Tips on Shopping for Furniture {at thrift stores!!}

Today is a busy day, so I just wanted to quickly share a few thoughts on thrifting for furniture. A lot of times I find myself debating whether or not I should buy a particular piece of furniture because I don't know if it can be "fixed" or not. Then there are some days, I snatch it up and don't even give it a second thought- as was the case with my famous $15 couch. Then there are sometimes I have to "sleep on it" and hope to God that someone doesn't buy it. This is rare for me, but is was the case for the chair below:

I was shopping with my grandmother because she recently moved and is replacing most of her furniture. Looking for a good deal, but not wanting to have to "fix" anything, we stopped by Salvation Army right by my house. This particular SA always has an incredible selection of furniture, a lot of it not needing refinishing or recovering. But their prices are definitely higher than Goodwill. A lot of times GW will slap a tag that says $25 on something worth much, much more. But SA definitely prices their furniture by condition, style and brand. At least this one does, I don't know if I can speak for all of them. This chair is the very first thing I laid eyes on when we walked in. I was kind of let down when I saw the tag said $100. I'm used to stuff like $15 couches!!! So I walked in circles around it, sat on it, looked at the bottom of it, and tried to pull fabric to make sure it wasn't ripped anywhere. Alas, I knew I had to think about it. So on we went to the next store and I gave in and called Stephen. He was game. So, I hightailed it back to SA, and acted like my grandmother was buying it so we could get her Senior discount. So I paid about $90 after tax.

Here's a thought process I go through when considering buying furniture at a thrift store:

1. Does it have an attractive shape/frame? Usually I am drawn to things that do, so if I run by something and I have to figure out in I even "like" it, more than likely it's not for me. You know how it is- it's cheap, so why not? Maybe I can talk myself into liking it! Throw that mindset out when you enter a thrift store especially!

2.Does it have to be recovered, refinished, or reupholstered? This is probably the biggest part of the decision. A lot of times, you find things that make your heart flutter when you see it, only to turn it around and find a missing leg or a broken piece of glass, or something unrepairable. The $15 couch was no question. I did look at the back to find a broken leg, however, but the leg was still attached and just needed a nail or two and then it was good as new. The reason I decided so quickly to buy the blue chair above {after husband's approval} was that I did the math. After the discount and tax it was $90. Had I found a similar wing back chair at GW, I probably would have paid $25-$50 for it. Then I would have to buy the velvet fabric, which I could get for $13-$15/yard. I would need about 4-5 yards (or more, I'm just guessing because my couch took 13 yards). I'd also need to buy welting cord, tufts, upholstery tacks, and possibly paint or stain for the legs. So now we're at well over $100, and still needing to do the work, which I would have to take the time to figure out considering I've never done anything with tufts. Whew! So, I thought $90 was good for a ready-made chair!

3. Consider the style. Is it unique, did your lucky stars line up and drop it in your path? Or can you find droves of that annoying oak coffee table in Craigslist, all day, everyday? Does it look generic? Or does it look/feel like a "once in a lifetime" find? When it comes to furniture, I can't stand anything more than "generic" furniture. And when people on Craigslist advertise something as "vintage" or "antique" when it's just plain old.

4. This may sound soooo elementary- but do you have a place to put it? I keep a running list of things that I need.... to keep from buying things that end up floating around with no permanent home and end up at Goodwill or on Craigslist again.

5. It also helps to know furniture. I am still in the learning process, so I can't say I know a lot. I did, however, see a lovely faux bamboo dresser on a home decor blog a little over a year ago, and I thought to myself, wow, I would love to find something like that and paint it white and add gold or bronze hardware! I didn't really know anything about the brand or what it was. Then, while browsing Craigslist a few weeks later, you'll never guess what I found:

The very same dresser, only in a different shape. Online I had seen the tall chest of drawers. So that very day I drag my husband to Watauga to pick this thing up for $40. I kind of felt bad for paying that much, too. So did he, and I'll leave it at that! 

So while I'm cleaning it out, prepping it for sanding, I see the brand imprinted in a drawer: Bali Hai. The date imprint on the back was January, 1969. I Googled it and found that it was very sought-after and selling anywhere from $250-$500, depending on which piece. So, I got quite a deal! Of course, we refinished it, and bought mother-of-pearl and brass hardware and it now lives in our entry way, {and no longer do we regret paying $40 for it!}

Since then, I have added somethings and moved other things around:

Here's a close up of the hardware from Anthropologie:

So, it definitely is good to know the value in furniture. This comes by buying furniture/decor books, reading magazines, BLOGS {!!}, and searching online via Google, or shopping on Craigslist. This is where the saying goes: "Practice makes perfect!" The more you read about furniture and "window" shop online, the more you have an idea of what's worth buying and what's not.

I hope this helps someone today. I have had very many people ask me for tips on buying furniture through CL and thrift shops. You may never again look at that vintage camel-back couch at Goodwill the same ever again!

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