The Key Differences Between Thrifting and Antiquing

For Codina, the difference between thrifting and antiquing comes down to intention. “Thrifting is often about the hunt; It’s energetic, it’s fast, you’re moving through a flea market or a thrift shop and making decisions quickly," Codina says. Perhaps you're looking for a great deal or enjoy the thrill of discovering hidden treasure. "Antiquing is more deliberate," Codina says. "It requires some knowledge—or at least curiosity about history," he adds.

Shapiro agrees: while both thrifting and antique shopping entail hunting for second-hand goods, she shares that thrifting is far broader and can include items made within the year as well as true antiques in the mix. "Antiquing, on the other hand, means you're looking for items over 100 years old, which usually requires a bit of an eye or expertise to be able to identify these pieces," Shapiro says.

What You Should Know About Thrifting

It's an Independent Treasure Hunt

Thrifting offers a chance to discover a variety of amazing finds, whether new, vintage, or antique. "Part of the fun of thrifting is having a vision, hunting and researching pieces on your own," Shapiro says. The expert adds that asking about a piece's history, age, and purpose is much more welcome and fruitful when you're antiquing rather than thrifting, as the staff typically has the expertise and time to share information. Thrifting is much more of an independent shopping experience.

There's Less Flexibility With Pricing—But You Can Try to Negotiate

While every thrift shop is different, Shapiro says most are less flexible with their pricing than a curated vintage or antique shop. As a store owner, Shapiro says you are welcome to ask about a discount, but recommends you do the following:

1. Be Reasonable. "As sellers, we do our best to keep prices affordable while accounting for our overhead and time to source the pieces," Shapiro says. If you want to get the best price, Shapiro recommends offering a cash payment (since every card payment incurs a processing fee that sellers cover) and requesting a 5-20% discount. "Save the haggling for more expensive items or when buying multiple things," the expert says.
2. Be Kind. For Shapiro, there's no better negotiating tactic than being friendly and respectful while requesting a discount. "Driving a hard bargain, nitpicking the item, or expressing you can buy it cheaper online is likely going to come off as rude, which means I'm not likely to budge very much," Shapiro says.

Adam Albright

What You Should Know About Antiquing

It's About Intentional Curation

When someone is antiquing, Codina says they are usually trying to fill a very specific void. "They’re not just buying a bowl—they’re looking for the right bowl," he says. That means the right period, the right piece to complete a collection they have been building. "I’ve seen people spend decades building collections—pocket watches, silver, ceramics—and every piece has to make sense inside that larger story," Codina says. Antiquing is about intentionality and curation. And if you are curating a collection, his advice is to stay in your lane. "You don’t have to know everything—depth in one area is far more powerful than surface knowledge in ten," Codina says.

There's a Personal Aspect to It

"A big perk of antiquing is getting to talk to the antique dealers who are often a wealth of knowledge," Shapiro says. In addition to items frequently being tagged with detailed information regarding the era, brand, or style, Shapiro shares that there's a personal aspect to antiquing. "You'll often find the pieces you buy from antique dealers come with backstories and interesting details which adds a different kind of value," Shapiro says.

You Can Negotiate Prices—But How You Do It Matters

One of the most common questions people have about antiquing is whether it's acceptable to ask for a discount or if that makes for a serious antiquing etiquette blunder. Codina says you can try to negotiate anywhere, but adds one caveat: How you do it matters. “In an antique shop, you’re usually dealing with someone who has spent decades building knowledge and sourcing material, so negotiate respectfully," the expert says. He advises against offering half the price without even seeing the piece. Additionally, Codina says it's not wise to try to prove your knowledge is superior or compare one dealer to another.

Speaking of pricing, the expert notes that just because something is a good deal doesn’t mean you should buy it. People often see a low-priced item and feel like they're scoring a huge deal. Before you make the purchase, Codina says you should ask yourself the following questions: "Do I need this? Does it fit what I’m building? Or am I buying it because it’s cheap?"