Don't Forget Craig's List For Bargains

FDJake just posted about how he and his wife really like Thos. Moser furniture. Since it is SO high-priced–almost $20,000–for a dining room hutch, I looked it up–he likes to get it used at a bargain. Really nice stuff, Jake, but too East Coast for my rustic taste or house.

I like A. Brandt Ranch Oak. Out of Texas. They don’t make it any more either. So I have been collecting it for several years and putting it in my house and in my furnished rental units. It is solid oak and like iron! Really heavy to move, and darn near indestructible.

Plus I happen to love the flared legs, horseshoe hardware, and white wax finish. And it is affordable. And collectable. Just like Jake, I get all excited when I stumble on a piece in a yard sale. Once I bought 8 desks at $45 each! Even the hardware was worth more!

The point is, why go to a modern furniture store and pay $700 for a glued-together dresser when you can have a quality piece for the same amount of money? Furniture that will go UP in value, instead of falling apart? My Ranch Oak collection I will one day haul to Wyoming or California and sell to designers. So they can put it in a million-dollar “Ranch” home, for some movie star or mogul.

Better to buy furniture that has dove-tailed drawers and quality construction. Why not find something you like and collect it? 50’s furniture? Danish Modern? 1930’s WPA furniture? Find what you like, and make it yours. An investment you can use.

I am hosting a big family wedding this next week. I discovered my dishes have been depleted over the years. I found my pattern–Villeroy & Boch “Naif” on Craig’s list from June–someone wanting to sell dozens of pieces for just $250! Exciting stuff! Those plates otherwise cost $25 each, a serving bowl $70!

I happen to like the feel and look of nice china in my hands. Just like kitchen cupboard hardware, door knobs, faucets, silverware–stuff you touch multiple times during the day needs to be NICE. You need to really like the feel in your hand.

Maybe live in a budget 'lil shack. But, your cupboard handles gotta FEEL GOOD in your hand. You need to ADMIRE your plate before you put food on it. Your FORK needs to make you happy.

I’m just talking about quality here, folks. Not a lot of money. I’m talking about collecting, slowly, over the years, things you love.

My first dishes (4 plates) I bought in Florida just after getting married. I went back to the store FOUR times before I committed to them. Now my set of Naif is probably worth several thousand dollars. Especially the discontinued pieces.

Sell the junk, and surround yourself with just a few quality things that you love.

Furnishedowner

This is great stuff!!

Furnished said it better than I could…

It’s about the LITTLE things in life…The STORIES behind the ITEMS, the TIME it takes to create special things.

Why buy new JUNK??? When with a little DIGGING, you can have furniture that actually INCREASES in value instead of COSTING YOU MONEY TO DISPOSE OF!!!

Craigslist is where 75% of my MOSER finds come from!!

It’s the LITTLE THINGS with MEANING that create the VALUE!!

Don’t forget that there are ways to search Craigslist nationwide and ways to be notified of certain items for sale as they are listed. Just Google this stuff on how to do it.

I have posted before about Craigs List. I buy and sell used Iphones. I advertise as a buyer and a seller. I buy them in all conditions. I love taking them apart and fixing them. Am I getting rich from it? No. But as a hobby that earns me a little pocket change (500-1500 per month) I really enjoy it. I studied computer engineering in college and I love technology and electronics.

Plus the wheeling and dealing is a blast. It is all done by text messaging and email.

Yep Chris,

You got it. I’m always on the look out for cheap or broken Desktops, servers, laptops with cracked screens, bad drives, bad batteries etc… that I can pick up for close to nothing.

It’s a nice side business that doesn’t take much time and I can get the parts pretty cheap and replace them my self. Ebay just seems to have an insatiable demand for laptops. It’s amazing what people pay for some of them.

I’ve never gotten into iphones because I haven’t looked into how to take them apart, but I have a buddy who’s worked on his, because he just seems to crack his display once a month, so I’m gonna have to do some probing. My assumption is you are getting them with cracked screens, cases and doing the replacement?

It’s amazing how people just love to complain how they are broke, or can’t find a job in this “horrible” economy while watching reruns of American Idol and yet, there is plenty of opportunity sitting right in front of their eyes to pick up dollars laying on the streets. :rolleyes

very true!

whenever i have spare time, i love to look up the local craigslist. picked up some real nice finds here and there! but most importantly, have found a great many ‘broken’ computers which can easily be fixed, then turned around and sold back on craigslist for a tidy profit! a friend of mine does similar work with tablesaws and other large work-tools.

so many people with ‘broken’ items choose ignorance, or laziness! ah well, one man’s laziness, another man’s profit, eh? :biggrin