Trends Like “Deinfluencing” Are Shaping the Vintage Furniture Market, According to Kaiyo
Find out what’s hot and happening in the resale space with the company's annual trend report.
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Buying vintage furniture is very in vogue right now—and hopefully, it stays that way! It keeps perfectly good pieces from ending up in landfills, and more often than not, they add loads of character to a space. Plus, purchasing secondhand is usually very wallet-friendly.
So when Kaiyo, an online marketplace for “pre-loved” furniture, recently published their annual trend report with data on the resale market, we were eager to see what consumer insights and forecasts they had to share, and we weren’t disappointed. The intel is fascinating and some of the numbers are truly mind-blowing. For example, Kaiyo customers have saved over $50 million on top furniture lines when buying through the website compared to buying brand new! Read on to learn more of their interesting data points on the used furniture industry.
Related: Home Decor You Should Thrift Instead of Buy New, According to Experts
The Rise of the “Deinfluencer”
According to Kaiyo, the resale market has grown significantly thanks to TikTok’s “deinfluencers,” the platform’s vocal content creators who strongly discourage buying fast fashion and furniture. Just in the last month, there have been 869 million views for #deinfluencing on TikTok. On top of promoting the well-known reasons for buying vintage, these TikTokers share their negative experiences with shoddy, mass-produced items that are born from short-lived trends influencing the population. Hence the term “deinfluencing.” Essentially, Kaiyo is noting a marked shift from trend-chasing, and instead, people are gravitating towards classic, beloved design staples.
The Most In-Demand Brand is West Elm
Kaiyo shared the brands that are selling like hotcakes on the website, and unsurprisingly, West Elm took first place. (The company has quite the spell over millennials!) Other top brands included CB2, Article, TOV, and Urban Outfitters. West Elm had more value than any other brand on Kaiyo though in 2023, and the site even did a deep dive on the particular pieces that were standouts. Classic café dining chairs, the mid-century 6-drawer dresser, and the mid-century single drawer bookshelf were among the MVPs.
The Fastest-Selling Item Was Purchased in 5 Minutes
Have a mid-century modern two door cabinet you need to get rid of? If yes, you’ll be able to unload it quickly on Kaiyo. According to their analytics, this was the fastest-selling item on their site, with one getting bought in a record 5 minutes. (Clearly, people love the mid-century aesthetic.) Other fast turnaround items were the Moroso Armada accent chair, Hay stools, contemporary accent mirrors, and traditional three-seat skirted sofas—all of which had transactions taking place in less than 15 minutes.
The Most Expensive Item was $18,000
Yep, you caught all those zeros. According to Kaiyo, a Roche Bobois sectional (the Mah Jong specifically) was up for grabs at a staggering $18,000, though some quick Googling reveals that this is actually a steal—prices for the sofa online range from $20,000 to $55,000! Oof!
Cities Searched for Very Specific Things
Kaiyo has nationwide delivery but they offer white-glove pickup and delivery to some of the bigger U.S. cities, and therefore have a little more data on those areas. New York’s most in-demand category is desks, Los Angeles is looking for dining tables, San Diego needs cabinets, Washington D.C. is on the hunt for benches, and Philadelphia wants beds.
Top Design Trends Include Quiet Luxury, Barbiecore, and Coastal Grandmother
Kaiyo noticed an uptick in searches for certain furniture pieces based on design trends that were spiking on TikTok. (Perhaps you’ll want to pin some of these on your mood board!) The viral aesthetics included:
Quiet Luxury: A minimalist celebration of a natural look, with collected, vintage pieces from heritage brands known for their craftsmanship
Dopamine Decor: A carefree aesthetic with bold colors, unexpected shapes, and eclectic prints
Barbiecore: Anything pink and feminine probably fits the bill
Mermaidcore: Think scallops, turquoise, aquas, and iridescence
Coastal Grandmother: An aesthetic rife with linen sofas, jute rugs, natural wood, and the breezy vibe of a Nancy Meyers movie. Slipcovers are a signature of the look.
Clean Girl: Minimal with monochromatic beiges and grays
Weirdcore: Breaks all the rules and celebrates individuality and playfulness by drawing from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s nostalgia and surrealism.
Related: How to Get the 'Quiet Luxury' Look at Home
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