Buying vintage furniture is one of the smartest things you can do to furnish your home in a style that is completely your own. You can feel extra good about it as you are doing your planet a service too. Buying vintage furniture is one of the greenest things you can do.

While it would be great to find familiar brand names, don’t confine yourself to well known brands only. You can look for other manufacturers, too, and they may be less expensive but just as good. Just remember to look for furniture that is well made.

Sometimes vintage furniture items sold on consignment are in a better shape. If you are shopping for upholstered furniture, it makes sense to look for gently used furniture. It is not very cost effective to refurbish upholstered furniture generally, and not something that most relish doing on their own.

Look for furniture with good bones. For instance, drawers should slide out easily and upholstered pieces should have good sturdy frames. Plastic furniture should not be on the verge of cracking.

Explore different vintage furniture stores in your area, or an area that has older homes. It helps to go there often, as some may even have markdowns after a piece has been on the floor for a certain period of time. If you develop a relationship with the staff they may tell you if something that might be of interest to you comes in.

Just because it is old furniture doesn’t mean that the quality is great. Avoid furniture made with inferior materials and with poor workmanship. Every era has its share of well made or poorly made furniture. Vintage furniture is no exception.

Surface scratches can be fixed. Don't let minor scratches scare you. There are many products on the market that can help you with those, and if the piece warrants it you can get it professionally refinished.

Examine carefully for damage or alterations. If the piece is worth buying, use any evidence of damage to bargain for a better price. But before you do that, make sure that the piece can be fixed and that the price of repairs on your vintage item does not drive the entire cost very high.

Buying whole sets of vintage furniture might be expensive. If your budget is hindering you, try purchasing individual pieces one at a time, that would work well together. Actually that is also the best way to buy good quality new furniture.

See if you can repurpose the furniture, for example, use a small table for a nightstand. Unusual furniture in unexpected places will give your place its own distinct style.

Consider size, especially if you are buying the furniture for your own home. Furniture can look too big or too small in a store. Take your measurements with you.

source from : http://furniture.about.com/od/findingbargains/qt/vintage.htm