The Vintage Furniture & Decor That's Worth the Investment

The vintage that's worth the money

I think it’s well documented at this point that my skill lies in sussing out valuable home decor pieces for fractions of their retail price — but I have certainly invested in vintage, too.

My whole “thing” might be in sharing what I find on the cheap but I also think there’s a lot of vintage pieces that are actually worth investing in.

I am aware that there are some pieces that I will likely never find at a thrift store, and am therefore willing to spend a little bit more on them. I know they’ll never go out of style, and I’ll keep them in my home for years. But what’s more, a lot of these items are investments in the sense that they appreciate.

Not everything secondhand holds value, of course. Plenty of things that make their way to Goodwill and Salvation Army stores were inexpensive to begin with and will remain that way even once they become “vintage.”

But after many years of thrifting, buying, and reselling furniture and decorative objects, I’ve noticed that certain categories consistently perform well.

They tend to share a few characteristics: strong materials, distinctive forms, and a level of design that still looks good decades later (things that aren’t overtly trendy and fit in well with many aesthetics). When I come across pieces like the ones on this list, I rarely leave them behind — even if I have to pay a bit more for them.

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Hollywood Regency carved mirror // Alex Katz screenprint // 1960s Murano mirror

Large Original Artwork

As a vintage dealer, art is my biggest seller. As a lover of vintage, it’s the thing I most love to find in the wild. Art also happens to be one of the best places to find value (particularly signed, one-of-a-kind works).

Large abstract paintings, mid-century landscapes, black and white photography, and well-executed portraits often resell far above what thrift stores price them at. Trust me — I’ve sold plenty a portrait in my day. But even if you’re not reselling and just buying for yourself, art is a worthy investment (it’s the kind of thing you’ll have for years and pass down one day and it sparks joy in a way that case goods and other furniture pieces simply can’t!)

Things I look for:

• Oversized canvases

• Interesting frames

• Oil or acrylic on canvas (not prints and not printed on canvas!)

• Black and white photographs

What I pay: $20–$80
What they can sell for: $200–$2,000+

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Marcela Cure Le Gambe resin and stone leg sculpture // Bernhard Lang tulip fields photo // Italian alabaster box

Stone & Alabaster Objects

Alabaster, marble, and other carved stone objects feel classic to me. Walk into any Home Goods in America and you’ll see plenty go faux stone objects scattered throughout. The old ones have a (literal and figurative) weight and patina that simply cannot be matched and they tend to age well stylistically, because they really never go out of style.

Things I look for:

• Lamps

• Sculptural objects

• Bookends

• Pedestals

What I pay: $10–$40
What they can sell for: $150–$800

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1960s Italian cabinet // Franco Albini bamboo mirror // Mario Botta for Artemide, ‘Shogun’ table lamp

Sculptural Mirrors

Mirrors are one of the easiest ways to add drama (and light!) to a room, and unusual vintage frames tend to hold value. A really interesting mirror can be tough to find, too, which is why I think so many are willing to spend more on them. I look for pieces that have enough detail to appear hand-made (interesting flourishes like carvings, great materials like plaster, glass or rattan…)

Things I look for:

• Gilded or carved frames

• Unusual shapes

• Plaster or resin sculptural forms

• Material: rattan/bamboo, Murano glass, carved plaster, etc.

What I pay: $25–$100
What they can sell for: $400–$2,500+

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1960s upholstered butterfly chair // biomorphic stool // Noguchi Akari lamp

Well-Designed Furniture

You don’t need a signed designer piece for furniture to be valuable. What matters more is what I always come back to: form, materials, and construction.

Things I look for:

• Solid wood (walnut, oak, teak)

• Interesting bases or silhouettes

• Fun details (think mosaic-topped tables, unique leg shapes on a chair)

• Postmodern or sculptural forms

What I pay: $20–$300
What they can sell for: $500–$5,000+

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rhodochrosite box // indoor/outdoor pendant made from 1950s Japanese parasol // 1970s mosaic-topped coffee table

Impactful Lighting

Lighting is one of the easiest ways to add sculptural impact to a room, and vintage examples are often far better made than what you can buy new in a big-box chain store. Of course, lamps fall under this category, but beyond that: think sconces, pendants, and chandeliers (a lot of people forget to look UP in a thrift store or estate sale, so they miss out on those items!)

Things I look for:

• Stone or alabaster bases on lamps

• Solid brass, bronze, or metal construction

• Sculptural or postmodern silhouettes

What I pay: $10–$150
What they can sell for: $200–$3,000+

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The Primary Markers of “Something Worth Investing In”

If we’re going to boil it down, the pieces that hold value tend to share a few traits:

• Natural materials

• Strong shapes or sculptural forms that transcend trends

• Quality craftsmanship

• Design history

Once you start training your eye to look for these things, shopping at a thrift store becomes a much more fun (and far less intimidating!) experience.

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ODDS & ENDS

• I had a flight from hell two days ago (It was diverted before landing, and we ended up spending seven hours on the plane, most of it on the tarmac, on what should have been a 90-minute flight). This eye mask saved me. I wear this every night at home and travel with it, too.

• What has saved me since is double flat whites, which I make with my favorite Pistachio milk.

• Another great pick-me-up? These quick-melt strips (place them on your tongue and they dissolve almost instantly to either give you more energy, help you sleep, or quell cravings (normally I am not a fan of stifling cravings — if you want something, you should have it! — but in situations where I am stuck in a conference center or airplane for hours with literally nothing to eat, it can be extremely helpful).

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