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20 Best Thrifted Finds

By Rachel

published 04/06/2023

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Last Updated on November 5, 2024 by Rachel Granholm

Come see my top 20 best thrifted finds to date!

You probably know by now how much I love to thrift. Thrifting is a hobby that I got into years ago. These days when I’m out thrifting, I hunt for vintage decor that can be used throughout my home. Today, I’ve pulled together some of my favorite vintage items and am sharing 20 best thrifted finds but with a twist. Join me below to see who is sharing this post with me!

Table of Contents

Thrifting with a Vintage Re-Seller

You guys, this is such a special post for me to write and share with you! Melanie from Lost and Found Decor is joining me today and I’m beyond excited. I’ve been following Melanie’s YouTube channel for over a year now.

I have learned so much from her about vintage and antique pieces, unique ways of decorating with them and fair prices to pay for different items. We share the belief that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to decorate your home in beautiful ways.

Thrifted Finds for Everyday Use

Together, we are bringing you 20 of our favorite thrifted decor items. We are each sharing 10, so be sure to go over to Melanie’s blog to read the other 10 after you are done here. Again, I’m thrilled to be sharing the stage with this incredible lady who is so full of knowledge.

With that, let’s get into these top thrifted finds!

Shop Vintage Decor

20 Best Thrifted Finds That I Actually Use in My Home

Below you will find my top 10 thrifted finds that I’ve found to date. I tried to choose something from each home decor category to help give you an idea of what you are able to find at thrift stores, estate sales, garage sales and online sellers.

These were super hard for me to narrow down because I truly like every item that I find. But, the pieces I’m sharing today are the best of the best and are things that I use in my home all year round.

Best Thrifted Find #1: Transferware Dish Set

The first item on the list is this set of vintage dishes. I’m a lover and collector of old dishes. There is something so special about the time-worn crazing and wear that vintage dishes have.

I had been looking for a set of transferware dishes for many, many months to no avail. Then, one day last fall, I spotted this pattern from feet away.

I pulled out each piece individually from many different boxes to form the set and ended up paying under $20 for all of it!

I have these dishes styled in my new hutch with other vintage pieces. The beauty about vintage Ironstone is that it pairs well with any other decor you may have such as milk glass and enamelware.

These vintage dishes were also used in a Valentine’s day tablescape. They are perfect for Spring with the pink and yellow flowers adorning them. However, I think these dishes can be used many times of the year including early summer and fall.

I know I will use these dishes for years to come and am so happy they found their way into my home!

Best Thrifted Find #2: Milk Glass Banana Stand

This beautiful vintage piece is, hands down, one of my favorites, probably in the top 4. I found this milk glass banana stand on the very bottom of a shelf at my local thrift store a few years ago.

To me, it’s just the essence of vintage with all the amazing scallops and the detailing on the base. I believe it was around $8.00.

Milk glass, due to it’s white coloring, is a wonderful neutral decor piece. You can mix and match it with many other types of decor and switch it around according to the seasons.

Below is a photo of it on my mantel from last fall. By simply adding a few stems and some pumpkins, the banana stand instantly feels like fall.

For Christmas, I placed the banana stand on the credenza with some red berries and eucalyptus. By placing a red book underneath it, you have an instant holiday display for under $10.

This just goes to show you that home decor does not need to be expensive to be beautiful!

Best Thrifted Find #3: Handled Basket

This pretty basket is also one of my favorite finds. I found it at my local thrift store in perfect condition for only $3.00! The curved handle on it is what caught my eye initially but the weaving on it is also particularly lovely.

Also, can we talk about the color!? The neutral shade of brown is perfect for any decor that is paired with it.

I use this basket all year round to create seasonal vignettes. It’s the exact size needed to hold vintage books, small decor items and stems.

The vignette seen below is a fall display from last year. Paired with rust, copper, orange and plaid, this little scene evokes a ‘fall in the country’ type nostalgia.

This basket has also been used to hold Summer decor. When paired with whites, blues and florals, the basket is given a whole new feel.

If you see a piece of decor at the thrift store for a fair price, always ask yourself if it can function in multiple ways or be used for various decor purposes. If yes, then you can be sure it’s a good buy.

For $3.00, this basket has given me loads of fun and creative decorating ideas for my home.

Best Thrifted Find #4: Ironstone Pitcher

If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen my post late last summer about this ironstone pitcher. This large, stunning piece is still number 1 on my list of all-time favorites.

The pitcher was sitting back in the furniture area of the thrift store and I didn’t even see it until I turned around and muttered “what?!?” as I beelined straight for it.

These antique pitchers are not cheap when found in the wild but I only paid $8.00 for this one!

Ironstone, due to its age and the wear, makes for the most beautiful, character-rich decor. Due to the sheer size of this pitcher, it can be used on a dresser, on top of a credenza and even on the floor or a hearth.

Here, you see it styled with faux eucalyptus stems displayed on my dresser. I love how it pops against the blue walls!

For a fall display, I styled the pitcher with faux wheat stems paired with burgundy and rust colored eucalyptus stems. The stems are just stunning amongst the cream colored Ironstone.

Again, you can decorate your home for the seasons for an affordable price. In total, this fall display cost me less than $20!

Best Thrifted Find #5: Wooden Mirror

I’m fairly certain this mirror is an antique due to the markings on the back of it. The beautiful detailing across the top is what I saw sticking out from behind another picture on the thrift store shelf.

