Thrift Store, Yard Sale, and Online Estate Auctions

Last night, Rhoda of Southern Hospitality led a Twitter chat sponsored by Wayfair.  It was so much fun and high energy to say the least.  There were several bloggers there and lots of great tips.  The discussion was thrift store and yard sale shopping.  You wouldn't believe some of the great bargains that were shared.

I've shared a few of my finds in earlier posts.  Most recently, I shared my gilt mirror that I purchased for $11, not at a yard sale or thrift store but through an online estate auction.

Another deal I scored through an online estate auction is this alabaster lamp.  My winning bid was $9!

Did you know that auction companies are now using online formats for estate and personal property auctions?  Well, they do and it's awesome.  I've attended many auctions over the years but I've missed even more because of other commitments or bad weather.  Not any more!  Most online auctions are open to bidding for about 3 weeks with a preview date a week before the auction closes.  It's always good to see the items firsthand before placing that final bid.  There is one thing to consider when bidding...items are sold as "pick up only."  Very few auction companies offer shipping.  You need to take that into consideration and bid on items within a reasonable driving distance.  If you're in the Tennessee area, you can check out Comas Montgomery's auctions.  They list auctions statewide.  I've purchased from them many times and they're great to deal with.  Check your area auction companies to see if they're on board with this new format.  You'll be glad you did.

Yard sales are always a great place to find bargains.  One man's junk is another man's treasure!  This past year I found a great set of bamboo chairs for a steal, $30.  You can read about them here.

I still haven't recovered the cushions and I'm pretty sure I won't be painting them any time soon.  I'm going to have to grow tired of the patina on the natural bamboo before I do.

One last find I want to share is from an area thrift store, All Things Possible - Bargain Center.  I love this store.  It can sometimes be smelly and you'll definitely grab the hand sanitizer when you leave but they have some GREAT deals.  I found this beautiful cabinet for my kitchen.  I posted about it here.

Not that I haven't gotten some good deals at my local Goodwill but I find that locally owned thrift stores seem to have better prices and sometimes better deals like frequent buyer cards or specific sales for different departments.  The cabinet was priced at $29.99 but it just happened that furniture was 75% off that day.  I ended up paying $7.50 plus tax!

It doesn't take a lot of money to make your home look beautiful with quality pieces.  But, it does take some time.  I like the thrill of the hunt so I guess the time doesn't bother me.  My house will never be finished either because I'm continually decorating and re-decorating.   Don't you?

By the way, during last night's Twitter chat, Wayfair was giving away $25 gift cards every 10 minutes. Well, yours truly won one.  I never win giveaways!   Dare I confess that I've already spent the gift card, lol!  My order should be arriving soon and I'll be sure to share.

Thanks for spending some time with me.  God bless!
Angie