Thrift Shop CHALLENGE

Have you heard the new song Thrift Shop?  Better yet, have you watched the video?  Hilarious. Well, Sherry and John at Young House Love were so inspired by this ridiculous song, that they issued another challenge.  Yay challenge! (I have a weakness)

Since I've been trying lately to stop by the thrift shop semi-regularly, the only additional thing I had to do for this challenge was get silly and snap a few cell phone pics.  So, let's go thrifting together!

#1. Go to a thrift shop with – just as the chorus of the song says – “$20 in your pocket” and take a picture.

#2. Spend that $20 any way you’d like and photograph your spoils.

I was VERY tempted by this chair for $19.99, but I fought my inner chair hoarder and told her we had no place to put it.  It's probably better that way, but how awesome would this chair be reupholstered??

I can assure you, I did NOT buy this guy.  Seriously, not sure if he's worth $2, let alone the $7.99 asking price.  At least he lives in his own happy, delusional land where someone might actually want a lamp that will give them the heebie jeebies......

I ended up spending only $5.30 (including tax) on this Indian engraved bronze bowl.  (At $4.99, I'm not sure who decided that this was worth less than the creepy lamp....)

How pretty is that detail?

#3. Find one item (or more) referenced in the song and snap a pic.

I'm shooting for a two-fer here.  This severely ugly leather and fur jacket can be described by 2 song references.  "Dookie brown leather jacket that I found diggin" AND "What you knowin' about wearin' a fur fox skin?"  That's my sexy-face, can't you tell?  Actually, it's more like my "I'm trying to rock this jacket and take a pic before anyone notices face"

Over all, not my most fruitful trip to the thrift shop, but definitely not a bust.  Even Hubby likes the new bowl!

Have you gotten any awesome thrifted treasures lately?

Latest Estate

I didn't go to any estate sales or tag sales this weekend, but I did last weekend and didn't show you my loot yet.  I'm excited about it all! Quite a good haul for a total of $13 if you ask me.

2 SteelMaster card drawers (which came from 2 different estate sales), a vintage deco-era folding camera, and a chrome kiddy chair.

The drawers are another attempt to organize my messy project area in the basement... The kiddy chair will be getting a refresh soon with some polished chrome and new fabric on the seat- I just have to find the right fabric.  Once it's done, Cutest-Nephew-Ever-Eli will have his own place to sit at Auntie Karen and Uncle Brian's house.

Considering the camera alone was originally priced at $10 alone, I think I haggled a good deal for all this for $13.

Have you found any treasures lately?

Keys to a Sucessful Tag Sale

Packing almost 30 years of collecting is not a small task, but it's a necessary evil for my parents to move to the same state as their daughters.  To make it a bit easier, a tag sale was called for. I'll admit, at times I can be a bit of a tag sale snob.  Few things irk me more than a table of crap advertising itself as a huge tag sale.  Make it worth your time and mine, people!  My parents seem to have tag sales down to a science (both hosting them and shopping them).  Time to share some of our 'family secrets.'

Dealers and early birds will start swarming the moment you start bringing things outside, so planning ahead is huge.  If you have an inside space (like a garage)  you can set up tables the night before to easily move them outside in the morning.

If you don't have a place to 'stage,' make sure you at least have your stuff organized, priced and ready to go.  Which brings me to my next tip....

Newsflash, you aren't going to rake in tons of dough at a tag sale.  Hopefully, though, you'll take in enough money, and get rid of enough of your stuff that it will be worth your time.  A big part of this is pricing.  Price ahead of time and price smart.  I suggest pricing items the amount you'd consider spending if you saw the piece at another tag sale.  The sweet spot is $5 and under.  The little items add up fast!  Don't make them dig for small change, though.  Pricing in increments of 25 cents makes it easier for all.

If they can't see it, they can't buy it.  If you have the surfaces, try and spread everything out.  Think of it like a store:  (1) it's so much easier to make impulse purchases if there's no digging involved... and (2) show off your merchandise.

...and lastly...

I know tag sales are early and you might not have had your coffee yet, but nice people sell more crap stuff.  A smile goes a long way.  You could make friends with this guy: he was awesome AND bought a lot of stuff.  Tried to eat my breakfast.  I can't blame him though, it did look super tasty (and he was probably kidding).

When it was all said and done, I'd say less than a third of all the stuff was left and the $$ was worth the time.  Win, win!