They just don’t make things like they used to! This mirror is made out of solid wood, not particle board, and is heavy, making it a quality piece of home decor.

I had been looking for a mirror exactly this size for my entryway and was beyond happy to find this. These type of mirrors are not cheap but I only paid $5.00 for this one! How amazing is that?!

Best Thrifted Find #6: Copper Garlic Keep

If you don’t know, I love vintage copper and have been collecting it for many years. The patina of it and the worn coloring gives copper a timeless appearance.

This garlic keep is one of my favorite copper pieces that I’ve found while out thrifting. How cute is it?! The lady at the store was just taking it out of a box as I walked by. It literally sat on the shelf for half a second before I scooped it up!

I love to bring home vintage decor that not only looks pretty but serves a purpose as well. We do actually use this garlic keep to hold garlic bulbs on the kitchen counter.

The garlic is kept nice and fresh. For only $3.00, this was a worthwhile find for sure!

Best Thrifted Find #7: Hobnail Milk Glass Lamp

This beauty of a lamp was purchased from a seller off of Marketplace. She had it listed for only $10! When I went to pick it up, her husband told me that it was his mother’s lamp. She had it on her bedside table for many, many years and wanted to be sure I would take good care of it. I told him all about my love for vintage milk glass and that it was going to a great home.

That’s another thing I adore about vintage decor. Each piece has been a special part of someone’s life for years and then it becomes a part of your story. I just think that is so neat!

This hobnail milk glass lamp sits on the vintage buffet in my family room. I like to decorate the little tray part around the base for the seasons.

If you look closely at the photo below, you will see hints of pink and red around the rim. This is called ‘the ring of fire’, which is found in actual pieces of milk glass, authenticating them as vintage and not reproductions. I check for this feature any time I’m buying milk glass!

Best Thrifted Find #8: White Hutch

This new to me piece of furniture was purchased recently from Marketplace for only $130! I had been wanting a hutch for so long to house my collection of vintage dishes.

It took many, many hours of searching online to find one that had the proper dimensions to fit in this exact space. I had very specific criteria in my head as to what I wanted my hutch to look like and this one met all of them!

Thrifting Tip: If you are looking for a specific piece of furniture, my advice to you is to look everyday and be patient. Don’t settle for something just to have it and be done. It takes time for the perfect piece to pop up but, when it does, you will be so happy that you waited!

After getting it cleaned up and making some minor repairs to it, I had a clean slate to work with.

I’ve spent hours and hours playing with decor in this hutch and it’s so much fun! Come back in a few weeks as I give you a full run-down on how I styled my vintage milk glass collection for spring.

Best Thrifted Find #9: Wall Mount Coffee Grinder

This piece was another one of those “wait, what?!” moments at the thrift store. I’ve had this for almost two years now but I remember that day being particularly busy at the thrift store.

When I saw the handle of this grinder sticking out of a box from feet away, I got to it as quickly as I could given the amount of folks in the way! I honestly couldn’t believe someone had just donated this amazing porcelain coffee grinder!

You guys, these vintage hand-crank and wall mount coffee grinders are not cheap. I have seen these at antique stores for hundreds of dollars. This one? Well, it was $10!

After safely retrieving this treasure, it was proudly mounted to a wall in the kitchen next to our coffee bar. This old coffee grinder still works beautifully! My husband uses it on the regular to grind beans for his morning cup of joe.

I’ve said it so many times and I’ll say it again. You just never know what is going to be at the thrift store on any given day. You have the opportunity to find gorgeous decor pieces as well as functional and useful items for your home.

Best Thrifted Find #10: Floral Needlework Art

Last but not least is this gorgeous needlework art piece. I adore vintage art in the themes of flowers and barns, especially when done in needlework. So, when I find art in that subject matter for a fair price, it comes home with me!

This piece in particular is so dreamy with the beautiful flowers coming out of the wooden bucket. I found this at an antique store in Dyersville, Iowa on a road trip late last Spring. I don’t remember the exact price but wasn’t more than $20.

Here, you can see it on the picture rail in my living room styled with two other thrifted art pieces.

I pull this needlework art out usually around the end of March and have it displayed in various places through September. The beauty about this picture is that, due to the colorful flowers, it can be placed with many decor items, making it very versatile.

Phew! There you have them…my top thrifted decor finds to date! For the other 10 items, go over to Melanie’s post! I promise you will want to see her amazing finds.

Closing Tidbits on My Top 20 Best Thrifted Finds

I truly hope these 20 best thrifted finds are an encouragement for you. The whole goal in sharing this is to give you ideas on how to source similar secondhand pieces for your own home. I believe, with every ounce of my being, that thrifting for home decor serves such a wonderful purpose.

Not only are you taking care of the Earth by keeping unwanted or unused items out of landfills but you are also finding the courage to create a home that is special and unique by using pieces that no one else has. I just can’t think of anything better!

Be encouraged to see the beauty in it all.

Leave me a comment down below! I love to hear from you. What are you collecting? Have you found any pretty pieces at the thrift store lately? I would love to know!

Just click the red button in the left corner!

For more thrift store tips and tricks, check out my Thrifted Goodies series! Once a month, I share the latest finds and how I am using them in my home. You can find that in the Thrifting section of my blog!

If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more. Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!