Antique and vintage dealers may bring to mind dusty relics and their equally stuffy proprietors—and in some cases, this caricature is correct. But today’s layered, personal approach to interiors inherently elevates eclecticism and heirloom-quality acquisitions. Thus, its no surprise that a younger generation is “absolutely gravitating toward real antiques, not pieces being mass-produced to look like antiques,” according to Carly Krieger, the founder of Past Lives Studio. (Reminder: antiques, as distinguished from vintage, are defined as furniture and objects over 100 years old.)
A new cohort of dealers like Krieger are entering and transforming the trade, whether it be with predominantly virtual sales platforms or showrooms that double as event spaces. We spoke with her, along with six other up-and-coming antique and vintage dealers, about her most prized finds, current obsessions, and experiences in the profession today.
Jamie Sharp
At only 25 years old, Londoner Jamie Sharp has had a surprising amount of experience to shape his business. Growing up steeped in appreciation for antiques, his immersion was deepened during the time he spent running the vintage department of Cabana Magazine. Sharp started his eponymous online-only retail platform this year, which offers fine furniture and objects. We’re eyeing this 19th-century Italian liquor cabinet (carved from ebonized wood and stamped with bronze gilt, it’s Italian theatrical sublime).
On social media’s impact: “We live in a time where the algorithms feed us product after product, and mass-produced furniture is only made to last for one trend cycle. Real sophistication is now being rediscovered in the antiques market. Social media has completely democratized access: You no longer need to walk into a stuffy gallery to buy an extraordinary object.”
On how he prices his pieces: “A lot of dealers—for good reason, as I’ve discovered—don’t list their prices online. Or, if they do, they exclude taxes and shipping. The result is that the price you see is only half of what you’d pay. From the outset, I wanted to make things simpler for my clients. I decided to display a single, final price: One number that gets the piece to a client’s door wherever they are in the world and that’s it.”
Why he prefers to let the client lead: “A good friend of mine—a man who could sell snow in Siberia—taught me never to derail a client’s train of thought once they’re intrigued by something. When someone shows interest in a piece, keep them on track; don’t say, ‘If you like that, you should also see this.’ Instead, focus on what they’ve chosen and take the time to understand why they like it: Chances are you’ll find common ground there.”
The advice he would give to his slightly younger self: “If you find yourself grappling with the thought of a purchase, you probably don’t love it that much and shouldn’t buy it. Be impulsive.”
Liz Gardner
Between her styling projects and restoring a century-old mansion in Minneapolis, Liz Gardner, 41, found herself fielding sourcing requests—and another branch of her business was born. Atelier Bodega features seasonal collections of antiques, from Mexican pottery to British bamboo furniture, alongside custom capsule collections of decor. A true creative Swiss Army knife, Gardner also started hosting salons in the now finished mansion and publishes a broadsheet to boot.
Her current antique obsessions: “The Retablo paintings on tin that we have in our inventory: They are devotional pieces often commissioned in gratitude for divine intervention and displayed on home altars. They feel very personal and universal at the same time.”
On the benefits of building a Midwest-based business: “In the past, the Midwest hasn’t always been a region that people necessarily think about for antiques. But it actually is quite an interesting place that’s rooted in deep heritage and craft. We still have such a rich catalog here, as well as this quiet affluence and an appreciation for the arts.”
On why her sourcing is sticking (mostly) stateside, for now: “I think people often have this feeling of, Well, if it’s from somewhere else, it’s more valuable. But we’re seeing more appreciation for rural sensibilities. Beautiful things that come from abroad, especially from Europe, [often] have a longer history than local pieces. But I think there’s a [new] opportunity to be domestic in sourcing—it makes for an interesting time to be a part of this profession.”
Lily Barfield
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Houston-based Lily Barfield, 29, grew up picking through estate sales and antique shops with her mother—a pastime she credits with the genesis of her antiques business, Lily’s Vintage Finds, which she launched as an informal Instagram account in 2021. It quickly became a full-time job, with online retail that ships nationally. But Instagram is still where it’s all happening—Barfield shares her travel adventures via Instagram Stories with dedicated Southern charm.
One standout trend she’s seeing at the moment: “Case goods are really popular right now, especially antique commodes. You can take a beautiful antique French commode and mix it with some midcentury-modern decor and it all works well together.”
On the one that got away: “My mom and I do a lot of this business together. Recently, we were sitting at lunch and I asked, ‘Do you remember that gorgeous bleached oak cabinet with the green glass windows?’ We talk about furniture like estranged friends we haven’t seen in forever. I hope they’re living their best lives out there.”
The downside of rising interest in antiques: “Right now, there’s a lot more competition for really good finds, and prices have climbed because of that. Between Instagram and online marketplaces, people are more educated than ever about what they have and what it’s worth. That’s great for the industry as a whole, but for dealers trying to keep prices reasonable and inventory fresh, it’s a real challenge.”
