One of my favorite stores is severely underrated. The same store where some of my family's most treasured furniture has been found: many classic MCM pieces, a Lawson chair, two Parker Knoll chairs, and more. The owners scout vendors from all over the world, everything is free and they hold locations everywhere, and I mean everywhere. There are a few drawbacks: the stores are pop-ups, they do not give out the locations beforehand, and a lot of their goods are perhaps not worth it. The name is Curb Co., as my family calls it, and no, this is not a real store — but to me it feels like one. 

Curb Co. has vanquished any guarantee that a car ride or walk taken with my family will be linear. We will pass by a clump of chairs and automatically turn back to take a closer look. If this is not yet clear, Curb Co. is a name for picking up the furniture placed on the side of the road; it is the embodiment of “one man's trash is another man's treasure.” 

I frequently visit my sister, who lives in New York City, and I adore her apartment, which is furnished entirely with Curb Co. and second-hand furniture. She insists she has not, and will not, buy a new piece of furniture. Some of her pieces are place-holders for finding something better, but much is treasure. 

White Table and Thonet-style chair: Curb Co. Framed print: second hand. 

Whether you just got your first apartment, or you are well into your third house, you are never too late to shop Curb Co. And while Curb Co. can at times be random, there are tools to find such treasures. Start to find patterns. Do you notice if an individual or store throws furniture to the curb on a specific day of the week? Try to track this timing, and also perhaps the day of garbage pick up in different neighborhoods. When searching for a good item give every piece a moment of consideration, unless it's an old mattress of course. You never know what is there until you pay attention. 

One day, as my sister was walking in Tribeca, she passed by a coffee table, and assumed it was made poorly. She later decided to give it a second look, tried to pick it up and realized it was in fact very well made (it was heavy, a tell-tale sign). She brought the table home and later recognized her Curb Co. table in some pictures of Taylor Swift's Tribeca apartment. This would be much more exciting if we were Swifties.

Painting and Coffee Table (possible T. Swift provenance): Curb Co. Couch: from grandma 

When scouting, do not fear a little damage. The owners may have thought a scuffed fabric, or perhaps even just a scratch, completely ruined a piece, but there is always the ability to reupholster, refurbish, or repurpose. Vintage and classic furniture is always worth a glance given its quality and charm. 

On the hunt for treasure you can also search the internet. People list items on Facebook Marketplace which they would have otherwise thrown away. While some pieces listed on Marketplace have a cost, it is often relatively inexpensive and bargainable. As for Instagram, New York has the account @stoopingNYC, where furniture spotted on the side of the street is photographed and posted. Other major cities have similar accounts, and they can be an amazing resource — although you need to move quickly as things go fast.

We could all find a lot more treasures if we kept an eye out for them in our daily lives. The excitement of finding a piece at Curb Co. not only lives in that moment, but lives on in your home as soon as you place it inside. Furniture cannot speak, but it does have stories for you to tell. If you shop Curb Co. you will have a new story to tell next time you have guests over. Maybe you too could even end up with a side table previously belonging to a TIME’s Person of the Year.

--- 

Eloise Faith is an intern with Quittner from Miss Porter's School. As part of her senior year coursework, she is helping us with storytelling across our website and social media. 

Eloise's perspective on shopping the streets resonated deeply. Quittner started as a small antique store, and our initial stock was heavily comprised of pieces we've found over years of collecting — including a few pieces from the curb. Today, we continue to offer a selection of antique and vintage pieces with a heavy bend towards early American, traditional, and English styles. If you're looking for a vintage piece to mix into your home, explore our selection of antique and vintage furniture and homewares.