Home

[qshpr89]

Love to hit the Thrift Stores.  Found some decorative home items at Goodwill.  If you are looking for a good source try your Habitat for Humanity Restore if you have one in your area.  Found a great vintage door I turned into a picture frame there for $10!  I also like the website estatesales.net.  Great source for all kinds of estates sales listed by state so if you are traveling or just want to take a trip wandering which is always fun too!

[151949]

I am just home from taking a bag of gently used purses to my churches thrift store. They had some great stuff there, but I am in purge mode not purchase mode. I did look to see if they had any teapots. I love vintage pretty teapots.

[flickerbulb]

Did a Goodwill run this afternoon and it looked like the after Christmas donations were wiped out. I did not see anything of interest today.

That is the fun of thrift store shopping. Sometimes you find something interesting, and sometimes you don't!

[milkbone]

I shop the Salvation Army and the Goodwill stores. It pays to KNOW what day what items are on specials. Like on Wed at the Salvation Army, all clothes half off.

I notice different stores have different product mix. Some have fitting rooms, some not.

You have to get out there and look !!!!

Some weeks, nothing, next week the store is full of good stuff !

AND.....TIMING is EVERYTHING !!!!!!

[151949]

When i was a ypung bride my husband and his kids had lived on a houseboat for 4 years after his divorce so they had scant possessions. I had nothing - had lived in a dorm for 3 years. We bought a nice old craftsman home and furnished it entirely from estate auctions and thrift stores. The only new stuff we had were wedding gifts. I learned from those years how to refinish and reupholster furniture, how to antique furniture and to really appreciate the quality and beauty of old things. When my husband died and I had to get rid of much of that old stuff it really broke my heart. Now I have another  home full of beautiful old things that I love - and many are family heirlooms, which is even better. Once in a while I will think of something I had back then and it will make me sad that I had to let it go.

[qualitygal]

---

@ID2 wrote:

I live in a rural area. I just don't have the heart to shop at my local thrift stores. We have very needy people who live here. I really feel its doing them a disservice if I go in and buy something that I find "a great buy" when someone else in my community shop there out of dire necessity. JMO

---

@ID2I have a friend who said exactly the same thing as you. I like to browse and see what's what, and now and then we find something, but don't shop that way much. Some things you can't find at where you'd think you could.

[J9]

I love looking for knick knacks and old furniture I can paint up. I've gotten so many great things!

Some of my favorite finds (so far):

A Wilton Armetale pitcher from the 1981 US Open at Merion Golf Club (the old Bell telephone logo is on the other side) $6

A Signed Fenton vase. (My research shows it is actually from QVC, believe it or not!) $4

Fleur de Lis dining room chair (I don't think it was ever used!) $20

Thomasville buffet table that I painted and stenciled. $25

My piano! (I made the bench cover because it was really scratched u) $250

This china cabinet was a disgusting scratched up mess until I painted it and added lights. $80

A set of 8 vintage WDW Polynesian cocktail mugs. These things are thick and heavyweight!! $3 each

Another really scratched up desk I painted. $25

A Duncan Phyfe lyre side table. $70 is more than I would usually pay butt I had to have it. I just restained it. (I painted those ugly pillar holders red and aged them too)

ive also found a ton of Waterford and orrefors for cheap. I love thrifting. It's actually addicting

[flickerbulb]

@J9  I admire your rehab painting skills! I usually use a high gloss paint with a foam roller to paint. Can you share what kind of paint you used on the server and the cabinet?

I would also like to know how you applied the stencil. I was out yesterday and found a cute shelving unit that would look great painted.

I left it but may go back for it on Tuesday. Your painting technique would look great on it!

[Snoopp]

Beautiful work J9.  Do you prime before painting the furniture?  You have some great finds.

[Snoopp]

Question for furniture refinishers...I have a lowboy that is too light for the room it's in.  I think the wood is maple although the person that sold it to me said it was cherry.  It is not oak but has a reddish gold color.  I really want it to be a dark cherry.  Is it possible to stain it darker with some type of minwax product?  I'm looking for a darker brown shade.