Back in the day, who would have thought that school pull-down charts would become one of the most sought-after items to decorate homes? Although created for educational purposes, they do indeed mix perfectly with modern design and give an individual, vintage touch to every home. But the best part is their infinite range of subjects and you can be pretty sure that you will find the one that truly resonates with you.

The prices are mostly affordable, but vary a lot and range from $50 to $1000, depending on condition, rarity, and depicted theme. Currently, botanical illustrations are among the most popular home decor prints, but pull down charts depicting other biological or astronomic topics are equally interesting and decorative.

Vintage charts & prints © Mighty Vintage Etsy (Image courtesy of Mighty Vintage)

Many vintage educational illustrations have already started a second life as wall decor, but no worries: the sources are not going to dry out anytime soon. Chances are, you will find authentic prints at a flea market near you, but it is sometimes just easier to shop online for vintage wall charts.

Of course, you could simply visit Amazon and buy a reproduction,* but why go for a faux wall chart, when you can buy authentic school charts online just as easily?

One of our favorite online sources to score authentic vintage pull-down charts is Etsy. The choice there can sometimes be overwhelming, so we picked 5 of our favorite shops selling vintage school charts to make things a little easier for you.

WindmillPrintshop

The merchant behind WindmillPrintshop is passionate about her collection of vintage school charts. She prides herself in her eye for originality, rarity and of course quality. WindmillPrintshop is a relatively senior member of the Etsy marketplace. Since it joined the marketplace back in 2015, this shop has made more than 700 sales and is ranked 5/5 stars by more than 240 customers. The shop boasts a large assemblage of products ranging widely in price, and many of the anatomical charts are exquisite and would make either a wonderful addition to an ongoing collection or look superb as a standalone piece.

WindmillPrintshop’s charts & prints price range: 45€ to 725€ (most charts and prints are sold in average 220€)

PULLDOWNROLLUP

With subjects from anatomy to landscapes represented by PullDownRollUp’s wide range, it somewhat spoils the shopper for choice. There is almost guaranteed to be something for everyone, no matter what the specific interest. However, PullDownRollUp is especially worth a visit for pull-down charts focusing on Astronomy, Anthropology, Geography, Zoology, Botanology, and Physics, as the seller honed a particular interest in these areas due to his background in science. This seller has an excellent reputation for accuracy of descriptions and extremely high-quality pieces.

PullDownRollUps’ charts & prints price range: 30€ to 720€ (most charts and prints are sold in average 95€)

MightyVintage

Mighty Vintage offers a greater variety of general goods and self-made handcraft items, though also has a keen eye for quality vintage pieces and has a lovely collection of pull-down charts. The majority of the pull-down charts are botanical in nature, and the shopper can enjoy excellent customer service from Mighty Vintage at every stage of the shopping experience from browsing to delivery. The pieces are always accurately described and efficiently delivered.

Mighty Vintage’s charts & prints price range: 45€ to 300€ (most charts and prints are sold in average 150€)

Wildstrawberryretro

Emma Harkness, the owner of Wildstrawberryretro sells vintage charts, Maps and other decorative items for the home. She has been collecting vintage charts for a number of years, ever since falling in love with them at a vintage flea market in Belgium many years ago. After marrying an antique dealer and leaving her Science career at Cambridge University to start a family, Emma found she wanted to spend as much time with her kids as she could and decided to travel around Europe together as a family, and managed to turn her hobby into a full-time job! Wildstrawberryretro features more than 400 antique items for sale, most of which are anatomical and botanical models, as well as charts, maps, mirrors, and other decorative items sourced from all around Europe.

Wildstrawberryretro’s charts & prints price range: 23€ to 1060€ (most charts and prints are sold in average 100€)

EdgarDeCosta

The owner of EdgarDeCosta (who’s also the person behind PullDownRollUp) developed an interest in vintage objects over the years and during travels across many countries. He has honed a particular interest in school pull-down charts and has dozens of pieces to choose from across a range of subjects from geography to anatomy. Shipping is always speedy and if there are any queries communication with these sellers is extremely easy, efficient and friendly.

EdgarDeCosta’s charts & prints price range: 42€ to 720€ (most charts and prints are sold in average 225€)

The shops featured in this article have been independently selected by our editorial team. Not that the article contains affiliate links that may earn us a small commission. This comes at no cost to our readers and helps us to create great content for Flea Market Insiders.

5 Top Online Shops for Vintage Pull-Down Charts