Weekend Estate Sale Shopping

First sale on Friday morning - a "Vicki" Sale. I  did get a call on the red Baker chair late Saturday but declined - probably not a wise move.

We've had a long stretch of rainy, dismal weather here in the Atlanta area and were overjoyed to see a blue sky Friday morning despite the below 32 degree start of the day.  My husband, my now-regular Friday morning sales companion since his retirement almost exactly a year ago, and I traveled to several sales to check out the goods and just get out of the house.

One of my favorite estate sellers, Vicki, had two sales this weekend. As is typical, there are "high-brow" and "low-brow" items for sale. In the beautifully transformed ranch house shown above, prices were high on most items such as a pair of no-name Jacobean chairs/provenance for $3000. I did leave several bids and did get a call later on Saturday. By that time, I had made several purchases and didn't want to return to the area so I declined - probably should have pursued it - a Baker wingback for $100 is a very good deal!

This Buckhead sale had some nice pieces as well. I bid on two sets of chairs (prices were $350 for the pair and I bid $150). I haven't heard back from this sale and don't expect to.

There are still not many sales this time of year and we decided to stop at a local shop called "My Favorite Place" link to facebook page. It is a nearby flea market type shop and prices tend to be very reasonable. Friday was a great day to stop by and I found three pieces to buy (two are Annie Sloan Chalk Paint projects) - total costs = $171.00 (much better than estate sale prices).

On Saturday, I again went on the road with my Saturday shopping companion - Ouida. We did see some decent sales and even stopped in a design shop that is relocating and was offering, amongst other things, fabrics for $5.00 a yard up. I bought 12 yards and Ouida may buy some for chairs she wants to recover.

One of two chairs purchased

After returning from the sales, I got a call on a set of Hickory Chair leather wingback chairs (wonderful condition) that I had bid $500 (against $900 asking). I consider these "as is" chairs and would love to keep them myself if I had the space. I asked my son out in California whether he could use them but his space is so tiny that they just will not work. I also asked my daughter to see if she had any use possibilities but she has no more space as well. SO ... I guess they will be listed as part of my "Estate Collection" which are items that are not refurbished. It is a fairly small collection because my joy is in transforming and revitalizing dated furniture but these just don't need it and, truthfully, I would not have paid this price for chairs that need redoing - my average is less than $100 per chair.

So .. a wonderful shopping weekend all around. I am already working on the chalk paint projects completing clean-up and first coat yesterday and will be picking up the two leather chairs later as well as returning with Ouida to the design shop to revisit some of the fabrics for sale. I do love this!

Estate Sale Shopping with My Hubby

First sale on Friday - Tuxedo Road Estate

Since my husband retired in January, he has become a faithful companion on my weekly estate sale adventures (when we are in town and not otherwise engaged). Increasingly, Thursdays and Fridays are the big days to go to these events - sometimes even Wednesdays. My favorite neighborhoods for these sales in the greater Atlanta metro area are Buckhead (parts of the City of Atlanta and further north), Brookhaven, Sandy Springs and Vinings. These are generally northern, affluent neighborhoods and have many grand estates that have the potential for yielding some great pieces for me to pick up - if the price is right. For Friday's estate sale adventure, we stayed mostly in the "greater Buckhead" area.

The first stop was on Tuxedo Road, right in the heart of Buckhead near the Governor's Mansion. There were many items for sale in the expansive home - something for every taste and price-point.  Included were some upholstered pieces, my usual main interest, with prices "close to" what I would be willing to pay but most were quite a bit higher.

I found several items that I thought my daughter would like and took some photos and sent them in her direction. She said "YES" to some and "NO" to others and I bought two metal pumpkins (decorative) and a horse-barn with quite a few horses of different types and sizes for my granddaughter.

The next sale was a little further north and held by one of my favorite estate sale sellers, Vicki. She knows what I am looking for (and willing to pay) and generally steers me quickly in the right direction. Before getting to that point however, we had to climb a very high curvy driveway - good exercise!

There were a couple of items that were reasonably priced including a nicely shaped wingback (photographed above).  Had there been two of these chairs, I would have snatched them up. A single one just didn't get me there. No purchases at this sale but good exercise!

The next sale was on Farmington Drive -  near the area of the city called Vinings. It was a big disappointment! Advertised as a "Designer's Dream" it was held mostly out doors and poorly organized. The items were in bad to very bad shape and still had very high prices (drapes for $1000 per  set??). This was a quick in and out.

Last Friday sale - House on Woodward Way.

