Great Sources for Refurbish-able Furniture

As a continuation of my tenth anniversary postings, I thought I'd summarize the sources of my great refurbish-able upholstered furniture.

Regardless of source, it is important to remember the quality criterion to ensure that the high cost of refurbishing is worth the expense.

• Look for pieces with high-end USA labels - e.g., Hickory Chair, Henredon, Southwood, Baker, Kargas, Sam Moore. Most of these (not all) are still made in the USA. Many great older labels are out-of-business and/or have been bought out and integrated into larger companies. Also, many companies used to make better USA-produced furniture but are no longer as well-made (Thomasville comes to mind). 
• Absent labels, look for signs of good foundation construction. One of the best signs is the presence of hand-tied eight-way coil springs which look like large round coils and operate independently to stabilize the foundation. 
• Look for woodwork that is sturdy and does not have evidence of breakage or water/insect damage.

I love looking for and finding these great pieces and am not easily discouraged. For example, I probably buy less than 40% of the craigslist items that I actually go out and look at. Even after asking a lot of questions, it is still necessary to see and feel the product to make sure that it is worth redoing.  

Here are my primary sources!  As I've said over and over - anyone, can do this. It is not only environmentally responsible but can be fun and rewarding!

This is probably my least favorite source. Prices tend to be high and I so much want to be the one to find the pieces and not buy them from someone else (at a higher price than they paid, naturally) who found them first. I only buy at my cheapskate price point and most things I see come no-where near that point. 

Craigslist is a great source but requires due diligence (you have to look a lot to be the first one to spot a good deal), getting a lot of questions answered upfront before heading out to see the pieces, and, time/mileage to get out to all the locations. Again, finding the right piece at the right price point for me is critical. 

Estate sales are fun but the prices are usually pretty high. They are generally run by professionals who know the prices they should be getting and are trying to get something for themselves on top. Not a lot of deals to be had but I still manage to get some - often on low-ball bids.

Garage sales are generally the best places for deals - people just want to get rid of their excess stuff! 

I have gotten some pretty good deals at the local Goodwill Stores particularly on Senior Citizen Tuesdays (25% off ).

So, here are my sources!  Do you have any to add?