The Best Places to Buy Cheap Vintage and Antique Furniture in NYC

Finding the time and money to properly adorn your living space is challenging in any capacity, and living in a city as expensive as New York makes it that much more difficult. However, this bustling metropolis is not only filled with people, it’s also home to all of their furniture! As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and New York is the perfect town to hunt for good deals on vintage pieces that are often better in quality and better looking than what you’d buy new from IKEA (minus the ferry ride). To save you time, we’ve put together this list of some of our favorite NYC spots to hunt for cheap vintage furniture and accessories. We also included a few new and not so new websites that also offer excellent deals.

Pippin ↑
112 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
Pippin promotes itself as a vintage shop specializing in antique jewelry—which to a large degree it is—but it also touts a fantastic collection of used furniture. Here you can find things like century-old trunks for under $150 as well as ornate mirrors dating back to the 19th century and earlier. There’s also plenty of art and housewares with prices that will make you rub your eyes. The shop owner also marks down furniture periodically as new pieces come in and existing stock doesn’t sell.

Furnish Green ↑
1261 Broadway #309
New York, NY 10001
If you’re on the lookout for mid-century modern artifacts, Furnish Green should be your first stop. The Manhattan store is one of the city’s best curated, and its owners bring in between 5 to 10 new pieces every weekday. Prices are far, far cheaper than what you’d find at high end purveyors such as Design Within Reach and Herman Miller. Plus, they have a very cool blog featuring their favorite inventory arranged in irresistible vignettes, making it super easy to envision different ways of incorporating the pieces in your own home.

25th Street Indoor Flea Market ↑
122 West 25th Street
Definitely off the beaten path (they don’t even have a website), this decades-old New York City business is filled with a variety of retailers that have been living in the city just as long. Here you won’t find much furniture, but there are plenty of antique housewares, art and other unbelievable memorabilia. Shops are run the old-school way, meaning if you have the gall to bargain for a deal, do it.

Chelsea Annex Market ↑
Uptown Side of West 25th Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue
Every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Chelsea Flea Market opens up in a parking lot off of 6th Avenue just down the street from the aforementioned indoor flea. The market began more than 40 years ago and is also now providing a new space for vendors of the recently closed Chelsea Antiques Garage weekend market. Lots of great furniture and decor can be found here at more than affordable prices.

Junk ↑
567 Driggs Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
If you’re willing to travel to Williamsburg to get some goodies, you should absolutely stop by Junk. They are conveniently located near the Bedford L and offer thousands of square feet of vintage goodies including furniture, dishes, art, primitives, records, books, photographs, cloths and accessories. They receive new deliveries three times a week, so it’s worth stopping by more than once if you don’t find what you need the first time around.

It’s also worth mentioning their North 9th location recently closed but they’re said to be opening up new spot on Union Street in the near future.

RePop ↑
143 Roebling Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
This funky little shop, also located in Williamsburg, is self-described as an “oddity show space that combines the overcrowded charm of an old-fashioned Parisian boutique with the promising clutter of a midwestern junk shop.” If you’re looking to spruce up your space with some out-of-the-box accessories, RePop might have what you’re looking for. They offer a wide range of merchandise including dolls’ heads, antique chemical bottles, taxidermy, modernist and factory lighting, vintage signs and more. The store is also known for their selection of mid-century modern furniture and primitive storage items.

Out of the Closet ↑
475 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Salvation Army 
436 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Atlantic Avenue is known for its row of shops hawking antique furniture. While these stores make for great window shopping, taking something home is usually out of the question for most. However, there are two lesser-known destinations that offer incredible selections at rock bottom prices just down the street. Although we’ll admit that not everything you’ll find will be gems, the store’s inventory changes so quickly you’re bound to find something that fits your decor at some point. Just to give you an idea of the prices, couches (which, yes, are clean and bed bug free) go for as little as $100, and you can find a antique cabinets and desks for half that.

BIG Reuse (formerly Build it Green) ↑
69 9th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

In Queens:
317 26th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
Formerly known as Build it Green, this is a one-stop shop has everything you need to outfit your home. The catch here is that there is some elbow grease required. If you’re someone who loves DIY projects, BIG Reuse has everything from salvaged and surplus building materials to appliances and furniture all at a great discount.

We also recommend visiting NY Old Iron right across street from the Gowanus location. This place really has it all, just make sure not to wear white and be ready to dig around!

Craigslist ↑
We’re all more than familiar with our old friend Craig and his infamous list. Craigslist was one of the first sites to help people to buy and sell furniture online. The grandaddy of the online marketplace has stayed true to form throughout the years, but this basic easy-to-use design has stood the test of time. Craigslist makes it simple to buy furniture cheaply from your neighbors who are often moving apartments and need to get rid of their furniture fast.

Krrb ↑
Krrb (pronounced ‘curb’) is Craiglist’s better-looking younger brother. Their focus is create local classifieds that connect communities with other communities around the world. Their goal is to take the mystery out of who you’re buying from and selling to when wheeling and dealing, so if Craigslist is a little too shady for your taste, Krrb is less anonymous. The search functionality is relatively simple, and allows users to look for specific items, items for sale based on a specific location, or both.

Chairish ↑
Chairish is an online portal that specializes in exceptional and unique decor and accessories from all eras and styles, and they take care of both the payment and the shipping logistics. They require items to be stylish, in good condition and offered at a good price, so you know you’ll be getting a deal. Their “inventory” is conveniently organized by room or function, and they have additional filters that allow you to search based on color, style, location and more.

Lead image by Jeni Lee

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