The last sale of this Friday morning was being held by a friend of Vicki's in a house that was deceptively grand and beautiful from the outside - again in the heart of Buckhead. Once you got inside, however, it looked like it hadn't been maintained for at least 25 years and probably longer. The decor was not just dated but parts of the house looked in bad repair. It smelled and seemed ill-lit and drafty.  There were a few items (French style) that were nice and I left some bids but didn't expect to hear about them (and haven't).

SO, other than the purchases for my daughter (which she loves), I didn't buy anything but did enjoy the crisp, bright morning hunt with my trusty sidekick!

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?

Before and After - It'a A GREEN Business

Every now and then, I reflect on the reason I love doing what I do - the AMAZING transformation of old, tired (sometimes saved from a dumpster) upholstered pieces into wonderful and even trendy "better than new" furniture. It is so gratifying to see these pieces change by the professional application of new fabrics and the occastional touch of paint. As I think about ten years in business, this is really what it is all about and why it continues to excite me!

Here are some recent transformations and all of my not-so-secret sources!

I bought this piece at an estate sale in Buckhead (heart of "tony" Atlanta neighborhood). It cost me $50 and was in pretty sad condition. The fabric was bought on-line (eBay) from one of my go-to fabric houses - a woven blue and white check. 

I bought four of these chairs for $25 each from a Craigslist ad. They had been part of a collection of eight in a large estate. Two of the wooden legs were in great shape and left as-is and two were chalk painted in graphite. The fabric, a deep rose-red cotton velvet was bought at a local fabric warehouse - Fabric World in Stone Mountain. I add my Ikea accent pillows ($7.99 each for feather/down combo) to most of my pieces.

This graceful Henredon chair with limed oak finish came from a moving/estate sale (one of my favorite sellers - Vicki) in Brookhaven. It was in reasonably good condition and only needed new fabric to make it pop. This is a another Fabric World fabric purchase.

This chair came from the same "Vicki" sale as the one above. It was  star in this wonderful house. The newly applied fabric was purchased at a garage sale last year held by two women who are in the business of making custom bedding and drapes. I bought about 20 yards at the sale for a great price - less than $50 total.

This set of chairs was purchased at an estate moving sale in the Chastain Park area of the city. The house was ultra-modern - an unusual shape for the area. This was the second time I had seen these chairs at a sale in this house but this time they were within my price point - $100 for the pair. The striped linen/chenille fabric came from Fabric World - the Stone Mountain fabric warehouse. 

These vintage chairs were purchased at a Buckhead  moving sale - right on the main drag  (Paces Ferry Road near the Governor's Mansion). I paid $150 for the pair. The most interesting thing about this sale is that it was being held by Jeff and David,  two customers of mine from several years ago. They bought over a dozen items from me at the time - it was great catching up! The cotton velvet fabric came from Fabric World.

Here is the other set of Carter chairs done in an eBay fabric (cream chenille in tone on tone texture). This is the set that has the redone (chalk paint) legs.

Well, this set of "before and after" stories tell some of the tale of my work and passion.  It is nice that such a green business can be so much fun and rewarding!

A Sunny Weekend in Atlanta - Buy, Buy, Buy!

Estate Sale (actually moving sale) in Atlanta - north-side neighborhood.

Covers and Inserts

FINALLY, we had a sunny weekend in Atlanta! I heard that the last one was way back in early November and believe it - it has been very rainy (and unusually cold) most weekends. That is not great for my favorite weekend activity - checking out the estate and garage sales in the area. I think it has also kept many people from having such sales unless they had no choice (e.g., moving sale).

I started Friday and found several sales including the one at house above. The items (lots of newer Mitchel Gold) were nice but pricey.  I did leave a bid on a gorgeous brown mohair velvet settee priced at $950 (bid $500 - original over $3000) - I did not get a call.

I also left a bid on feather-down inserts - various shapes and sizes - but didn't get those either.

Mitchell Gold Settee - I had bid $500 but didn't get it.

$50 Chaise Lounge

The next sale was in a Buckhead (primo section of Atlanta) condo and was an actual estate sale being run by the daughter of the deceased. There were a lot of older pieces of furniture at reasonable prices - prime pickings for me! I bought two pieces and left bids on an additional two. My purchases were a cloverleaf ottoman and an older settee - both $50. Not too bad!

$50 Cloverleaf Ottoman

The bids were left on another chaise lounge and a Eastlake Victorian Settee but I didn't get those.  

On my way home I stopped at one of my favorite local shops - appropriately called My Favorite Place on Peachtree Industrial Avenue - not far from my home. 

My Favorite Place 

Some of the items that I considered at My Favorite Place.  I came closest to getting the older rocker (with graceful dove arms that are hard to see in photo) priced at $50. It did need woodwork refinishing and I wondered whether using chalk paint on a rocker was a good idea. I passed but saw it was sold before leaving the shop.

