I’ve been sitting on a little nugget of information for a bit now, and I’m so excited it’s finally here! I’ve been blogging for 4 years, and I’ve only had one guest post in that time. Well, I decided to cash in and ask my blog friends to help me out this month. The craziest part? They agreed. Every. single. one of them.
I’ve asked some of the most knowledgeable girls I know to share their “musts” with you! If they’re experts in it, they’re here to talk about it this month. So cool, right? Well, without further adieu…my first guest is Rhoda from Southern Hospitality. She’s definitely a veteran in blogging AND thrifting, so it’s such a treat to have her here!
Today, I’m sharing my “must do” list of thrifting sources with my friend, Chris, at Just A Girl. Since thrifting is one of my favorite topics, Chris asked me to share with you on how I thrift and my favorite resources. That’s an easy topic for me, since I’m all about saving a few bucks by thrifty shopping. I even have a weekly party devoted to all things thrift, Thrifty Treasures. So, let’s get this party started!
Yardsales Yardsales would have to be my very favorite place to find thrifty items, from furniture, to clothes, and accessories, for the home or me. Yardsales are a treasure trove of fun finds and over the years, I’ve found some real treasures. Many things in my home came from yardsales and some of them are still near and dear to my heart. The great thing is, since I didn’t spend a lot of money on them, it’s easy to let them go when something else catches my eye.
Thriftstores Thriftstores are another great resource for finding great items. You can spot some great furniture pieces in thriftstores that might just need a fresh coat of colorful paint to freshen them up. Bring them home and find that perfect spot for a painted chest or dresser. I love Goodwill and Salvation Army and have browsed both of those stores many times. You can find pairs of lamps for a great price too. Many are in super good shape and you can always add a coat of spray paint to change them up for your home.
Hotel Liquidation Recently I found another fun thrifty place to shop, a hotel liquidation center in the Atlanta area. It made me drop my jaw when I walked in the place and saw all the furniture, lamps, prints and accessories that were offered for such a great price. You might check around your area and see if you have one too. With items from the Ritz Carlton hotels and Caesar’s Palace, you can’t go wrong with these cast-offs.
Antique MallsAntique Malls are another fun place to browse. There are hundreds of vendors in these large antique malls and you can be sure you’ll see lots of unique items in this type of shop. Most vendors specialize in something particular, like furniture or dishes and many of them will showcase things that they collect. Some are nice and tidy, resembling a pretty shop and others are a mish-mash of stuff. You never know where you’ll find that next bargain.
Antiques Markets Antiques markets are more upscale than antique malls. We have Scott’s here in Atlanta and it is a treasure trove of great antiques and collectibles. Some are pricey and some are more of a bargain, but you will love browsing a true antiques market like Scott’s. I’ve bought some of my fave furniture here.
So, how about you? Have you caught the thrifting bug yet? It bit me many years ago and I haven’t gotten over it yet. I’d much rather shop at a thrifty place than the mall any day. My home is always much more interesting because of that and you’ll end up with a much more collected over time look to your home, as well as one of a kind pieces that you won’t see in everyone’s home. And that is reason enough for me to shop this way. I don’t like for my house to look just like everyone else’s newest trend. Thrifting is fun and addicting!
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Thank you, Rhoda! She knows what she’s talking about, eh? The guest schedule will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so stay tuned! You won’t believe some of the talent that’s lined up. Yeah—I’m pretty excited.
I love that wicker framed mirror! I imagine it painted white – such a great piece!
xx
Joanna
Thanks Chris for having Rhoda share her thrifting ideas. I hope to meet Rhoda at the Haven Conference in June in Atlanta.
Wow, thrifty treasures… never thought of hotel liquidation!! And seeing that mirror really makes me want to go thrifting… LIKE RIGHT NOW! This is such a great idea for a guest blogger series! I can’t wait to see the ladies you have lined up 🙂
Great advice! I am a new thrifter and I love it! It can be a little overwhelming at first but once you get into it it’s like a game and I am addicted! I can’t wait to see all the other advice and guest bloggers this week!
Amanda
I’m really looking forward to this series. Hi Rhoda! Thanks for the tips 🙂
Hi Rhonda – I live in the Atlanta area, can you recommend a hotel liquidator? I never thought about that in my furniture search.
Thanks for the tip!
Hi, Michele, I just did a whole post about the great hotel liquidator south of ATL:
http://southernhospitalityblog.com/cash-hotel-furniture-liquidation-forsyth-ga/
But these are beautiful pieces of furniture. Because I get the same desire to buy. Nice article.
Love these ideas! Alot of time it’s easy to get caught up in just one but you can get sooo much more by going to all of them! Love it!
Thank you for Rhoda for compiling a list of budget treasure shopping. Living near both Boston and Cape Cod, I’m hoping to find both Antique Malls and Markets. I have seen Hotel Liquidations advertised. Saving money and mainting one’s own spirit while doing so, is the best of both worlds. We could definitely use more Southern Hospitality up here in Massachusetts. Have a lovely Easter weekend.
Thanks for sharing these great tips. I have never heard of hotel liq. before. I’ll have to google that one in my neck of the woods. I am just starting to get into the thrifting/antiq ect. The Brimfield Flea Market is very close to me….can you believe I have never been!? I plan on checking it out this year.
Thanks so much for your ideas Rhoda! I love thrifting. It can sometimes be discouraging though (at least in our area) because the prices seems so inflated as more people have been catching the thrifting bug. I’m hoping as we get in to yardsale season that the deals will pick back up! Does anyone else feel like their area is short on good deals?