Second-Hand Curtain Categories and their differences

Second-Hand Curtain Categories and their differences

The Divinely Vintage website contains several second-hand curtain categories and their differences are important to understand. The 3 main categories are extra-long second-hand curtains, extra-wide second-hand curtains and country house/vintage curtains.

We have customers with lots of different requirements and sourcing curtains for them sometimes takes quite a bit of time. We therefore thought we would share information about the most popular categories and their differences.

Extra Long Second-Hand Curtains 300 cms and longer

This category is for all our extra long second-hand curtains which have drops of at least 300 cms. This ties in with our well established and very popular Long Curtains WhatsApp Group. Of all our second-hand curtain categories, this one is pretty much the most popular because of the number of curtains we get in from big old country houses and estates, most of which are Georgian or older. It has to be said that most of these we sell are going off to a new life in another old country house. However some curtains do get re-modelled so their finished length is often somewhat shorter.

Extra Wide Second-Hand Curtains

This category is for all our pairs of extra-wide second-hand curtains which all have a maximum width of more than 125 ins or 325 cms. Extra wide curtains, especially extra-wide second-hand curtains, are wonderful for keeping out draughts, especially if they have interlining as well and this is a godsend in the battle against draughts. Many of these curtains will be vintage or country house standard so will also appear in that category as well.

Curtains in this category and mainly pinch/goblet pleat or pencil pleat. The difference to us is that for pinch or goblet pleat curtains we measure the top fixed header of one curtain and then double it for the pair. However we then take off 6 ins or 15 cms from the maximum width to create a Best Width which created a more relaxed look to the curtains when closed. We should make it clear that we give both the ‘best width’ and the maximum width the curtains will fit in all our listings.

Country House/Vintage Second-Hand Curtains

This product category is for all our second-hand curtains which have already had a fairly long life, often more than 20/30 years. If we describe them as ‘vintage’ curtains they are over 20 years old. Country House is an indication that the curtains have probably been in a large country house for many a year. They might well not be looking their best now, for instance silk curtains will often have frayed leading edges. However this can always be remedied and, like all our other second-hand curtains, they deserve another life in a new setting with customers who will love them.

Second-Hand Curtains Blog

One of our back stories for the Second-Hand Curtains Blog A long fabulous pair of french silk damask curtains sent to Hungary, split into two and now hanging in a smart apartment in a fashionable area of Budapest

Just why are Fabulous Second-Hand Curtains so popular?

This Divinely Vintage Second-Hand Curtains Blog provides the answer to this question. We waste so much in this world and fabulous second-hand curtains regularly get 'dumped' into landfill. Great looking second-hand curtains are a fabulous inexpensive way to transform a room without spending huge sums of money. They do not deserve to be thrown away but re-used by someone who will love them in a new setting. This is also why we set up the Divinely Vintage WhatsApp group, see below.

We have clients who contact us and tell us that they just can’t bring themselves to throw them in a skip! Fortunately, such is the power of modern search engines that searching for ‘fabulous second-hand curtains’ will usually find us quite easily.

We especially love really long curtains as many of our clients live in old (draughty) country houses. They just want large extra long heavy interlined second-hand curtains to keep warm and we have a page specially for people like them!

World-wide appeal of Second-Hand Curtains

We sell curtains all over the world and I think the only major continent we have not yet sent curtains to is South America. This year alone curtains have gone to Beverley Hills in the USA, Spain, France, Germany and Australia among others. 

Many of our customers love knowing the back story of their new curtains and some of these stories are fascinating. One of our personal all-time favourites were the four antique silk panels ransacked from a palace during the latter stages of the Spanish Civil War. You can read about this great story dating back to the Spanish Civil War on our sister website here. 

Another favourite story involved the three immensely long pairs of silk second-hand curtains that we collected from Grosvenor Square in London. They ended up being sold to a lovely lady who lives in a moated castle in Southern Holland! 

So how do we help?

So if you have interesting full-length curtains in a condition that we can sell we will take them and find them a new home. They do not have to be perfect! We don't mind (some) sun fading on the linings or frayed silk. If they have seen better days don't worry.

We will call them ‘shabby chic’ or 'country house' curtains and find them a home. We even have a category in our online shop especially for Country House / Vintage Second-hand Curtains.  Just send us pictures first so we can be sure we can sell them for you. You can find how all this works by reading our section on the Selling Process.

We love what we do and we are saving our ‘stock’ from ending in landfill which would be a desecration.  The life of your curtains can be extended by many years.

The Divinely Vintage WhatsApp Group

Stock on our website changes all the time and all depend on clients sending us details of curtains they want to sell. When you visit us for the first time looking for fabulous second-hand curtains you may not find what you're looking for. That is why we set up the now very popular and successful Divinely Vintage WahtsApp Group. Members of this group get the first notification of all new stock going into the website.

We love all our second-hand curtains and it doesn't matter wherever you live in the world. Thanks for getting this far and we hope to see you soon and you can always reach us via our Contact Us page. xx