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score! where
to get cool home stuff on the cheap
by
Yee-Fan Sun | 1 2 3
continued from page 2
craigslist
Of
course, the problem with thrift stores, estate sales and moving sales
is that they require a fair amount of legwork – often, you’ll schlep
yourself out to take a look at the offerings, only to return home with
nothing to show for your efforts. Good news for lazy secondhand shoppers:
in this glorious internet age in which we now live, you can browse for
great deals on used goods without setting foot out of the cozy comfort
of your own home. Everyone’s favorite free online classifieds service, Craigslist (craigslist.org),
is far and away one of the best places to do your online scouring. New
listings appear by the minute, often with pictures attached, and you
can find furnishings to suit all manner of decorating styles.
Best for
finding | Just about anything, though since you’ll eventually
need to make a special trek to check out your potential buy in
person, I find Craigslist most useful for acquiring either big
items or a huge lot of smaller items rather than, say, a dinky
half-dozen
wine glasses.
curbside
Walking
around the city, I’m always amazed by how much stuff you see just lying
around by the curb, waiting to be picked up by the garbage-men – unless
they’re scooped up by some lucky thrifter first. Certain times are
particularly good for scouting for curbside freebies. First, find out
when the city does their bulky trash, as you’re most likely to see
big items being sent to the curb just before pickup day. Second, keep
your eyes peeled around December and April/May/June, or end-of-term
time, as college and grad students are in the process of moving to
greener pastures during these periods and often end up pitching perfectly
good stuff simply because they can’t lug it off with them.
Best for
finding | The usual budget living essentials, like chairs, tables, desks,
lamps,
mirrors, futon frames (I’d advise leaving the futon mattresses themselves
though, as it’s hard to know what conditions they’ve been used under
and how long they’ve been sitting around outside). Remember, a fresh
coat of paint can do wonders. And hey, if you drag it home only to
find it’s not quite right for your space, no money lost! Just send
it back out to your own curb (or to a nearby thrift store, if bulky
trash day isn’t for a long while yet).
o
check
out these related articles:
the real deal | 10 tips for furniture
foraging | waiter, i'll have
the table shopping restaurant supply stores |
how to craigslist | how to thrift
shop | how to estate sale
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