greenery or branches in them to add visual interest to an otherwise neglected corner, Hildebrandt says.

Candlesticks

“When I am having a dinner party, I like to put the candlesticks out with low flower arrangements. That way it is easy to chat and really sets the mood,” Hildebrandt says.

When she’s thrifting, she looks for glass candleholders because they add a sparkle to spaces.

Decorative Wall Brackets or Corbels

Keep your eyes peeled for decorative wall brackets, which are so versatile for dressing up a wall, says Nashville-based designer Amanda Khouri of Amanda Khouri Interiors.

They can flank art, be incorporated into a decorative plate arrangement, or display interesting ceramics—and they’re typically beautiful in their own right,” she says.

She’s found sets secondhand as low as $50, but they can top $1,000 per pair when custom made or purchased new. If you love the shape but the finish isn’t your favorite, repainting or refinishing is an easy DIY.

Original Oil Paintings

Bonus if these paintings are in nice frames.

“Whether it’s a small, well-painted still life in an aged gilt frame or a large-scale abstract piece I’m going to struggle to get in my car, it has always been worth it to purchase real art with visible brushstrokes, nuance, and patina,” Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors says.

Oil painting in particular as a medium improves with age as the paints oxidize and the colors take on their full vibrancy, so as long as the piece isn’t too old and wasn’t damaged by sun or smoke, an older piece is likely to show more beautifully than a newly painted piece in oils, she says.

Adams says she’s had quite a bit of luck on auction sites buying undervalued art and having it appraised for double or triple what she paid.

Trust your eye: Even if it’s not valuable in terms of money, you will treasure any piece you find yourself, she says.

Mismatched China Dinnerware

While it’s a prize to find a full, matching set of teacups or wineglasses, don’t overlook the sets with missing pieces. Thrift stores are loaded with a fun mix of dinnerware that’s great for picnics and outdoor entertaining, says Kathryn Murphy of Kathryn Murphy Interiors.

“I have a bin of mismatched china: plates, platters, wineglasses, and teacups that are fun to pull out for parties,” she says. “If nothing matches, it’s easy for guests to claim ‘their’ glass and find it if it gets set down. And if it breaks, it hasn’t ruined a set.”

End Tables

Thrift stores always seem to have so many end tables, Murphy says. Avoid the particleboard pieces, and look for ones that are sturdy and catch your eye. You can easily clean up the finish with a Howard’s Restor-A-Finish and Feed-N-Wax Wood Finish.

Signed Art

Art truly makes a space unique, and thrifted art allows you to build a collection on a budget, says Cynthia Banua, owner of Sunshine State Studios in Tampa, Florida. When buying art, she suggests looking for signed pieces that are originals or numbered prints. Look for cracks and chipping pigment, and avoid anything that has water damage or is fading.

“Art is very personal, and many times valuable works are inherited and then donated because they are not the recipient’s taste,” Banua says. “Hiding among the store-bought pieces are often works by known and collected artists.”

No need to be an art history major, either: A quick Google search of the artist’s signature (such as "Mary Smith artist" or "Mary Smith watercolor") will frequently lead to an artist bio or auction value. For numbered prints, use a reverse image search to find more information, Banua suggests.

Studio Pottery

Studio pottery is produced by individuals—not mass-produced. These one-of-a-kind items can bring a space to life. You can use a distinctive vessel as a sculptural piece on a bookshelf, a planter, or a pitcher, says Allison Garrison, principal designer with San Diego, California–based Allito Spaces.

“While a lot of studio pottery is valuable mostly for its unique character, you could get lucky and land a vase that could fetch up to $10,000,” Garrison says.

To find out if you’ve stumbled across a treasure, look for artists’ signatures, and then plug their names into The Marks Project to learn more about the makers.

Sterling Silver

When you’re shopping for sterling silver, look for intricate etchings or ornate details on handmade pieces, says interior designer Elisa Baran Trean 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.

“One of the beautiful things about sterling silver is that it can be refined, retaining that existing shining beauty with a little polish if desired,” Baran says.

