4 Stay open-minded.
Barring a divine miracle, you will not find EXACTLY what you’re
looking for. If you’ve got your heart set on a sleek grey sofa just
like the one you saw in your IKEA catalogue, you’re best off
skedaddling on over to the nearest store and plunking down the cash. If,
on the other hand, you’re just looking for anything suitable
for lounging about, you’ll have a much greater chance of succeeding
via the secondhand route. Remember that wood and metal can always be
re-painted, ugly fabric remedied with a slipcover or new upholstery, and
that there’s no reason in the world that an object needs to be put to
its originally-/conventionally-intended use.
5 On the other hand, know your decorating
style.
The difference between a college dorm room furnished entirely in used
goods and a quasi-adult apartment done floor-to-ceiling in secondhand is
simple: a sense of style. Namely, the fact that the former lacks it.
Cultivate a look for your home, be it contemporary minimalist, retro
space-age, wildly kitsch, or rustic charm – even if the desired effect
is shabby chic eclectic, it’ll never work unless you make a conscious
effort to achieve it.
6 Bring plenty of cash. Plus a checkbook for
back-up.
At flea markets and yard sales, you’ll have better bargaining power if
you can pay in cash. But just in case you stumble across the perfect
vintage armchair and it’s just slightly more than what you’ve got in
your wallet, you’ll want to have your checkbook handy so that you can
snatch up your find before someone else makes off with it.
7 Know the difference between a good deal
and something that's just plain cheap.
People will sell anything, no matter how hopelessly,
irreparably useless the object may be. Don't get conned into buying that
nasty old "vintage" laminate table that the owner claims is
"a real collector's find." Let's face it: sometimes ugly is
just ugly, broken is just broken, and junk is just junk.