(Plus, I have a taste for antiques - stuff was made SO MUCH BETTER and so much more solid 200 years ago. Fortunately, people who 'only furnish their houses in a modern style with new furniture' means I pay less than Ikea prices.)
Any advice on getting started with this? I love the concept of buying antiques but don't know anything of how to assess how good a piece is nor where to find good prices. I would love your advice on this.
Advice for non-professional antiquing:
Baseline: if it's survived 100+ years and isn't wobbling, jamming (drawers, esp), or peeling (NO VENEER EVER), you're gonna have something that's gonna last for a bit. If it IS wobbling or jamming, look to see if you can fix it (a table might need a felt pad, a drawer might need a bit of sanding or oiling. No complicated repairs, at this stage).
After that, what you're looking to is your taste (highly personal, obv) and your budget. Around here, Facebook garage sale groups, Kijiji, Craigslist, and thrift/junk shops tend to be a goldmine for that sort of thing. Avoid antique shops at all costs unless you just want to browse and not buy - they know the value of what they're selling and you will NOT get a deal.
Around here, I've found old bookcases, end tables (80$, from the mid-1800s, excellent condition), bedroom bureaus (early-mid-1800s, 200$), and the like on Kijiji. Facebook groups yielded some amazing wool rugs from the 1950s (an old man who was moving into a home) for 50$ each for 8x10 rugs (we're not in an area with a bedbug issue and I inspected the rugs and had them cleaned). Thrift stores have gorgeous huge brass lamp bases for 20$ (10$ at the hardware store and an hour to re-wire them, 15$ at Homesense for a drum shade, and done).