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.

Fabric

Interesting fabric is a thrift shop staple, and you’ll often find extra yards of it folded up or still on a bolt, says Cape Cod, Massachusetts, interior designer Molly McGinness, the owner of Molly McGinness Interior Design. People tend to save leftover fabric because it’s expensive, but they end up eventually parting with it when they move or clean out their house, she says. Sometimes you’ll find a few yards, other times some pricey little scraps; these pieces can be perfect for a special pillow or ottoman.

Often, you’ll spot identifiable fabrics from fabric houses like Scalamandré, Colefax and Fowler, Clarence House, Brunschwig & Fils, and Schumacher. Before you buy, unroll the fabric and give it a good inspection to make sure it's is in good condition (and that moths haven’t gotten to it), McGinness says.

Coffee Table Books

“Books are a big, big part of many of our designs and can really eat up a budget, so we are constantly on the lookout for great coffee table books at thrift stores,” says Mark Cutler of cutlerschulze, an interior design firm based in Los Angeles. He tries to stick to a few themes, like photography, interior design, travel, and sports. “Sometimes we will just buy them because the color of the spine is just right,” he says.

Vintage Sporting Goods

Vintage sporting goods like tennis rackets, hockey sticks, and cricket bats can be fun design additions, Culter says. You can display them as a group or prop a vintage sled against a wall in the corner of a room.

“Even vintage bathing suits fall into this category,” Culter says. “When framed, they are fun, quirky pieces that will bring any pool house to life.”

When Culter is shopping thrift stores for sporting goods, he’s usually looking for equipment from the 1920s to 1980s.

Vintage Fiestaware

This highly collectible, brightly colored dinnerware livens up any party and looks amazing when it’s styled on floating shelves, says Ashley Macuga of Collected Interiors. “I love their serveware, especially their pitchers and mixing bowls,” she says. “And if the more common bright colors make you want to put on sunglasses, their ironstone series has all of the early tones perfect for the modern organic aesthetic.”

Fiestaware can sell for $15 to $100 and up for baking and serveware, but if you snag a coveted piece in a retired color, it can resell for thousands, she says. To make sure you’re buying vintage, look for the ink stamp on the back, Macuga says. It’ll state that it’ genuine and include a three-digit code, a dating code that correlates to the year it was made.

Pedestals

Keep your eyes peeled for marble or lacquered pedestals, which were popular in the latter half of the 20th century, says Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors. “These once-ubiquitous items of home decor are starting to pop up again as plant stands, side tables, or a fun way to highlight a particular item like an abstract basket or sculpture,” she says. “Thrift stores are overflowing with them, and they have so many possible uses.”

Bookends

Brass or marble bookends are great thrift shop finds, says interior designer Anastasia Casey, founder of IDCO Studio. Look for more modern or simple shapes like solid cubes or spheres, she suggests. These pieces can usually be thrifted for under $50 but can earn a price tag upwards of $250.

Spongeware

Most 19th- and 20th-century spongeware (aka spatterware) can be found in a classic dark blue, but you may also stumble upon some more modern iterations in light blues, reds, and greens, says Marie Joh, a merchandiser at The Six Bells, a country store of homewares in Brooklyn. “We never pass up sturdy mixing bowls, pitchers, crocks, and—the holy grail—a complete set of matching dinner plates,” Joh says.

Roseville Pottery Company was one of the most prolific makers of spongeware in the United States prior to closing in the 1950s, and it remains one of the most desirable brands to find today, Joh says. She’s had the most luck finding pieces in Ohio, where the company was based. “Spongeware pieces can fetch up to thousands of dollars, especially if you’re lucky enough to nab full sets or score something from the 19th or early 20th centuries,” she says.

Quilts

If you find some quilts in good condition, look for hand-stitching, which has the greatest value, Joh says. Some classic Americana motifs to snag include school house (seen here), nine patch, hunter’s star, and baskets. If the quilt looks too tattered for daily use, you can get it professionally mounted and framed to better showcase the maker’s handiwork.

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