10 Red Flags to Avoid When Shopping for Secondhand Items

Thrifting furniture and home decor is a savvy way to style your home. But if you ignore these warning signs, you’ll end up with more than you bargained for.

Whether you’re furnishing your new home on a budget or you simply adore a vintage aesthetic, shopping secondhand is the way to achieve your goals. It gives your space a unique and curated look while also saving you money in the process. Plus, if your plan is to upcycle and resell, collecting thrifted pieces can eventually make you a profit. But before you hit the secondhand store, there are a few red flags to be aware of.

From subtle yet irreparable damage to deceitful sales tactics, it’s essential to know what to watch for to ensure you get quality pieces for a good price. This is especially true for larger or more valuable pieces, such as furniture or artwork. With the help of an antiques expert, we’ve compiled a list of all the things you should avoid when buying secondhand items. Read through this guide before your next flea market, estate sale, or online treasure hunt so you can confidently score unique finds.

Related: 9 Thrifting Tips to Ensure You Find the Best Secondhand Items

1. Visible Wear and Tear

Minor chips or scratches on an antique armoire can be considered part of its character and even add to its charm. But if a piece looks truly worse for the wear, think twice before buying it. While it’s not always the case, surface damage, such as bubbling wood or sagging cushions, can be a sign of overall structural issues. Small scratches in leather can be patched. However, if the tears are extensive, it’s probably not worth the investment. 

2. Possible Pest Infestations

Bed bugs are always a concern when buying secondhand items, especially mattresses and pillows. But they’re not the only critters that can inadvertently enter your home through a used piece of furniture. Clothes moths can also eat away at upholstery, and termites can infest anything made of wood. A severe pest infestation should be obvious, but there are more subtle signs to look for, such as droppings, discarded wings, or a musty smell that suggests the presence of dust mites.

Related: Thinking About Thrifting a Sofa? Look for These Red Flags

3. Incorrectly-Priced Items

According to Nora Curl, a fine arts and antiques expert at Just Answer, “It’s best to avoid buying from sellers who justify the worth of their items by using ‘asking prices’ of similar items that they have found on sites such as eBay.” Instead, she said they should always use the fair market value, which is based on past recorded sales of comparable pieces. Fortunately, this red flag can be easy to see. “Some dealers go so far as to print out the online listing and tape it to their item or look them up as you wait at the register,” Curl says. Except for estate sales (which Curl reminds us have a primary goal of clearing out a house), if an item is priced significantly below fair market value, it could mean it’s defective or a fraud.

4. Absent Price Tags Altogether

A seller might leave the price off of an item because they want to look up the current fair market value. Or, it could be for a more unethical reason. Curl explains this practice allows the seller to “chuck out any price they please based on your appearance; if they notice you’re carrying a designer bag or that you drove up in a luxury car, the price will likely be based on your perceived level of wealth.” No matter how you look at it, being expected to pay more for an item than it’s worth due to a person’s perception is a dodgy way to do business.

5. Lack of Documentation or Proof of Ownership

If you’re interested in buying something with a backstory, ensure the seller has proof. “Another red flag is far-fetched provenance, or the history of past ownership,” Curl says. It’s possible that documentation doesn’t exist and that hearsay provenance is still legitimate. In this case, she advises buyers to inspect the maker stamps, often found on the underside or back of items. “Educating yourself on antiques and collectibles can work in your favor,” Curl says.

“Just as a seller can overprice a misattributed piece, they might also underprice something, and that is where you, the informed buyer, can score a deal,” she says. Curl recommends studying photos of popular authentic verse reproduced pieces (such as Tiffany lamps) that you’re considering buying before you head to the store.

Related: 5 Secrets for Finding Buried Vintage Treasures, Straight from Design Pros

6. Strong or Offensive Odors

Let’s say you spotted a sweet armchair and are satisfied with its sticker price. But when you get closer, there’s an undeniable smell. It could mean a sign of hidden mold or mildew, or perhaps the previous owner was a smoker who let their pets on the furniture. Either way, it will be difficult to remove even if you plan on putting the time and money into reupholstering the chair. Similarly, if you open dresser drawers or an old trunk with a distinct musty smell, it will likely permeate your space, so it’s best to pass and keep looking.

7. Stains or Discoloration

Aside from the fact that they are probably set in and will be difficult or impossible to get out, fabric stains can also be caused by moisture damage, which, again, indicates mold or mildew growth. In the case of wood furniture, removing water stains is a tricky task unless it’s tackled swiftly. So, unless you plan to makeover a piece with paint, pass on those with noticeable discoloration marks.

Related: How to Clean Antique Linens and Clothing

8. Denial of In-Person Showing for Local Purchases

Ideally, always buy used furniture in person to assess its condition. That’s not always possible for various reasons, but if the piece you’re looking to purchase is nearby and the seller refuses to meet with you so you can inspect it before forking over the funds, that’s a bad sign. Most trustworthy sellers understand that an investment, even secondhand, is worth consideration. 

9. Faulty Furniture

If the leg of the vanity you’re thinking about purchasing is wobbly, don’t immediately write it off as an easy fix. Instead, vital hardware could be missing, and, depending on the age or type, replacement parts might be hard to locate. Take the time to open all drawers and doors to confirm the slides and hinges work properly. The last thing you want is for an accident to happen after you bring a piece of secondhand furniture home.

10. Lead-Based Items

The FDA banned the use of lead-based paints in 1971, so lead contamination has become less worrisome in recent years. But if you’re shopping for vintage items—particularly servingware—from before that time, it’s important to be aware that lead can be present. An EPA-approved lead testing kit can provide some peace of mind (they’re reportedly up to 96% accurate). If you must have a piece you know or suspect contains lead paint, place it on display out of reach, and never consume food or drinks from it.

Related: What to Know About Lead in Vintage Finds—And How to Shop Safely

Red Flags to Watch for When Online Shopping

Online thrifting makes spotting most of the above red flags challenging, if not impossible. You can do your best to avoid getting a bad deal (or being downright scammed) by watching out for the following:

• Poor quality or minimal photos that don’t allow you to see the item clearly or in its entirety
• Stock photos that don’t allow you to see the condition of the item you’d be buying
• Vague descriptions that don’t address any potential issues with or damage to the item
• Inflated shipping costs, which are sometimes due to a seller attempting to make up for a low-priced item
• Sellers with no history of past sales or legitimate reviews, who ask for payment via unsecured platforms, who don’t offer a return policy, or who don’t reply to questions you may have ahead of purchasing

Related: The Best Places to Shop Secondhand Furniture and Decor Online

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