Stressed about gift-giving this December? With the holiday season — and an economic downturn — upon us, I wanted to share a bit about how I do my holiday shopping: by shopping second-hand!

More specifically, I tend to do my best holiday shopping at estate sales.

I'll publish a post on how I go shopping at estate sales in general, but here I'll be sharing a few ideas for easy, quick holiday presents that you can more than likely pick up at your nearest estate sale.

I shop at estate sales, especially for gifts, for a few reasons:

• It's relatively inexpensive.
• The items are often unique and interesting.
• Shopping second-hand helps reduce waste.
• Older items tend to be made with better materials and quality craftsmanship.
• Shopping second-hand forces you to be more thoughtful about what you're buying and the person you're buying the item for.

I've put together a short list of items I look out for when estate sale shopping to give to friends and family. These are the kinds of items that are in such abundance that you can stop in to an estate sale on your way to a holiday party and grab them as if you were shopping at a big-box store.

Coffee Table Books

Coffee table books are currently in style, but the ones on the shelves at Marshalls or Target are often so generic, and everyone has them. Instead, go to estate sales to find fashion photo books, interior design books, and other large and beautiful volumes that look great on display and actually reflect a unique sense of style.

I found a copy of Transcending Nature, shot by David Sims for Loewe Spring/Summer '22, for just $1 at an estate sale. Transcending Nature is a huge hardcover that comes in a cool lavender slipcase embossed with the Loewe logo. I intend to give it to a friend of mine that is very fashionable and who has a living room decorated with reds and pinks, since I think the purple would complement the rest of her decor.

Music Albums

If you know the person you're getting a gift for well enough, then it should be relatively easy to pick out a vinyl record, CD, or cassette tape for them. I try to keep a mental note of which of my friends has a turntable or cassette player so I know what formats of audio they can play back. I find that even if I don't know a person's musical tastes too well, most people seem to enjoy big band records, Christmas holiday albums, and other music that they can play when others are around for the holidays.

You can also find quality vintage audio equipment like turntables, receivers, and speakers at estate sales,

Cookware & Small Appliances

The phrase "they don't make 'em like they used to" is especially true when it comes to kitchen items. Estate sales are a rich source of vintage cast iron cookware that is usually priced at about the same or less than ones made today, yet the older cast iron cookware is heavier, smoother, and generally of better construction quality than the newer ones.

You can also find vintage small appliances, like stand mixers at estate sales. If you're intimidated by the prospect of trying to assess which appliances are worth considering, the r/vintagekitchentoys subreddit is an excellent source of inspiration and information. The benefit of older machines is that they're usually more easily repaired and often just need a good wipe-down before being used. For example, I recently came across a really lovely vintage Sunbeam stand mixer from the 1970s in a trendy avocado green color. It was the last day of the estate sale, so I managed to snag it for $15. The stand mixer came with two glass mixing bowls and was in great shape for its age. Much less expensive than a new Kitchenaid stand mixer ($15 vs. $300+!)

Serving Dishes

Along the same lines as cookware and small appliances, I also like to find fun serving dishes to give to friends and family who host frequently. Thankfully, there are so many quirky, interestingly-shaped, and vintage serving dishes that you can find at estate sales.

I'm a big fan of Bordallo Pinheiro cabbageware. Cabbageware is a style of ceramics or earthen ware that, you guessed it, looks like cabbage. I find that it goes well with a lot of tablescapes, so it's an easy gift for a lot of people. It's also much cheaper to buy used at an estate sale. I once found a Bordallo Pinheiro cabbageware multi-compartment server for dip at an estate sale for $10. Usually, large Bordallo Pinheiro pieces go for $100-200.