One of two Swaim Chairs

On Saturday, I went out with my faithful companion, Ouida. There were not many sales posted so we traveled a little further than usual to check out those that were available. One sale was in the suburb of Alpharetta - although it was day two and most of the good pieces were sold. It did mean that they were willing to take a little less and I found two Swaim chairs for $100 - not a bad deal.

We also traveled to the Morningside neighborhood of Atlanta to pickup two Craigslist chairs (Charles Stewart - a great manufacturer). They were perfect and I picked them up for $100 for the pair - lots of down in back and seat cushions. I forgot to photograph them but will definitely feature these in a "before and after" post.

In addition, I had made an offer for three Norwalk Furniture pieces on Craigslist which were already sold. The seller contacted me Sunday morning to say that the buyers had never picked up and she was willing to accept my offer. My husband and I traveled to Sandy Springs to pick up the skirted club chair and bergere style chair and ottoman. I paid a little more than my usual (cheap) price - $300 for all - but these will be gorgeous redone.

SO ... a good buying weekend AND great weather! Life is good!!!

Before and After - My Own Parade!

Every now and then, I have been posting some of my own "before and after" photos which is a joy for me and, I hope, encourages others to look at existing furniture sources for their new/improved home decorations. It is a GREEN way to decorate and according to House Beautiful, vintage and one-of-a-kind is very trendy for 2014.

Here are some of my beautifies - some more radically transformed than others.

This may have been my most minimal restoration of the year. The finish on the chair was in perfect condition and all it needed was a new fabric seat. This piece was purchased at one of "Vicki's" estate sales. 

Another item from Vicki's sale in Brookhaven (next door to friend's house), this Henredon chair has very nice light woodwork - the new cream fabric really makes it pop. 

Another Vicki story!  This set was featured at one of Vicki's sales near downtown Atlanta and I had left a bid. The bid was not accepted. Several weeks later, I saw this set on Craigslist and I again offered the same amount and this time it was accepted. This is one of the nicest sets of wing back chairs I have had offered for sale. 

This settee was brought as a result of a Craigslist add. The sellers use space in an antique mall and I got this great piece at a pretty good price. It just sold and was picked up for One King's Lane. 

This set of Lee Industries wingback chairs were originally purchased through a craigslist ad - I love the clean look.

I bought this chair at an estate/moving sale in Brookhaven and initially tried to sell it "as is". No-one seemed to want it with its original fabric. I must admit, I much prefer it in its new fabric.

This chair and ottoman were purchased through a craigslist ad from a home in Smyrna, a suburb of Atlanta west of the city. The original leather fabric was very soft but way too sloppy and worn. I think it has a "Ralph Lauren" look about it with its soft wool-blend plaid.

That is it for today's Before and After Parade. I cannot overstate how gratifying it is to turn these worn but well built pieces into modern and very desirable furniture!

Before and After - My Own Parade

Periodically, I post examples of my own before and after transformations in the hope of encouraging others to seek and restore heirloom quality upholstered furniture themselves. It is almost always better made than anything available today at reasonable prices and it not hard to find. The trick is to be patient and wait for the right quality piece to come along - here are some pointers:

• Make sure the woodwork is substantial and intact - it should not wobble or move when pushed and be free of obvious breaks and repairs.
• Make sure that the piece has a solid seating platform - my personal preference is hand-tied, 8-way steel coil springs that are the true signs of quality upholstered furniture. 
• Make sure that the seat and other cushions are medium-firm - if down is preferred, it should be firm enough (often wrapped around a coiled interior or mixed with non-down materials). If the cushion is in bad shape, ask your upholstery shop to replace it with a high-quality foam.
• Make sure that the piece does not exhibit strong odors (minor odors will dissipate with new fabrics and innards) or animal/insect damage.

Here are some of the nice pieces that I have recently had transformed. Again, I do not do my own upholstery work and rely on the experts for that. That said, making sure you are using a really good, meticulous master upholsterer -  is just a good investment. This is not the place to save money but you should shop around for the best values.

This piece is available on Etsy and Ebay. I bought the original off of a craigslist ad and had it upholstered in a great graphite and white bold print. It is a heirloom quality piece probably over a 100 years old. link to eBay description

This set of chairs came from an estate sale (WAY back in the woods in a huge but ancient estate in the Buckhead area) . It has sold!

This stylish chair was purchased on a craigslist purchase of another chair. While there, the seller told me about another chair she no longer wanted. It has scuffed black legs so I had to refinish those but the construction is wonderful is wonderful on this piece and I love the sway-back. link to Etsy listing 

This chair and ottoman (slightly undersized) was purchased at a garage sale in the neighborhood. It has those great hand-tied, 8-way coil springs but no longer had any brand information which is often lost when pieces are reupholstered. 