Conor Burke
A former magazine market editor, Conor Burke, 39, honed his interiors sensibilities while working under AD100 designer Ryan Lawson before opening Gallery Folly in Chelsea, Manhattan (the antique and vintage furniture store also operates as an online retail platform). The showroom is multipurpose, as Burke knows the value of community (and a good party): “If I’m paying rent, I need to make it not just a selling space, but a place to bring designers, press, and friends together.”
His most beloved item currently in the shop: “A brass bowl by Josef Hoffman—I had only ever seen versions of it in museums, and when it came up at auction I had this trigger happy moment where I bid and was surprised to win.”
On the benefits of brick-and-mortar: “It’s nice to have a place where a designer or buyer can come, pick up finishing touch objects like ceramics, and take them home on the same day, so I’ve been trying to beef up that offering. I also see the space as connected to my decorating work, as a place to bring people in and start conversations. It helps people understand what I find beautiful, and if they’re in sync with that. I have found that the ability to come and see—and sit and touch—pieces moves things along much faster than presenting them online. It’s really about getting people in the door—or up the elevator in my case.”
Chelsea Macdonald
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As a former celebrity publicist with a background in brand building, upstate New York–based Chelsea Macdonald, 37, knows how to give antiques hype. Sylvie, the e-commerce platform she launched over a year ago, releases “drops” of decor that Macdonald has sourced overseas. The competition is fierce; one-of-one French wedding chests, Napoleon III armchairs, and more sell out within minutes. Macdonald sometimes invites tastemakers to curate their own antique drops on her site too. (P.S. Phoebe Dynevor’s edit was far more French-country than Bridgerton estate.)
On how she literally snuck into the business: “I went traveling to Europe for five weeks solo and made fake business cards to get into these dealer-only fairs. That trip validated that this could be a great business while still keeping things reasonably priced.”
On why antiques have (historically) felt so stuffy: “The secondhand market was really lacking technology, without a middleman to translate between older dealers and younger people who wanted the product.”
What she’s sourcing on repeat right now: “I’ve been obsessed with tapestries for a while, but lately it’s evolved into a full fixation on tapestry screens. They have an incredible way of adding depth and visual intrigue to a room—I especially love using them as headboards.”
Carly Krieger
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Brick-and-mortar gives form to 32-year-old Carly Krieger’s vision, which was brewing before her creative agency gig was shuttered mid-pandemic. In true Gen Z fashion, her antiquing chops were founded upon an Instagram DM to Somerset House, where she worked before starting Past Lives Studio, her interior design and styling practice. High up in an inconspicuous Garment District building, Past Lives operates out of a shared showroom and also offers retail and rental services in Manhattan and beyond.
On her current antique obsession: “Cast glass, Glass Saint-Gobain. I also love Swedish glassware designer Ture Berglund, who created the company Stockholms Glasbruk in the 1930s. Their products have this green seafoamy color with bubbles inside and a rough surface that just refracts light in the most beautiful way.”
Shaking off the “pandemic dealer” stigma: “For a while there was some negative feeling toward new people who were coming into the business and crowding the space. I definitely experienced being brushed off as a ‘pandemic dealer’ in the beginning. But then I did the Hamptons Antiques & Design Show and my booth was next to dealers who have been doing this forever. They were so kind and helpful, telling me their own stories about getting started.”
Why retail is just one aspect of her business strategy: “I wear a few different hats: I take on design projects with clients and do styling for photoshoots. The rental side of the business allows us to get more value out of the pieces by lending them to designers or companies or even movie sets—like Materialists, most recently.”
Cole Myers
As a teenager, Cole Myers, 33, was “unofficially adopted” by a French family who had moved to his native Kansas City. “They had inherited this grand manor in France and invited me there during summers,” he says. “I was suddenly snooping through these rooms that hadn’t been opened in 50 years and had been decorated 200 years ago.” Now, Myers & Monroe, his retail platform, functions online and out of a Kansas City gallery, which is currently under renovation. Myers’s curation focuses on antiques from the late 17th to the mid 19th century, with a particular emphasis on French period furniture (a full circle moment!) and fine art.
His current obsession: “Overlooked micro-styles: Things that have slipped through the cracks of decorative arts history. You end up with pieces that are traditionally beautiful but strike us as never-before-seen.”
On the humility of the hunt: “I always joke that I’m a used furniture salesman. I know what it’s like to have museum-quality pieces strapped into a rusty van in France at two in the morning.”
Best antiquing story? “My best friend in France runs a historic real estate firm, and through him I’ve found pieces that have never left the family of origin—or have at least been with the family for a few generations. I had this beautiful Napoleonic daybed come to me through a government seizure, which I had access to through an antiques trucker I met through a Chinese painter. It took two years to get, and it was an extremely valuable piece by the maker who furnished the White House in 1817. But [because of my friend’s connection] I sold it for 25% less than the only comparable one that sold to a museum a few years back.”
Why he doesn’t need a physical showroom, for now: “I can remain competitive in pricing because I have these private little facilities in Paris and Kansas City. Ever since COVID, there’s not one in 20 clients who needs to see something in person before making a purchase.”
