How to Sell Vintage Furniture Online in 2026

February 21, 2026 · 15 min read

Vintage furniture is one of the highest-margin resale categories. A $20 thrift store dresser can sell for $400. A mid-century modern coffee table found at an estate sale for $50 can flip for $800+. But unlike sneakers or electronics, furniture has unique challenges: it's heavy, fragile, and expensive to ship.

This guide covers everything you need to know about selling vintage furniture online — the best platforms, what styles are trending, how to price pieces, and how to handle the shipping problem.

What Vintage Furniture Sells Best in 2026

Mid-Century Modern: The Gold Standard

If you're going to specialize in one style, make it mid-century modern (MCM). The demand is enormous and consistent. Interior designers, homeowners, and Airbnb hosts all want it.

What to look for:

• Herman Miller: Eames lounge chairs ($3,000-6,000), shell chairs ($200-800), Nelson benches ($500-2,000)
• Knoll: Bertoia chairs ($200-600), Saarinen tables ($500-3,000)
• Danish teak: Credenzas ($400-2,000), dining sets ($300-1,500), bookcases ($200-800)
• Lane Acclaim: Coffee tables ($150-400), end tables ($80-200) — incredibly common at thrift stores
• Broyhill Brasilia: Credenzas ($300-800), dining chairs ($50-150 each)

How to identify MCM pieces:

• Clean lines, tapered legs, minimal ornamentation
• Look underneath for maker marks, stamps, or labels
• Common woods: teak, walnut, rosewood
• Check 1stDibs, Chairish, and sold eBay listings for comparable pieces

Best Platforms for Selling Furniture

1. Facebook Marketplace (Local — No Shipping)

Best for: Any furniture, especially large pieces. Fees: 0% for local pickup.

Facebook Marketplace is the #1 platform for furniture because most buyers want to pick up locally. No shipping hassle, no fees, instant cash.

• List with 10+ photos from every angle
• Include measurements in the description
• Price 15-20% above your target to leave room for negotiation
• Cross-post to local Facebook buy/sell groups

2. Chairish (Curated Vintage)

Best for: High-end vintage and designer furniture. Fees: 20% (they handle shipping quotes).

Chairish attracts interior designers and affluent buyers willing to pay premium prices. They curate submissions, so not everything gets accepted — but accepted items sell for 2-3x what they'd bring on Facebook.

3. eBay (Shipped Furniture)

Best for: Smaller furniture, lighting, and high-value pieces worth shipping. Fees: ~13.25%.

eBay works for furniture that can be shipped via FedEx or UPS — lamps, small chairs, wall shelves, mirrors. For larger items, use eBay's freight shipping option or local pickup only.

4. Etsy (Vintage)

Best for: True vintage (20+ years old) and handmade furniture. Fees: ~11.5%.

Etsy's vintage category attracts buyers specifically looking for unique pieces. Higher prices than Facebook, but slower sales.

5. 1stDibs (Luxury/Dealer)

Best for: Museum-quality, authenticated designer furniture. Fees: Dealer membership required.

If you have a genuine Eames lounge or a Prouvé desk, 1stDibs commands the highest prices. This is a dealer platform — serious sellers only.

6. Craigslist & OfferUp (Local)

Still relevant for local furniture sales. Lower quality leads than Facebook Marketplace but worth cross-posting.

How to Price Vintage Furniture

1. Check sold comps: Search eBay sold listings, Chairish sold items, and 1stDibs for the exact piece or similar
2. Condition matters enormously: A refinished Lane Acclaim table sells for 2x an unrestored one
3. Original vs. refinished: For high-end MCM, original finish is often MORE valuable (collectors want patina)
4. Include the story: Provenance increases value. "Estate sale find from a 1960s architect's home" sells better than "old table"
5. Factor in your time: If you're refinishing, add labor costs. A 4-hour refinish at $25/hr = $100 minimum

The Shipping Problem (and How to Solve It)

Shipping is the biggest challenge in furniture reselling. Here are your options:

Local Pickup Only

The simplest approach. List on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp. Buyer picks up. No packaging, no shipping costs, no damage claims.

Ship Small Items Yourself

Items under 70 lbs and 130" combined dimensions can go via UPS/FedEx. Use double-wall boxes, corner protectors, and plenty of padding. Cost: $30-100 depending on size and distance.

Freight Shipping

For large furniture, use freight carriers. Options:

• uShip: Get quotes from carriers. Average $150-400 for a single large piece
• Greyhound Package Express: Cheap option for smaller furniture ($50-100)
• Plycon: Specialty furniture shipping for high-value pieces

White Glove Delivery

For $500+ pieces, offer white glove delivery through services like Plycon or TaskRabbit. The buyer pays the shipping cost. This opens your market nationally.

Sourcing Vintage Furniture

• Estate sales: The #1 source. Use EstateSales.net to find local sales. Get there early on day 1 for the best pieces, or go on day 2/3 for 50% off discounts.
• Thrift stores: Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore. Hit them regularly — good pieces go fast.
• Facebook Marketplace free section: People literally give away vintage furniture. Check daily.
• Moving sales: People moving out of state will sell furniture for pennies.
• Dumpster diving: College move-out season (May-June) is a goldmine for furniture.

Restoration Tips (When It Makes Sense)

• Clean first: Murphy's Oil Soap and a good wax can transform a piece without stripping the finish
• Don't over-restore: For MCM pieces, a light sand and Danish oil is often all you need
• Hardware swap: New brass pulls on an old dresser can double its appeal (and price)
• Paint carefully: Some buyers love chalk-painted furniture. MCM purists will pay LESS for painted pieces
• Document before/after: Transformation photos sell pieces faster and justify higher prices

Photography Tips for Furniture

• Natural light is mandatory. Move the piece near a window or photograph outside
• Show scale: Include common objects for size reference, or put the piece in a styled room setting
• 10+ photos minimum: Overall, details, close-ups of grain/finish, underneath/back, any damage
• Stage it: A styled photo (book on table, plant on dresser) sells 40% faster than a bare piece in a garage

The Bottom Line

Vintage furniture reselling offers some of the highest margins in the resale world. A single mid-century credenza can net you $500-1,500 profit. But it requires different skills than other resale categories — you need to know your styles, handle the logistics of large items, and photograph pieces in a way that sells.

Start local with Facebook Marketplace. Focus on mid-century modern. Learn to identify maker marks. And don't underestimate the power of a simple cleaning and waxing to transform a $30 thrift store find into a $400 sale.