Amanda Smith scours estate sales and thrift stores, so you don’t have to!
Some might say it was destiny for Amanda Smith to run an online vintage and antique shop. Smith’s parents were avid antiquitarians, both having a strong draw to items of yesteryear. In fact, in 1990, they moved then-teenage Smith and her brother to the Moravian village of Old Salem in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a living history museum of sorts where visitors can walk the streets and chat with folks dressed in period garb. There, the family took up residence in the Traugott Leinbach House, built in 1824. Smith’s mother, Dianne H. Furr, was a docent at the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Old Salem, and her father, Tony Furr, sat on the board of the village for many years. Needless to say, Smith gets her passion for all things historic honestly.
Today Smith runs Vintage Smith Co. from her home in Buckhead. She hosts Instagram sales on Tuesdays when her followers can tune in to her feed for the latest finds. Her wares range from stunning blue and white Chinoiserie to shiny and sturdy brass figures. Smith shares more about her blossoming business.
How did you get into estate sales?
My husband, Shawn, has always loved architecture, history and antiques, and he was the one who started taking me to estate sales. I would go with him, and I didn’t get why they were special because he was buying things I would never buy. But then I started paying attention to other items and going at other times. He always went on Sundays, and when I started going on Thursdays before everything was picked over, that’s when things changed. I realized there were so many good things waiting to be uncovered.
What did you do before this?
I majored in advertising, graduated from UGA and got my first job at House Beautiful magazine. Mind you, I didn’t appreciate house design and decor back then. When we moved to Atlanta in 1998, I worked for Turner Broadcasting and did event marketing. After that, I was in philanthropy just before Vintage Smith Co. took off in May 2019.
How did you know you could make it more serious?
My first big sale was from a Goodwill flip. I got two cool wicker stools, painted them Kelly green and sold them right away. I was like, well maybe I’ve stumbled upon something.
What do you find rewarding about your job?
I love helping friends’ parents with their downsizing. Not only do you find some real gems, but you learn the history of what something meant to the family, and you can feel their relief that it’s going to someone who will appreciate it.
What are some of your most popular items?
People always love kitschy brass and anything coastal. It’s just whatever speaks to me. I may buy something and try it out in my house for a little while and decide whether I love it. Our entry table is famous for constant changes. Everyone in the house will notice I’ve swapped the catch-all, and they’ll wonder why there’s a different bowl. And the answer is because I found another vintage piece I liked even better.
PHOTO: Joann Vitelli
