The Dresser Hunt

Buenos dias my friendliends. Or should I say Buenos noches, for I am typing this from my phone, in my bed, at 9:34 pm...

This morning started off at about 9:30 for me. I've been sleeping in a lot lately, probably due to staying up too late. I took a shower, then for ready. My mom and I loaded up the black plastic bags that we had collected over the past couple of weeks into the back of our family vehicle and set off for Operation Refuge, our town's thrift shop.

I've always  loved going through belongings and giving things away. In the process of renovating each room in our home one by one, we have been doing quite a lot of that lately. I think it is refreshing to get rid of stuff and know that you are helping others. Our thrift shop helps out local needy families through their profits, which means that we take the items nowhere else but there.

We dropped off a bunch of clothing and toys and even a really ugly chair near the back of their building in town, then came around the front of the store to start our real mission.

My mother and I have not only spent a lot of time working to improve our house, but we have spent a lot of time on pinterest getting ideas on how to do so. It's both motivating and rewarding to find the various DIY instructions and pictures.

This morning, our mission was to find some old furniture to flip/repurpose. The thing about old stuff is that many times its beat up on the outside, but the inside is still good. Almost like people. They can look rough on the outside but their soul is still good. While others may look good on the outside, but have a shoddy inside.

Our first stop, the thrift shop in town, was a bust. Nothing looked like we could use it. What we really wanted was a dresser that we could repurpose into an entertainment center. But, alas, no cigar.

Next, we headed to another shop nearby. A resale shop that sells clothing, furniture, toys, and all kinds of knick knacks - CBS Resale. Out in front of the store, which is right beside the highway, they always put the most interesting items and those items are almost guaranteed to be sold within 24 hours. Once, I saw a magnificent, vintage-looking pink upholstered loveseat in front of the shop. We were just driving by, but I was in love with this piece of furniture. Sadly, it was gone soon after and would have been way out of my budget anyway.

Today, the only interesting pieces outside were a picnic table (the usual wooden kind) and a small gaming chair with red chevron fabric on the seat instead of fake black leather. Inside wasn't much different. There were a few dressers, but most were shoddy or overpriced. There were some adorable headboards that could have used some love and paint, but still too pricey, not to mention we didn't need a headboard.

At this point, my mother had pretty much given up hope, so we went in search of another treat. Within rhe past week, I found the facebook page of a shop in our town called "The Spot". It was supposed to be a vintage/consignment clothing shop, but some of the stuff they had looked pretty cool online.

So, my mother and I drove down San Jacinto Avenue or whatever until we found the store. I could tell from the signs outside that I was going to like this place. The store was packed from wall to wall with racks and shelves of shoes and purses and clothing and whatnots of all shapes and sizes. The clothing ranged from juniors extra small to women's plus and ranged in style from ugly to cute to vintage. And when I say vintage, I don't mean HIPSTER, but truly "this has been in the back of a closet for 25 or 35 years" vintage. And everything was decently priced and good quality stuff too. Some of the stuff was even brand new. I ended up walking our with a purse and a new pair of boots. The boots only cost me $15 and were almost new. The bag was merely $25 when I knew it was at least $100 to begin with because the name brand was "The Sak".

A short ways down from The Spot was another resale or whatever you want to call it shop that was basically just a barn full of old furniture. My mother and I stopped inside to take a look. Towards the back were several dressers that looked promising, but they were TOTALLY overpriced. Who would pay $200 or $300 for a piece of furniture that still needs to be completely redone before it is worth anything. Blech. Those kind of prices make me sick, and just when o thought we had hit the jackpot!

My mother and I went to a furniture store immediately afterwards and saw that the previously mentioned shop was selling used stuff at the same price as brand new stuff. That and a bad attitude toward customers is defibately not a way to move inventory, and that barn was packed full.

My mom and I came home shortly afterwards and hopefully we will be going to find the furniture we need soon at another location. We have to do some research first. I will definately keep you updated on our ventures.

Love,
Elizabeth W.