Holiday Gift Guide 2024: 12 Vintage Surprises to Brighten Spirits

For meaningful gifts that are made to last, consider a vintage find. Whether practical or fanciful, old things are better crafted and cost less than their contemporary counterparts. They don’t deplete resources and they come with magical patinas.


Julie, Fan, and I handpicked these 12 options, which we hope will speak to you—and perhaps inspire your own online treasure hunt.


The good news when it comes to buying antiques: if what you’re after is no longer available or too pricey, you can just about always find compelling—and more affordable—counterparts by doing some digging in person or digitally. And there’s still time before the holidays.
Above: A pair of Dansk Teak Salad Servers from the 1970s are $64 from Oregon-based Etsy seller Luola.
Above: Ruing the day she gave away some of her mother’s cookbooks on Cape Cod—only to spot one being read on the beach—Julie is rebuilding her library. This Instant 20th Century. Cookbook Collection is $159.95 from Parkwood Treasures of Madison, Wisconsin, on Etsy.
Above: A Vintage Antique Serving Platter is $54 from Hoppe Shoppe, Fan’s go-to vintage shop in Portland, Oregon.
Above: Also on Fan’s wishlist from Hoppe Shoppe, a Vintage Fanned Brass Wall Sconce; $178.
Above: Silver Wire Twelve-Point Stars from the 1930s, likely made in Germany, are $21.25 each from Etsy seller Fern Valley Acres of Michigan.
Above: A pair of 1920s Ceramic Candlesticks made by Haeger Potteries of Illinois is $200 from Ponytail—read about the Charleston-based collection in Julie’s Shopper’s Diary.
Above: Bay Area cult fashion and housewares designer Erica Tanov offers a small collection of vintage wares, including this Set of 11 Wedgwood Black Basalt Demitasse Cups and Saucers in excellent condition; $360.


More from Erica Tanova: A”Touch of Hippie” Solution for a Doorless Closet.
Above: After buying an antique mystery puzzle for my husband at a yard sale—it was in an old stationery box—I’ve been wanting to find more. This is One of a Set of Three Plywood Jigsaw Puzzles of landscapes currently on offer from an Ohio seller on eBay—note that the sale ends Nov 26, so act fast. For skilled puzzle makers, the fact that there’s no photo to study on the box top adds to the challenge—and we love the boxes themselves.
Above: Who wouldn’t love to receive a vintage soap dish paired with a pretty soap? Julie found this 19th Century French Porcelain Soap Dish, £95, at UK vintage bathroom fittings shop Water and Wood.
Above: Attention, Heath Ceramics fans: the company has just introduced Pass the Plate, its own marketplace for secondhand Heath wares: “On any given visit, you might see gently used dinnerware, retired glazes, rare treasures from Heath’s history, and more. While this is a peer-to-peer platform (meaning you’ll buy from and sell to other Heath fans), we plan to support it with our own listings, including factory seconds, samples, and archival pieces.” Among the current offerings is this Eames House Number 4 in Grey; $68.
Above: From London’s great paper goods and office supply emporium Present and Correct: a set of five 1960s Holiday Coasters is $11. N.B.: Yes, they’re paper, but they last: I’ve. been using one like these on my desk for months.
Above: The Apartment in Copenhagen reminded us how great vintage American quilts can look hung on a wall. From Folkling, on North Main Street in Gordonsville, Virginia, this 1940s Wonder of The World Quilt is $408.


More vintage gift ideas and resources:



* Shopper’s Diary: 16 of Our Go-To Online Design Shops Now Have Vintage Departments

* Remodelista Gift Guide 2023: 10 Useful and Beautiful Vintage Household Finds

* Remodelista Gift Guide 2022: 10 Antique and Vintage Finds on Our Editors’ Holiday Wish Lists | bit.ly/3XLoEJb


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