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score! where
to get cool home stuff on the cheap
by Yee-Fan Sun | 1 2 3
continued
from page 1
old
stuff…
thrift
stores
Because
they’re getting their goods for free, charity-run thrift shops offer
all manner of used stuff for insanely cheap. Yes, you’ll have to put
up with the musty-dusty smell of the store itself and battle your way
through a chaotic jumble of junk to get to anything halfway decent;
chances are good that you’ll need a little bit of imagination and the
willingness to invest some time into prettying up your find once you
lug it home. But the money you’ll save will make your efforts well
worth it. Thrift stores periodically have special sale days too, so
make sure to keep an eye out for when these occur. Meanwhile, though
the big name charities like Salvation Army and Goodwill generally have
the largest stocks, pop into stores run by small local organizations
too, which are typically less well-trafficked … giving you more opportunity
to snatch up that way-cool vintage whatever before some other hipster
gets to it.
Best for
finding | Kitschy cool retro fabrics (sheets and tablecloths
can be co-opted for all sorts of decorating projects); lamps; frames;
bookcases, endtables and other non-upholstered furniture. (If you
do buy upholstered furniture, give it a thorough vacuuming and
flea-bombing before you kick back for your first nap on it … sadly,
yes, I speak from personal experience.)
estate
sales and moving sales
With
thrift stores and regular yard sales, you often find that the stuff
on offer needs a fair amount of work to make it all stylish for your
abode; after all, the reason the previous owners were pitching them
was likely because there was something wrong with the items themselves.
They were ugly; they were broken; they were both ugly and broken. With
estate sales and moving sales, though, you typically find that the
goods are in perfectly fine condition; the reason they’re being sold
has nothing to do with any problem with the item itself, but simply
with the previous owner’s circumstances. While the prices generally
won’t be as rock-bottom low as at thrift stores, you can get good quality
items for your home at a much, much better price than if you were to
buy new; you can also find cool older items in styles that they just
don’t make today.
Best for
finding | Big furnishings and electronics at terrific value, as well as all
manner of smaller items for your home, like dinnerware, glassware,
lamps – you name it. Estate sales are especially good for snagging
deals on antique/vintage pieces, artwork and nifty collectibles.
shuffle
this way for more
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