Second Hand Decor

Yesterday I was shopping with my mother at Wal-Mart when we happened upon the decorative pillow section. You know, those pillows that caused Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly to have a mental breakdown?

Having just gone to some yard sales and a flea market that morning, it occurred to me when I was looking at those pillows that they have worse resale values than cars. Seriously. You buy an average looking pillow that virtually no one will comment on yet everyone expects you to have a few for $20, then when you decide that average looking pillow no longer fits your decor or your cat has peed on it too many times, you sell it for a quarter at a yard sale.

That's right, you just sold a pillow for eighty times less than what you bought it for. 

Well I am a firm believer in buying used cars due to the resale value hit that new cars take the second they leave the lot, so why not apply that same concept to decor? I still like having a comfy home surrounded with things that I like (first world thing?) but now I'm just doing it for excessively cheaper. In fact, the only decorative thing that isn't from my or Kyle's parents/Craigslist/Goodwill/yard sale/flea market is the rug in my living room that was purchased from Big Lots after having failed to receive contact from the half dozen Craigslist inquiries I had made.

Here are a few of my finds:

Shelf boat with decorations from my mother and a friend. It's painted red on the outside. $10

Surprisingly annoying to hang, but was still in its packaging. Flea market find, $5

Wasn't actually used, but handmade dog bed from a flea market. $15
(The dog was from Craigslist too but he's a bit more expensive)

The frame I got on extreme sale at Michael's for $3, the print inside for $1 at a resale store, and the plant thing and vase  for $5 off of Craigslist. 

Frame I got on extreme sale at Michael's for $5, the map print for $1 at a resale store. Got 3 others as well for $1 each!

Memo board? Is that what they're called? Goodwill - $4

Crazy print that I got way too excited about at a yard sale. Signed and dated with a nice little "how the artist does it" print on the back and named The Tree of Life. $5

Still had the original tag on it (or a part of it). Flea market - $3

This went nicely with the rug my parents gave me. Flea market - $5

I've had a lot of luck at resale stores and yard sales and flea markets. I live right down the road from a great place called Cary Creative Center that sells leftover craft project materials which is where I got the maps and Renoir prints from, and live even closer to a flea market where I habitually take my dog every weekend. When I go home, I go on yard sale adventures with my step father and mother. Since my stepfather has retired, he buys furniture from yard sales and flea markets and fixes them up to resell.

Really and truly, unless you fall head over heels for some random print or rug, there's really not much reason to not buy used decorative items. Most of the paintings or pre-framed prints that I have would have been well over $50 new, and I get them for $5.

What are some of the great finds you have had?