This great chair was purchased on a "bid" left at a nearby estate sale. It is a beautiful vintage piece in wonderful condition and before proceeding with it,  I showed a photo to a favorite client who loves fine furniture and particularly anything with French styling. She bought it immediately and selected this fabric from about 10 I showed her. 

This wonderful settee was purchased at a neighborhood garage sale. I love how it looks in this soft green velvet. I think it is sold and on its way to San Francisco to be a star in a little girl's room! 

This great looking chair was one of two (with ottoman) that I bought off of a craigslist ad. The other chair with ottoman was sold as a custom piece for a client who has long received it and loves it! This chair was just completed and is available on both Etsy and ebay.

This great chair manufactured in THE fine furniture capitol of the world (Hickory, NC) was part of a two-piece set which includes a high settee. Both were re-upholstered in this striking stripe (navy and cream-white) and both are available on Etsy or eBay. I would love to see someone buy the set but have offered to split them up. 

This set of Thomasville Chairs is in almost brand-new condition. I had actually bought the originals from a craigslist add and found they perfectly matched the colors in my bedroom so used them for about three years in that space. Just recently, I completed a minor redecoration of the room and the colors no longer matched (got rid of the pink). Now the new fabric makes them a good match again but I  am selling to change out the room a little more. These are available on both eBay and Etsy.

Well, that was somewhat exhausting but inspirational - even for me,  I hope you enjoy!

Weekend Estate and Garage Sales - Oh So Tempting!

I usually only travel to far-out locations on Thursdays as was the case with this Marietta sale. The sale was well organized which I like. The French style cane chairs were very nice ($225 each) but not reasonable enough for me to buy and this sale was too far out for me to return or leave a bid. I did like the wooden horse - my dad used to carve horses like this as a hobby and I have one of his horses in my home.

Several of you have told me you like to see how my weekend(s) of sales go (living vicariously in some cases) - so here is a posting about this weekend's sales. Of course, my weekend starts as early as Thursday - quite a few of the estate sale organizers offer a "preview" day on Thursday. It is usually best to be there early and on the first day. You can always return later to see if that favorite piece is still available and for a better price or, in most cases, leave a bid for the amount you are willing to pay. I seldom return later unless it is convenient (e.g., in the Buckhead or Brookhaven areas which are my favorite haunts all days of the long selling weekend) or if there is something my Saturday sales partner, Ouida, might like since she is currently redecorating her living room.

Another Thursday sale although this one was a little closer to my house. I would have bid on three pieces shown here (chaise at $199, chair at $120 and settee at $150) but have so much inventory that these just did not tempt me enough.

I am still experiencing inventory and storage challenges, so have determined not to buy something to refurbish/sell unless I just can't walk away from it. There were nice pieces I would have considered at some of these sales - at least at a reduced price from asking - but they didn't excite me enough to add to my stock.

One of the Friday sales was on Riverview Drive in Buckhead in the lower level. There were several nice looking chairs but not at a price I was willing to pay. 

OK - now I am in trouble. This FABULOUS HOUSE on Tuxedo Road near Chastain Park in Buckhead was the locaiton of a sale in the four-car garage area. The owner and her decorator were handling the sale which had some very nice pieces that were being discarded because they did not fit into the decor of the new home. One of those items was this wonderful linen velvet bergere chair and a half in great condition. The owner told me she had had it redone by an exclusive shop in Buckhead less than a year earlier and placed it in a hallway - not really used.  I got it for a good price and am selling "as is".  Actually, it fits beautifully in my (red Chinese rug) living room - it may be hard to let go!

The location of this Saturday sale was the most exciting part. It is a horse farm that had been occupied by the current family for over 30 years in the heart of Buckhead. I cannot imagine how much this land is worth. The contents were old and tired and we thought the family may have been hoarders. 

One of our favorite sales was this artists. She is moving onto other artistic endeavors and is selling most of her stock at 10-20%  or less from previous prices. Ouida bought Isadora Duncan - a recycled sweater "creature" and I bought some jewelry. I would have liked to buy more of her charming creations for my granddaughters but they have so much stuff already, I just wasn't sure after carrying around several including the black and white guy in the top row and the orange bow-tied guy at the bottom. I know I will regret not buying some of these items.

This was another well organized sale. I was weak by this time and couldn't resist buying the two ottomans at the bottom for $45. I plan to redo wooden legs and replace fabric. I like them well enough that I would love to add to my lower level furnishings but I think I may be overdoing that already.

It was a great weekend for sales - looking forward to next weekend although the 4th of July will probably result in fewer sales!