I think Craigslist or an antique store would be your best bet for an excellent quality wood headboard. I'm sure you could find a headboard without head oil stains. I've seen many and gotten a headboard on Craigslist, and none that I've seen has had any oil stains on the wood. As far as new ones of excellent quality, someone else can probably better advise you on that. Hope you find what you're looking for.

Second hand might be a good place to start and if finish is not perfect, easy to strip and restain, or even hire professionals, given the cost of second hand pieces. Found this on Marketplace in 2 minutes.

I've found ones online and when I've gone to see them in person they have all had head gunk or serious fade marks around the head area. It is never noticible on the pics posted online, but sure enough when I get there they are kind of gross. I've looked through 20+ at a big estate store and they all were like that. The ones I have seen used are solid wood and $700 - $1200. I was hoping to not have to pay for stripping and staining on top of that. It is not something I can do myself.

Maybe reach out to find out in general what an approximate cost is to have redone.

Your chances are much better with second hand, if you can overlook the wear and tear, until it‘s refinshed.

Tons on craigslist, but keep in mind that our beds are now taller because of the huge thick mattresses. With that, the headboards are now taller to accommodate the height of the mattress and box spring, so be careful with measurements.

All of these headboards are sold on Ashley Furniture. You don't have to purchase the whole bed.

Just did a quick look for you on Etsy.com. I found quite a few nice options when I searched “wood headboard” and “antique headboards”. You can also search “antique wood bed” to get the headboard and footboard.

I highly doubt any of these sellers will have oil stains on their headboards. There will be a shipping fee is some cases, but not all. Just be aware some sellers are “across the pond” for antiques.

I got a beautiful antique dresser from an Etsy seller. I find these sellers to be very communicative and easy to work with.

It sounds like from what folks are saying that buying a new quality headboard is a thing of the past and I need to go with used? I think most vintage piece are going to have marks on them from people's heads. Mine does too, it's just that it came from my grandma's head so it doesn't gross me out! I buy tons of things from Esty and Craigslist, this is just my first go round with headboards.

@BeverlyFLADeziner I feel like beds are so much lower these days because the platforms sit low to the ground and there are no boxsprings. Do you know of any places that sell things like what you posted on Ashley but are maybe a bit higher quality?

I have had the same wood headboard for 23 years with no head oil stains. I have never heard of this being a thing. People sleep with their heads up against the wood? Around me I can find old wooden headboards in 2nd hand stores that have been rehabbed or painted, sometimes entire beds under $500. For that price I would buy the whole thing and try it and not feel too guilty discarding the footboard if it was too bulky for the room

If you live in the NY metro area, Kaiyo is a good source for high quality used furniture.

Depending on your budget look for Amish furniture. Stickley sells just the head board of a bed if you ask, (that could go for any built to order furniture maker)

If you click the ”+” next to headboard type, you can choose headboard only

https://www.stickley.com/products/highlands-bed?variant=40923181383733

Some of these beds also have a ”headboard only” option option.

https://www.amishtables.com/products/artesa-bed

I have a full wood sleigh bed with a gorgeous wood headboard and I use a box spring and it's plenty high. You don't have to eliminate the box spring. A lot of the furniture mass produced today simply is not going to be the quality of some of the vintage headboards that have lasted the test of time. If you search "wood headboard" you can absolutely find them for sale new, but they may not be solid. Does it matter? For the most part a headboard is decorative and a place to lean, likely with pillows. Not a chair getting moved in and out from 2-3x meals per day.

If you really want something vintage you can shop antique stores or craigslist / facebook / whatever local classifieds you have. One of the sleigh beds in my house is used and there wasn't a single stain on it. With wood furniture, you can easily clean it. I recently purchased an antique off of Chairish and I'm really happy with it. They have lots of wood headboards.

https://www.chairish.com/search?categories=BEDS%3AHEADBOARD&width=60-70&q=wood+headboard&no_redirect=True

It is possible to make your antique headboard taller by adding extenders to the legs, or changing the way in which the headboard connects with the bed frame. You are speaking about headboards vs. bed frames, no? Measure your mattress. It is possible to marry a Queen mattress with a full headboard. Or a wide twin with a full bed. Measure your mattress and then look at the width of the headboard in which you are interested.

Of course they are out there!

https://www.englishmansfurniture.com/furniture/queen-size-paneled-headboard

http://www.centuryfurniture.com/product-detail.aspx?sku=41H-126&section=

http://www.maitland-smith.com/Products/ProductDetails/89-1301

https://www.lexington.com/walnut-creek-wood-panel-headboard

Available in headboard only, look at rest of options.

https://www.redfordhouse.com/product/marcel-bed-luxe/

Antique/Retro

https://circawho.com/product-category/furniture/beds/king-size/

I looked at king size models, but you can search through and see what other sizes are offered.

Did you look at Perigold? https://www.perigold.com/furniture/sb1/wood-headboards-c1866853-a3556~8983.html?itemsperpage=96

Chairish might be a resource as well:

https://www.chairish.com/collection/headboards

What do you think about using a 56” wide headboard on a 60“ wide queen mattress and boxspring? Will a headboars 2 inches too short on either side look weird?

So many vintage beds are full 54-56”. Much harder to find a queen. Ive found a nice teak MCM piece on craigslist that has already been restored so no funky fade marks or oil patches. It is 56”.

People use full headboards on queen beds all the time- its fine.

Thanks @HALLETT & Co., that opens up so many options to be able to use full.

I'm bummed because the person selling the headboard I like said they are actually outside of the city and will bring the headboard into the city for me to look at but I have to put down a deposit first. Sounds like a total scam to me. Anyone else ever come across this on craigslist?

“I'm bummed because the person selling the headboard I like said they are actually outside of the city and will bring the headboard into the city for me to look at but I have to put down a deposit first. Sounds like a total scam to me. Anyone else ever come across this on craigslist?”

Total scam.

^^^^^ SCAMARAMA!

Interestingly, I talked him out of the deposit. He is going to give me a time and place on Sunday to meet up with him and the bed. Might be a horrible scam or I might walk away with a headboard. Wouldn’t do it solo but glad to do it with my husband. It sounds like a one man shop using the Kaiyo business model, which has always struck me as an odd one.

It depends the look you want in the room. The style and flavor.

I see no advantage to head board only, when you can often find the entire bed and eliminate a dust skirt entirely. Get a more finished look as well. That said?.

I've found Pottery Barn ( surprisingly ) to be good value when it comes to beds! So too Room and Board , which is excellent quality, customer service and USA made. Plenty of vintage @ Bucks County Estate traders

Pottery Barn

Room and Board....Berkely , the whole bed, which is great

Bucks County....vintage

There are 100s of wood headbords but IMO you need to explain the look you want from the guest room I bought a sleigh bed frame in a hurry all wood it has stood up in my guest room ,which is well used, for 15 yrs. This year I redid the bedroom and I painted the wood high gloss black and I love it. I have never owned a box spring IMO the biggest rip off in the bed industry ,The are exactly what they say a box with springs that have no use other than the money you spend . Get a bed frame with the height of the mattress adjustable a really good quality mattress and leave the box spring out. . Maybe try something different in the guest room and see how you like it,

so glad I was WRONG about a possible scam. Good for you!

Having sold many things on craigslist and seeing how many no-shows there are I can understand why he wants a deposit, never the less it does seem scammy.

@JAN MOYER Funny, the first pic you posted from Bucks County Trading is one I went to look at in person and was surprised by what poor condition it was in. I have bought other things from them though where the pics are more true to the condition.