The Best Places To Buy Authentic Vintage Quilts To Give Your Home A Rustic Feel

Are you trying to cultivate an authentically homey atmosphere in your home? Perhaps you're simply looking for an attractive coverlet for your bed that doesn't cost a lot of money. Some of the best places to buy vintage quilts might surprise you — and yes, the list includes local thrift stores. While some decorators like to use old quilts as unique rustic home décor that isn't a painting, these rustic blankets also make for beautiful bedspreads. Investing in one of these often handmade creations can help make a bedroom feel warm and cozy, which is just how we all like it.

Although the precise definition of vintage can vary when it comes to quilts, the term generally applies to blankets stitched between the 1920s and the mid-1960s. Because these textile items tend to be handed down in families, you might even get lucky and find one that's over 100 years old. That would qualify it as an antique.

Being old doesn't necessarily make quilts cheaper or more expensive than newer creations. Some contemporary quilts boast price tags into the thousands of dollars, and so can decades-old blankets. You might also come across a reproduction quilt that was created recently but is inspired by an heirloom pattern. If you're hoping to buy an authentic vintage quilt to add a rustic feel to your home, examine your find for hand stitching, pastel colors, specific patterns, and scrap fabrics, all of which indicate age.

While some of us put a high value on handmade or heirloom bed coverings, others may not recognize their worth. Some unsuspecting former owners treat authentic quilts like ordinary household linens and discard them when they grow tired of them. That's why you have the chance to find trendy, decades-old home accent pieces you'll want to snatch up at the thrift store. Likewise, yard sales can be good places to pick up an affordable handmade vintage bedspread that's the perfect addition to your cottagecore bedroom.

It's also well worth your time to browse the listings on online second-hand marketplaces, like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy. Sellers offload all sorts of unwanted household goods on such sites, including nostalgic bed linens. If you get really lucky, that cheap new-to-you quilt could actually be worth a lot of money!

There are other, often pricier ways to secure an authentic vintage quilt to complete that farmhouse vibe. Dealers at estate sales and antique malls or stores typically stock particularly beautiful or historied handmade quilts in excellent condition. Whether you'd want to use them for a practical bedcovering or wall décor depends on how precious the blanket is. You might also find small businesses in your area that specialize in vintage quilts. In either case, expect to pay more for the quilt than you would while thrifting.