A Thrifter's Guide to Scoring the Best Vintage Dishware

I think about dishes every time I pass by a thrift store, see a particularly lovely setting at a gift shop or scroll through Facebook Marketplace to check out the kinds of tabletop treasures people are trying to offload. I've been collecting vintage dishware somewhat obsessively for a few years now, and while I'm certainly not a professional (though you'll hear from one, more on that later!), I've got a few tips to share, whether you're looking for a new hobby—or just want to refresh your dinner table setup without breaking the bank.

In-person shopping is the best learning experience

While online resale or auction sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Ebay or Maxsold offer the advantage of endless selection, shopping at thrift stores gives you the opportunity to learn in real-time how to identify good-quality dishware through look and feel. Get to know what heavy, good-quality glass feels like in your hand, or what a porcelain teacup without hidden cracks sounds like when tapped (it should be a light ping instead of a dull thump). You can also check for chips or imperfections in ceramic and porcelain glazing (it's best to pass on items like these; they won't last much longer and cracks can harbour bacteria if you're using them for food).

Using specific keywords online will yield the results you want—and maybe a nice surprise or two

Lately, my best finds have been on online estate sale sites such as HiBid and Maxsold. While their auctions move quickly and the sheer volume can take some time to get used to, you're very likely to find what you're looking for with a little search stamina and patience. On the hunt for vintage Dansk Kobenstyle cookware—not the version that was reissued in 2021? Keep a tab on those search terms saved to your browser and refresh it every week or so. If an auction listing pops up, be sure to take a look at what else the estate sale contains. An auction lot with a few Kobenstyle pieces is very likely to contain other midcentury Scandinavian kitchenware. 

Know when to be wary of lead

It's true: many manufactured products made before the 1970s contained varying amounts of lead, and this is a concern for dishes meant for food use. While it's good to be careful, this doesn't have to mean foregoing dish thrifting completely. Some products are straight-up no-gos, such as leaded crystal (frequently used in pinwheel crystal glassware), or older plates and pottery with orange and red glazing. Often, dishes will have manufacturing markings on the bottom that you can look up on listing sites such as Replacements to confirm when they were made.

A professional thrifter’s advice

Catherine Doherty, a prop stylist who often styles photo shoots for Chatelaine, has been thrifting dishes for years. One of her pet peeves? Using Google in the dishware aisle at the thrift store. "Everyone's googling what they're looking at on-site, only thinking about the resale value," she says. "This is making it harder to find those gems. It's such a joy to able to hunt with your gut instinct to find things you'll love and actually display and use in your home.

Doherty looks at the bottom of the dish first to gauge quality. "If there's felt on the bottom, you've got gold in your hands." Then there's the brand names: look for brands lie Mikasa, Doulton, Staffordshire, Aynsley and Royal Crown Derby. While finding an entire set of dishes from a single brand in the same pattern can feel like a score, she suggests mixing things up. "I think it's more fun to do mix-and-match. It keeps you hunting for longer, and makes the collection more personal."

Another tip? Look outside of your thrift shop's dish aisle. "A lot of people don't really dig around in the wood section, but there's so many gems there! Salad bowls, cheese boards, baguette baskets; wood integrates into dishware so well and is a good way to introduce texture.”

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