Thrift shopping isn’t just about scoring cheap finds anymore. Nope, it’s about diving deep into those cluttered aisles and coming out with something totally unexpected that would spice up your home decor.
Some folks emerge with the quirkiest, “what-on-earth-is-that” pieces, and you know what? They somehow make it work. Then there are the unsung heroes who find that old-school vase or lamp and turn their space into a Pinterest-worthy haven. It’s like some people have this sixth sense for spotting cool second-hand home decor pieces amidst chaos. Thrift stores have become the unexpected playground for home decor rebels, proving you don’t need big bucks to make your space look and feel cool.
Here are some of the weirdest and most interesting second-hand home decor pieces people have discovered.
1. “Behold! My Precious Stegosaurus Teapot, Cream And Sugar, Salt And Pepper, And — Most Fabulous And Impressive Of All — Napkin Rings! All I Need Now Are The Stegosaurus Mugs. Are They Not The Cutest?”
2. “Picked Up This Dapper Guy Today From Our Local Buy And Sell, Set Him Up In Our Bathroom To Hold Extra Tp Then Waited For My Husband To Come Home Frog Butler, He’s So Fancy”
7. “I Made Eye Contact With This Amazing Piece From Across The Hall. It Was Love At First Sight. Taxidermy Burlesque Rat. Best Purchase I’ve Ever Made Rat Is Made By Showtime Taxidermy!”
10. “Found This Incredible Frog Tea Set At A Shop I Unfortunately Cannot Remember The Name Of In Wilmington, NC. Has Since Inspired My Manic Perusal Of A Frog Tea Party”
11. “Absolutely Gorgeous!! I Wish I Had Somewhere To Hang This In My House. But Sadly It Stayed In The Antique Mall In Sevierville Tn Edit: I’m Pretty Sure The Store Was Heartland Antiques (But We Went To Several) And It Looks Like The Price Tag Says $2485”
13. “Got This Great Lamp For My Reading Room At The Second Hand Store Grove Depot In Locust Grove Ga. I Love It . Got It Home And Saw It Had The Name Of American Artist Charles Wysocki. I Paid $60 And I Think Its Value Is Much Higher”
15. “This Wonderful Secondhand Find Is Courtesy Of Fb Marketplace Here In Missouri. The Lovely Couple I Bought It From Said It Originally Came From A Library In Fort Smith Ar. We Have Named It Dewy And Filled A Single Drawer With Ketchup Packets. Unsure Of What We Will Do With The Other 59 Drawers.”
20. “Hubby Found This Lovely Find At Our Local Thrift Store. Yes It Came Homs With Us. Trying To Decided If The Chair Was Reupholstered Or If This Is How It Was Originally Purchased. I Can Find The Material But Not Can’t Find A Chair Like This With The Material On It”
24. “I Found It On Marketplace For $40, But It’s Really A Mystery Chair. The Owner Said It Was Made By A Private Business Across The World Somewhere, But Anywhere You Find It Online Are Scam Sites. So This Chair Is Super Unique!”
26. “Picked Up Someone’s Celestial Dish Collection For $40 Off Facebook Marketplace. Mugs Bowls, Plates, Salt And Pepper Shakers, And Even Light Switch Covers! So Incredibly Happy To See Only A Handful Of Them Are Non Dishwasher/Microwave/Food Safe”
27. “Things That Get Turned Into A Lamp? A Family Member Found This Encyclopedia Set That His Friend Was Throwing Out…and He Transformed Them Into A Floor Lamp! The Book Worm Was Found At A Resale Shop A Long Time Ago!”
28. “Found My Dream Couch On Market Place. Searched For One For Years But Could Never Find One….was Sooo Happy To Finally Find One And Bring It Home. I Am The 3rd Owner”
38. “This Is Definitely The Weirdest And Most Wonderful Find I’ve Ever Had. I Found It On A Local For Sale Site Similar To Craigslist Last Fall. It’s A Vintage Ibex Ram Head Table And It Made All My Dining Room Dreams Come True!”
40. Rainbow Brite Kitchen Set I Saw At A Kids Consignment Sale Today. I Loved Rainbow Brite When I Was Little, Made Me So Nostalgic! $25 And $35 For Each Piece. Seemed To Be Made Of Tin? Interesting!
41. “I Collect And Love All Things Spooky, So When I Saw This Memento Mori Behind The Counter Of My Favorite Thrift Shop I Was About Hyperventilating. Best $15 Ever Spent.”
Stefanie is an architect with 15+ years of working both independently as well as on teams of some of the top Architectural Firms in the country located in Atlanta, Washington D.C. and New York. She currently runs BoardBatten.com a coastal architecture and design service in Port Aransas, Texas. She is also the wife of the dude who runs Pleated-Jeans.
Stefanie
