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‘Tis the season to shop ‘til you drop for friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, white elephant parties – you name it (and if you do, you’ve probably got to buy a gift for it). Which is no small task when you’re squeezed for time, money, ideas, or all of the above! But we’ve got a unique solution for you this year: vintage gifts.
Rather than scouring the big box sales for new bits and bobs for your “nice list,” check out our top vintage gift ideas below and where – and how! – to find them this holiday season and beyond. Even if your recipient isn’t a “vintage lover,” there are so many different vintage gift options out there today – and ways to buy them both in-person and online – that you really can’t miss. After all, antiques and other vintage items have character and allure that’s hard to match with even brand new selections. They’ve been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale.
Besides their availability and built-in cool, another great advantage of vintage gifts is that they buy you some wiggle room, taste-wise. There’s a certain romanticism in the history of a vintage item that really ups the appeal – even for things you wouldn’t necessarily give brand new. Plus, antiques and vintage items are usually well-made. They have to be to have lasted through the generations. These two characteristics alone can be enough to make a winning gift. So if your gift-ee isn’t wild about the item itself, they’ll at least generally appreciate it – and the thought it took to find.
Keep scrolling for our list of top antique gift ideas and our top ways to find them quickly and easily for everyone on your holiday list and – maybe yourself too. We won’t judge!
Vintage Gift Ideas
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When shopping for gifts, we’ll always tell you that the first stop should be your self storage unit! This is especially true when looking for gifts for vintage lovers, who’d no doubt be delighted to receive a treasure from your collection. And don’t be quick to rule anything out! Items that may seem outdated or out-of-style are pretty much guaranteed hits with younger generations. What was old is new again. Truly.
To guide your search – both in your own storage and while shopping – we’ve collected some of the trending vintage gift ideas below, along with some brief tips on what to look for.
- Sweaters: Warm, thick, fisherman sweaters are having a moment at the moment, and available secondhand on Etsy, Ebay, Poshmark and other fashion reselling sites. Use search terms like Fair Isle, cable stitch, and “Aran” for the Aran Islands of Ireland, where the fisherman’s sweater originated.
- Art: Oil or acrylic portraits are very in vogue, as are framed art exhibit or travel posters, wall or hanging textiles, and just about anything with an interesting look. Outsider art, as in art not made by a professional artist, can also be a very cool gift choice.
- Vintage Jewelry: Big, colored stone rings, chunky chains, resin cuffs, and silver jewelry from the 90s are all at the top of the list for anyone who loves their bling to come with a past. Pearls, charms, and hoop earrings are all popular jewelry trends for 2022 as well, and can be found at a number of retailers from thrift stores on up – and perhaps in your own storage unit as well.
- Christmas Décor and Ornaments: A great vintage gift idea for the holidays is antique Christmas decor and ornaments. Typically made of glass, metal, or even high-quality plastic, these decorations can be found for relatively cheap if you opt for something mass-produced (rather than hand-crafted) and aren’t picky about whether or not it’s a full set. Even a small vintage glass ornament can be more than gift enough to create a memory.
- Glassware: Antique glassware is versatile in that it can be gifted as a decorative home good or as serveware for special occasions. Antiques dealers report that iridescent carnival glass (from the 1900s), Depression glass (from the 1930s), and Jadeite (from the 1940s) are flying off the shelves thanks to their bright colors and unfussy designs.
Don’t be limited by our vintage gift ideas, however. There are plenty of exciting options on the market to fit just about any budget – and any recipient. Simply consider what you know about the person and what they like to do. If you know your kid’s a football nut, check out vintage jerseys. If your best friend loves a night on the town, look for antique clutches. If your husband loves music of eras gone past, grab a stack of classic records. It’s a meaningful way to acknowledge their interests while giving them a totally unique – and environmentally-conscious! – present.
How to Find Vintage Gifts
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Now that we’ve got you excited to buy vintage gifts for everyone on your list, you’re probably wondering where (and how) exactly you’re supposed to find all these antiques. We’ve got you covered! Keep scrolling for our tips on how to find antique Holiday gifts below. And remember, these resources aren’t just for the holidays. Bookmark the pages so you can revisit when it’s time to shop for any special occasion – or even a gift for yourself.
Online Shopping
Secondhand websites are plentiful, and a good place to source just about any type of vintage gift on your list, or just browse for ideas. Our favorites include:
If you’re looking for vintage clothing items or accessories, you can also check resale sites like:
Once you see what some of those pieces from the past are going for, you might be inspired to sell your own!
IRL Shopping
If you like the hunt, IRL (in real life) shopping for vintage gifts can be a lot of fun. Rather than pick from what someone else has already posted online, you can start from the same sources the dealers do. The types of stores we always hit up for antique Christmas gifts include:
- Thrift Stores: Whether they’re local or part of national chains, thrift stores are gold mines for vintage gifts. Clothes can be a little hit or miss for holiday gifting, so we like to shop the perimeter of the store. Never leave without checking the accessories, home goods, paintings and posters, jewelry, and children’s books for well-priced one-offs.
- Antique Malls: Antique malls bring a number of vendors together under one roof, which can be really exciting – or really overwhelming. Proceed with caution. Call ahead to ask what day the vendors typically restock and if there are any upcoming sales or specials. Also try to go in with a plan of what – or who – you’re looking for; it will make your visit much more productive.
- Estate Sales: Estate sales are where vintage hunters really score. Sign up for emails from local estate liquidators to be the first to know about sales, presales, and online previews. Garage sales are also great sources for unique, well-priced items, but can be frustrating to shop when they’re located all over town. Maximize your time by checking Nextdoor and other local apps for neighborhood-wide garage sale days.
Shopping for vintage gifts is half the fun. Read up on how to haggle for the best price, make sure you’ve got cash (as well as the Venmo and Paypal apps set up), bring your own reusable bags – and get ready to get gifting!
For more tips and advice, check out A Vintage Gift Guide from The Mom Edit and Antiques: Where do you Find This Stuff? from The Spruce Crafts. For a collection of gift ideas, click on 15 Vintage-Inspired Holiday Gift Ideas from HGTV.
