Where can I find an antique coffee table?

It may take a little time and searching if you want to get a really good buy.

Look for an estate auction in your area. They are usually advertised in the newspaper. Check your yellow pages for auctioneers and find out about any upcoming auctions. They can be good sources of antique furniture for a reasonable price.

You can sometimes get surprising finds at goodwill stores and other second hand stores, so don't rule them out. I have found a couple of really good buys at second hand stores.

Yard sales, moving sales, garage sales are all worth investigating. I have three pieces of antique furniture that came from yard sales.

If you don't mind how much you pay for it, go the antique store route, but be prepared to pay more. E-bay might be a possibility, though I have never looked for antiques on e-bay and you would need to be very careful.

There is also the option of antique reproduction furniture - not my choice, but you may be happy with it.

I hope these thoughts help. Here is a good link. Have fun finding just the right table! Best of luck with it.

I have found some of the best furnishing items at estate sales. Check your local classified section for locations and lists. Tip - if it's going on for at least 2 days, wait until the 2nd day or toward the end of the sale to buy. You take a risk that someone else may buy the item before you do but, if money is an issue, the items generally will be discounted 25% - 50% by then.

Other good places to check out - Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, thrift and secondhand stores, consignment shops, and garage/moving sales. If I had to do my adult life over again - I would have started shopping these places right from the beginning instead of scrimping and saving and doing without to get pieces of furniture that I was afraid to use for fear of ruining them. I find unbelievable deals at these places on all sorts of items that have had little or no use as well as great older pieces.

There is a difference between antique (usually over 100 yrs. old) and vintage. If you funds are low, you should go for the vintage. Check out yard sales, swap meets, auctions and used furniture stores. You might even find what you are looking for at Goodwill. Over look the paint or finish on the table. If in sound condition, it can always be refinished and brought back to it's original glory.

I must disagree with some of the answers. If the paint on the piece is original it should not be removed or repainted. In many cases, particularly with American country furniture, antique furniture was in fact painted. It has been the habit of collectors and restorers to strip away old paint to reveal the natural wood beneath for decades. Increasingly this practice is falling away. Original paint can make your antique more valuable. As far as preserving the paint goes you can find restorative products to cover and seal the paint. I do not suggest a particular variety not having specific knowledge of your antique.

Try Ebay

at a antique road show or a yard sale

you would be suprised what you can find at an estate or garage sale. Worth a weekend of browsing-works for me.

Check your local newspaper for estate auctions.

try ebay dot com

antique shop anywhere.