If you have developed an interest in vintage sewing patterns, it may seem a little overwhelming to know where to find them. Sewing patterns are available in many places, but finding true vintage sewing patterns, especially ones you can still use to sew with, can be a little bit more difficult to find. After being asked many times where to buy true vintage sewing patterns, I wanted to create a list of where I find mine and links to many resources. The term ‘vintage’ itself is used loosely and some patterns from the early 2010’s are now being considered as ‘vintage’ which in my honest opinion, isn’t real vintage. For the sake of this post looking at where to buy true vintage sewing patterns, I will be using vintage to mean the 1970’s and older but mainly looking at patterns from the 1950’s. Of course, some of the shopping resources below will have a mix but there will also be examples of where to shop for specific decades.

Stores that Sell True Vintage Sewing Patterns:
Finding true vintage sewing patterns in the wild can sometimes be a challenge but for those that love the hunt, it’s a lot of fun.
-Op Shops and Second Hand stores are an easy place to find sewing patterns however, finding vintage patterns can be hit or miss. Even ever I go to a second hand store I always have a peep at their sewing patterns and although I’ve found some gems, there’s a lot of mundane patterns to shift through.
-Vintage Stores can be a more obvious place to find vintage sewing patterns but I often have personally experienced very limited range, high prices and a lot of patterns to dig through before anything good is found. It’s worth noting that not all vintage stores sell vintage sewing patterns.
-Not a store per se but garage and estate sales can also be a good place to hunt for sewing patterns. It may take you a while to find what you want but there will probably be a lot of fun surprises along the way.

Where to Buy Vintage Sewing Patterns Online:
The best places to find vintage sewing patterns online would be from online market places such as eBay and Etsy. I get a lot of my sewing patterns from Etsy especially because you can find sellers that have very unique and rare patterns. Between eBay and Etsy I would say that Etsy is more expensive overall, especially with shipping added, however, it has the better range. Etsy is also a better place to shop for multiple patterns from one seller to save in shipping. If you are hunting certain patterns, I would suggest being specific in your search terms.
Other online markets can include apps such as Depop which is another secondhand marketplace where you can find vintage sewing patterns but they are not very common.

Further in the online shopping realm, of course there are stores that sell true vintage sewing patterns. In the following examples, some stores sell just true vintage patterns whilst others will also sell reprints of true vintage patterns that have been professionally copied.
–Vintage Sewing Pattern Company; sells original copies and professionally reproduced sewing patterns with an incredible range. They can be a little expensive but for certain patterns, they are worth it. They can also be found through their Etsy store.
–The Vintage Pattern Shop; One of the biggest vintage sewing pattern companies in the world, this store sells professional quality copies of true vintage patterns albeit some at very high prices.
–Old Patterns: Although I haven’t personally shopped from them, a friend highly recommended them for their excellent range of vintage sewing patterns and a good price point.
–So Vintage Patterns: Not the most budget friendly option but this store has some incredibly rare patterns. Due to their price, I haven’t personally shopped from them but I certainly have been tempted on many occassions. They sell wonderful copies of true vintage patterns.
–Vintage Stitching: A great place to grab real copies of true vintage sewing patterns at a good price point. This store has a great mix of decades and styles.
–We Sew Retro: Selling a mix of true vintage, vintage reproductions and sewing supplies, this one stop shop has a great range of true vintage patterns but it may take some digging to find them.

It’s certainly worth noting that Etsy has many amazing true vintage sewing pattern sellers, many from which I have shopped with in the past. I have created a list of my favourites below who mainly sell the original sewing pattern but some also supply professional copies.
–The Fifties Dressmaker
–Studio G Patterns
–Gillians Workroom
–Spiffing Things
–Paper Ladies Shop

One online resource that many people over look are buy/swap/sell Facebook groups. There are many Facebook groups for vintage sewing patterns and sewing enthusiasts where you can buy, swap and sell patterns as well as other sewing things. I’d recommend searching for vintage sewing pattern groups and then reading the rules of each page to make sure you know how to navigate the pages. These pages can house some great bargains and unique finds.
In the same space as Facebook itself, of course there is always Facebook marketplace although this isn’t the easiest place to find vintage sewing patterns. However, it’s very common for people to sell vintage pattern bundles but I find most bundles contain lots of 80s, 90s and early 2000’s patterns. The cheap prices are a positive note however.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.