Ed note: This article was originally published in April 2021 and since has been updated with additional information.

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Whether you’re a vintage buyer looking for more information or a seller researching your next listing, check out these resources to further your knowledge. This list is non-exhaustive and will be added to on a regular basis.

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Have a resource to share with other sellers? Send it to us! Note: We vet all sources and can’t guarantee your link will be added.

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Vintage Associations & Directories

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Canadian Antique Dealers Association

Browse the online marketplace to compare prices and find detailed information on pieces, including artists, materials used, etc.

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Hamilton Vintage Community

This Instagram account features vintage sellers in Hamilton, Ont. Follow them to see new pieces and vintage shopping events.

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Hey Vintage

A database of more than 1,500 vintage, antiques and secondhand shop listings across Canada.

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MCM Daily

Montreal designer and author DC Hillier is a go-to source on all things mid-century modern (MCM). While his MCM Daily site isn’t often updated anymore, it is an excellent archive of information on MCM.

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Pyrex Love

A visual pattern reference guide for all of Pyrex’s kitschy kitchenware.

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Toronto Vintage Society

Contains a directory of Toronto-based vintage clothing, collectibles, decor, furniture, and art shops, as well as lists of historic buildings, photography and styling, vehicles etc.

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Vintage Sellers Community

The Vintage Seeker's membership program for resellers. Meet other resellers across Canada and the U.S. who’ll share your nerves about live selling, who’ll geek out with you over the unknown origins of a rare piece of studio pottery, and who’ll be right there with you learning about things like SEO keywords in supportive and friendly online space.

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Marketplaces

Online marketplaces are not only for buyers — sellers use them to check prices and research items.

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1st Dibs

Luxury vintage items are a focal point for this US-based online marketplace, which also can be used as a pricing reference and information tool for sellers (though market value can vary greatly depending on item). International shipping available if you are a buyer.

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Chairish

This US-based hub sells mostly vintage and used furniture, art, lighting and decor, with some new and contemporary pieces available as well. Great for research purposes, but doesn’t ship to Canada if you are looking to buy something.

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eBay

Everyone knows eBay. The original online marketplace can be a helpful tool to provide facts on vintage clothing, home decor and furniture, to do price comparisons, and to list your items. Top sellers are a good bet for reliable information, but, as with all user-generated content, be wary of the veracity of what you read and try to double-check with reputable sources when possible.

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Etsy

This eBay for artisans isn’t just a good place to shop for maker-made products — like eBay, Etsy can be a valuable research resource for background, product comps and prices on vintage pieces. Same warning goes: it’s user-generated content, so accuracy can be hit or miss.

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Invaluable

More than 5,000 sellers in 53 countries are featured on this online buy-and-sell marketplace for antiques, collectibles and fine art. Sellers are generally from major auction houses such as Heritage Auctions, Sotheby’s and Tajan. More than 260,000 items are listed, and the site boasts more than 66 million price records. You don’t need an account to look up items in the price archive, but in order to view sold prices, you do.

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One Kings Lane

This online marketplace operates a vintage “storefront” (in addition to new products) where vintage lovers can shop by category including furniture, art, books, decor, textiles and more. While the site doesn’t ship to Canada, its listings can be a good place to find out the market value of vintage items. Just remember it’s all in US dollars.

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Pamono

This global marketplace for vintage furniture, lighting and accessories was acquired by Chairish in August 2021. It’s a barometer for what’s trending around the world. For shoppers, it’s a place to discover and buy vintage pieces from all over the world (Canada is among the countries Pamono ships to). For sellers, it’s a place to compare prices and find extra context.

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For a more complete list of marketplaces, check our article Where to Buy and Sell Vintage Online.

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Research Tools

Canadian Pottery Identifier

Identification resource for 20th-century manufacturers of moulded pottery and ceramics, as well as some studio pottery. Search by manufacturer or keyword. Free.

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Knoll

Established in 1938, this modern design behemoth manufactures office furniture, tables and desks. The studio has worked with notable designers throughout history, including Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe – and it still produces some of their iconic pieces, which makes the Knoll website an excellent resource for background on that vintage Saarinen tulip table or Bertoia bird chair.

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Live Auctioneers

Find worldwide auctions with art, antiques and luxury goods for price comparisons. Free.

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PurseForum

Forums to help authenticate vintage and designer handbags. They will not certify authenticity. Free.

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Vintage Fashion Guild

If you’re looking to identify a vintage label or fabric, or to find more resources on clothing from different eras throughout history, this comprehensive website on all things vintage fashion has been managed by sellers since 2002.

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WorthPoint

A massive online database for researching, pricing and buying and selling vintage collectibles, art and antiques. This subscription site includes a price guide, maker’s marks identification and a digital book library on related topics all help sellers further their knowledge. Subscribers can find more than 1.2 billion photos and more than 610 historical prices, which are collected from online buy-and-sell marketplaces including eBay.

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Museums

Looking for credible information on vintage furniture, vintage fashion, eras or design movements? Use the below list.

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Bata Shoe Museum

While the collection isn’t available online, the museum is offering #BSMAtHome content during COVID-19. Find weekly videos, blogs and virtual workshops.

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Canadian Museum of History - Resource Centre

Search the artifacts collection, archives and library for information on all aspects of Canadian history.

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Costume Museum of Canada

History, culture and fashion collide at this museum in Winnipeg, Man., which houses more than 35,000 artifacts including clothing and accessories. While the museum is closed to the public, special exhibits and pop-up events allow people to visit the collection (which is not equipped with an online search function).

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Fashion History Museum

This museum, based in Cambridge, Ont., stages exhibitions both in-person and online, including the Fashioning Canada Since 1867 digital exhibit.

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McCord Stewart Museum

Montreal’s McCord Museum houses more than 20,000 garments and accessories in its dress, fashion and textile collection. All pieces were manufactured or worn in Canada since the 19th century, with a few select pieces available from the 18th century. An online search function allows users to browse the collection.

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Royal Ontario Museum

Search more than 64,000 pieces from the collections of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) online, complete with colour photographs and descriptions.

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Textile Museum of Canada

The country’s only museum dedicated to textile arts, including fashion and clothing, has its entire collection of 15,000-plus objects available for online viewing.

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Vintage Black Canada

Aaron Francis presents historical images tracing the African diaspora in Canada.

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National & Provincial Archives

Archives can be great resources if you are looking for information on local history, events, Indigenous peoples, maps, etc.

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Library & Archives Canada

Canada’s national archive includes information on Indigenous heritage, military heritage, photography, and more. Use the Discover the Collection tab in the main menu to browse by topic.

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Provincial Archives of Alberta

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Archives Association of British Columbia: BC Historical Photographs Online

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BC Archives

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Archives of Manitoba

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Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

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The Rooms - Collections & Research (Newfoundland & Labrador)

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Northwest Territories

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Nova Scotia Archives

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Nunavut

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Archives of Ontario

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Prince Edward Island PARO Collections Database

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BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec)

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Provincial Archives of Saskatchewan

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Yukon

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If you have a resource to share, please send it to us. We vet all sources and can’t guarantee your link will be added.

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