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6 Tips on Where to Find Vintage Tablecloths at a Great Price

I love a good thrifted tablecloth. And they’re even better when you thrift them.

Whether you like to use yours for a good ol’ tablescape or if you prefer to use it more unconventionally, I’ve compiled a list of the best places for finding these vintage treasures. I’ve provided all the nuggets of information I’ve compiled over the years and reduced it to a good list for you to reference. 

And if you know you have terrible luck at thrift stores – or you just don’t have any good ones nearby – I’ve also included online options below.

Church Rummage Sales

Although I don’t get to experience very many church rummage sales, I like to include them because they tend to have great prices. Also, you’re more likely to find items that belong to older women, which means more vintage to sort through!

If you’re an active member of a church, you’ll be in the know as to when these take place if your church organizes them. For those who aren’t too involved, keep an eye out for announcements on websites and Facebook groups.

Church rummage sales are not always well organized, so you may have to dig around to find what you’re looking for.

Thrift Stores

A vast majority of thrift stores have a linen section. You’ll want to carefully look through the racks or shelves to find thrifted tablecloths if all of the linens are mixed in with one another.

Some tips I have for hunting vintage tablecloths at the thrift store is that if your store hangs linens on hangers, it’s not improbable that tablecloths may get mixed in with curtains, bed sheets, etc. Also, employees may place any new, sealed items elsewhere. Look around the store and double-check to make sure you didn’t miss anything! 

At my local thrift stores, I occasionally find sealed tablecloths mixed in with sealed bedding. So I make sure to check on those shelves every time I visit. 

Online Shops

If you struggle to find vintage tablecloths in person, then your next approach should be hunting online. You may not encounter listings at thrift store prices, but you can find deals online with some of my tips below.

Shop for Vintage Tablecloths on eBay

I love eBay for Grandmillennial finds. And tablecloths are no exception.

However, because of the thousands of listings on the site, you may find the experience overwhelming. Here are some techniques I use to find tablecloths that fit my style and budget:

  1. Use Filters: You can filter search results by price, color, whether it is new or pre-owned, etc. Most vintage tablecloths will be found under the pre-owned filter, though there may be some new pieces in packaging to be found under the “new” filter.
  2. Use Specific Terms: You want to use terms like vintage, floral, or toile in your search query. This will also help narrow your results so you don’t have to click through a ton of search result pages.
  3. Learn Seller Acronyms: Sometimes, knowing seller lingo can help you find listings that would otherwise be buried in the search results page. Here are some acronyms that sellers often use in titles to describe the items they are selling.
    • NWT – New with Tags
    • NWOT – New Without Tags
    • NIP – New in Package
    • NOOP – New Out of Package

Additionally, some terms that I like to use to specifically find Grandmillennial style tablecloths across all platforms are:

  • Vintage
  • Floral
  • Cabbage Rose
  • Shabby Chic
  • Chintz
  • Block Print
  • Ticking
  • Gingham
  • Toile

And if I’m looking for something in a particular color, I make sure to add that filter as well.

Try Etsy

Etsy is more renowned for handmade items, but you’ll sometimes run into listings advertising secondhand items. I find that resellers tend to prefer eBay over Etsy for vintage items, so you may not get as many results to sift through on Etsy.

My only complaint with Etsy is that they heavily push promoted listings towards the top of the search results. Consequently, you may end up having to scroll through a lot of stuff that isn’t what you’re looking for.

Consider Mercari and Poshmark

I feel like Mercari and Poshmark can have good deals. However, the hard part is finding what you’re looking for.

Overall, sellers do not consistently identify items by brands or descriptors like vintage or Grandmillennial. Likewise, if you’re trying to locate a particular style of tablecloth, you’re not likely to have much to go through on the results page.

You’re better off using general search terms like “floral tablecloth” rather than “vintage floral tablecloth.” In using the former, you’ll get lots of newer styles as well. But, you can narrow down your results with condition or color filters.

And finally, I find that Poshmark tends to have fewer home goods compared to Mercari. It seems people prefer that platform for clothing, so keep that in mind.

Don’t Ignore Instagram

Believe it or not, Instagram is a great place to buy amazing secondhand finds. Sellers use Instagram to advertise their merchandise to potential buyers. Usually, they will carry decor items, art, glassware, and sometimes tablecloths.

Every seller is different, but some sellers on Instagram establish their brand by sticking to a particular decor style. 

I’ve included some of my favorite Instagram sellers below so you too can check out their inventory. If you like their style, remember to follow so you’re always up to date when new items are in stock.

And that’s all I have for now. See you in the next one!

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