The Home Ownership Thread

[Medwed]



Poor guy just asked where he could get a dining table on the cheap. The answer's craigslist by the way, or, at least, anything but new. The markup on new furniture is extreme--right up there with printer ink and liquor at restaurants.

For $3k you can get something really nice with a few scratches so you won't feel bad about the first ones you put on it. And if your tastes change (or evolve) you should be able to get about what you paid for it.

Agree, would only replace Craigs with Auctions. Finding good stuff on Craigs is a needle in a haystack.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]



You can tell whether or not something is comfortable within the first 30 seconds in the shop.

You can tell if it comfortable to sit in momentarily, yes. But some things can be comfortable to sit in for a few minutes but become very uncomfortable to sit in for extended periods of time, if they are not supporting your body in the right spots.

 

[Ataturk]



Agree, would only replace Craigs with Auctions. Finding good stuff on Craigs is a needle in a haystack.

But you can do it from the comfort of your own home, at least. My own experience with local auctions isn't so good. The competition (around here at least) is fierce. My theory is that it's a lot of old guys that don't do computers. I'm sure it also depends on what you're looking for -- if you just want boring traditional furniture that won't impress your friends on the internet, Craigslist is the place to be. In my area Craigslist is full of older pieces that aren't antiques but are entirely made of solid wood and can be had for a song. New furniture these days seems to be nicely made, but they have to skimp on the raw materials.

 

[gomestar]



if you just want boring traditional furniture that won't impress your friends on the internet

this is pretty much the "cool furniture" thread at this point, excluding ******'s stuff.

 

[Medwed]

Two points:
1. Auctions even small ones are online nowadays, welcome to 21C.
2. I bought cool MCM furntiure from a comfort of my home via local and not so local auctions.

P.S. Even if you need to ship furniture , there are sites online that would match you up with cargo companies or let them bid on your delivery. God bless huge US market and highway system, the delivery prices are rediculously low.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/330331/antiques-antiques-auctions-recent-purchases-and-discussion/240

 

[JohnGalt]



Two points:
1. Auctions even small ones are online nowadays, welcome to 21C.
2. I bought cool MCM furntiure from a comfort of my home via local and not so local auctions.

P.S. Even if you need to ship furniture , there are sites online that would match you up with cargo companies or let them bid on your delivery. God bless huge US market and highway system, the delivery prices are rediculously low.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/330331/antiques-antiques-auctions-recent-purchases-and-discussion/240

can you recommend some auction sites? (I'm assuming it isn't ebay)

 

[Find Finn]

You can tell whether or not something is comfortable within the first 30 seconds in the shop.

You can tell if it comfortable to sit in momentarily, yes. But some things can be comfortable to sit in for a few minutes but become very uncomfortable to sit in for extended periods of time, if they are not supporting your body in the right spots.

I don't know, I feel like I can get a feel really quickly whether or not its for me.

 

[Medwed]



can you recommend some auction sites? (I'm assuming it isn't ebay)

Artfact.com, Liveauctioneers.com , Ebay is not bad at all, I bought 4 Cherner chairs for $1000 COD. or Towle sterling flatware 25 pieces for $570

 

[otc]

Just remember, you often have to pay a fairly hefty buyer's premium on top of your bid...At the local auction house, that is 25% for the first $50k (26% through liveauctioneers).

So your $2000 table bid turns into $2500 cash.

 

[brokencycle]

I thought the seller paid the fee in most auctions. Or is that only at places like Christie's?

 

[Ataturk]

Both parties usually pay, unfortunately.

 

[Medwed]

This is so awesome I cannot contain myself. Why the **** they stop using these? China, make one for cheap? OMG.

Traditional post office boxes still in use in Fultonville, New York.

 

[otc]

I swear I remember having boxes like that in my college dorm. They weren't quite as ornate but they had similar combination knobs and I don't recall them just being blank faces.
Dorm was built in like 2000...wonder if they salvaged something (or maybe my memory is just fading)

 

[brokencycle]

My dorm was built in 1926, and it had something very similar. They used keys rather than combinations though.

 

[RedLantern]

Getting the oak floors refinished next week, so we're finishing up painting the back bedrooms (already painted the front rooms - living and dining) while we've got them empty. Painting is not my favorite, but I'm getting a lot of help from my mother and I'm getting a lot better at it. Rewarding to make progress on the skill, and it's kind of cool to be taught by my mother because it was my father who taught her to paint (he died in 2008 was 20 years her senior) so it kind of feels like learning something from him in a way.