Thrifting vs Antiquing: Know the difference

When it comes to decorating your home, nothing is better than mixing old with new.  It’s so easy to buy the latest styles and completely decorate your home with Pottery Barn but then, you would have the same exact house as your neighbor and nothing about your home would be special or unique.

Upcycling and using items from thrift stores and antique malls is what will set your home apart from any other.  But thrifting and antiquing are two very different realms and in order to understand what to shop for and where to find it, you need to know the difference between the two.

You need to dig at thrift stores

Thrift stores require more digging and rummaging than an antique shop.  Thrift stores usually consist of items donated to them and therefore, they have a lot more junk that you will have to sort through.  In an antique store, most items have value.  Now this isn’t always true, some thrift stores are set up beautifully and then tend to group their nicer things together.

There is more value at antique shops

This means things at an antique shop will generally cost more.  Thrift stores are trying to move merchandise, so items are priced to sell and rarely is the worth of the item researched when a price point is set.  Just the opposite is true of antique shops.  If you are going to set up an antique booth, you are going to research what you are selling and therefore, are going to price your items accordingly.

Antique shops allow bargaining

Another difference between thrift stores versus antique shops is that thrift stores are pretty firm on their prices while antique shops are usually open to bargaining.  It can’t hurt to ask in either scenario, but you tend to have more leeway in an antique shop.

Antique shops hold history

Dealers at antique shops usually know a lot about their pieces.  They can usually tell you where they are from and when and perhaps a story about the item.  It is definitely more fascinating to shop at an antique shop.  The history of an item alone is worth the trip.

While thrift store shopping can be fun (most of us love the thrill of the hunt) you are most likely going to get better items at antique shops.  As thrift store items are typically donated and not cleaned or repair, you are going to get a far better bargain.  Antique dealers have to hunt for their inventory, often driving for hours to pick things up.  They then have to clean and repair items as well as researching their value.

If you love antiques and want to incorporate them into your home, hit thrift and antique shops, but know your expectations for each.  For unique and authentic items, antique shops are always your safest and best bet.  If you are out to just hunt and have fun, grab a friend, and hit the thrift stores!

For the best in antiques, visit Antique Allure.

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