Secrets to successful secondhand shopping

Thrift stores are nothing new. All of you have probably been thrifting, or antiquing once in your life. And if you’re anything like me, you LOVE it. There’s nothing like secondhand shopping. Combing through a bunch of somebody else’s junk, just hoping you’ll find something good. Like a grown up treasure hunt. It’s the best!

But heading down to your local Goodwill is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to secondhand shopping. There is simply so much more to the art of procuring used goods! Today we’re going to take a deep dive into successful secondhand shopping. I’m also- FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!- going to take you through our cottage, so you can see all the new-to-me items I’ve purchased for our home.

Why shop secondhand

Of all the items in our home, most have been purchased secondhand. Furniture, clothing, home decor and more. Here’s a few of the reasons why I prefer this method to buying new.

• Less waste. I feel convicted that God calls us to steward our world and our resources well. All you have to do is walk through a box store to see how bad we are at this. So much “seasonal” junk that will be destined for a landfill in a few short weeks. I’m not perfect, I still buy new things sometimes. And I know I’m not going to save the world alone. But I do feel like shopping secondhand at least allows me to live up to my personal convictions.
• Higher quality. Maybe I’m getting old, but the quality of new items nowadays is frankly, abysmal. And the prices are so high! By shopping secondhand, we have been able to furnish our entire home with beautiful, classic and high-quality furniture. Pieces we never would have been able to afford new.
• Better price. Price is certainly a factor when it comes to why I shop secondhand. Buying clothes at places like Poshmark, which I buy almost everything from, means that I can get new, or gently used clothing at typically half the cost. Especially if you have a brand you love or know exactly what you’re looking for, Poshmark can enable you to get 4-5 times more than you would buying new.

Best places to shop secondhand

Speaking Poshmark, now seems like a good time to go through my list of favorite places to shop secondhand, and which items I usually source from those locations.

Online

• Poshmark. Over the last few years, I have primarily clothed our entire family via Poshmark. I’ve even got my husband hooked on it! Whenever we need clothes, shoes, accessories and even home goods, I shop here. Most things are around 50% off the retail price, and you can get an even better deal by making low offers. I’ve negotiated my way to some serious bargains. And things are often brand new! I’ve bought measuring spoons, running shoes, Christmas decor, rugs, stuffed animals, legos, kids pjs, bed quilts, duvet covers, throw pillows, books, soccer jerseys (so many soccer jerseys), slippers and swimsuits. Poshmark is the BEST.
• Others. I have certainly dabbled with eBay over the years, Mercari a few times, OfferUp and Thriftbooks. I’d still say Poshmark reigns supreme, however.

In person

• Goodwill (or other thrift stores). I know thrift store prices have gone up in recent years, thanks to the state of the economy and the growing popularity of thrifting as a hobby, but I still love a Goodwill visit. I will also check out other stores on occasion, but call me crazy, I just love a Goodwill. I’m typically finding pottery, baskets, dishes, picture frames, linens, books, art, faux florals and occasionally a small piece of furniture or lamp.
• Facebook Marketplace/Craigslist. All credit here goes to my MIL, who was the first person I knew in real life to use this crazy thing called Craigslist. She taught me her ways of finding the goods, making offers and dropping everything to go pick up your finds. I’ve furnished our last two homes almost entirely with secondhand finds from these two sources, scored some screamin’ deals and grabbed some high quality pieces. I typically reserve these sources for furniture purchases, as it requires a fair bit of effort to get your purchase. But I’ve also bought bikes, skis, plants, doors, windows, a sink, rocks, copper and light fixtures.

Ready to see my secondhand home?

Instead of just preaching my secondhand shopping philosophy, we’re going to go through my WHOLE HOME. I’ll show you some of my favorite secondhand scores, where I found them and how I use them. How does that sound? Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

Secondhand Swedish Cottage Kitchen

Bramblewood– the name we’ve given our little farm- has such great bones. The house really resembles the Swedish country cottages I have saved on my Pinterest board. When we first bought, I couldn’t wait to get a coat of red paint on the outside, and I was especially excited to see what I could make of the super tiny kitchen space.

I wish I could tell you that I had it down from the get-go, but if we’re being honest, this space has taken quite a lot of trial and error. I’ve repainted it three times, added wallpaper and then removed wallpaper, added shelves and pegs, and changed color schemes more times than I care to admit. BUT…I think I’ve finally got it figured out, largely thanks to some secondhand scores.

The open shelves in my kitchen are the perfect place to display my secondhand treasures: thrifted pottery, art, pitchers, crocks, cups, bowls, baskets and wooden utensils. All of it adds character, a collected feel and really jives with the overall color scheme of the house. And my Grandmother’s secondhand, passed down, vintage stove. That stove is the kitchen’s crowning glory! Thank you to my Dad, who had the foresight to store that baby since the ’80’s.

Swedish Cottage Dining Room

It seems that the Swedes really love their dining spaces because I think I have by far pinned the most pictures of tables and chairs. I don’t blame them, I love this space too! We sit here for three meals a day, in addition to working here for homeschool. It’s a very important space in our home, and I’ve furnished it almost entirely with secondhand items.

The pine hutch you see above was a score from a thrift store down in Bend, OR. We drove down just to get it, and it’s such a sweet memory for our family. I feel so fondly about this piece. It holds all of our dishes, utensils, napkins and a few school supplies. It’s a little more orange than I would prefer, but I don’t have the capacity to strip it right now in my life. Maybe someday!

The table was a $75 Craiglist find that I have since sanded down and stripped. I love the raw pine, it’s so beautiful, and this piece has 2 leaves so we can seat more friends. It’s served us so well. We have secondhand Stokke Tripp Trapp chairs, which my boys still love and use everyday. They were a steal on Craigslist way back when.

Secondhand Cottage Living Room + Entry

Our long, narrow living room haunted me for the first 3 years that we lived here. I could not figure it out. With 4 doorways and a window, there was just hardly any wall space for furniture. And the narrow width of the room prevented all but one arrangement. What finally clicked? Well, I found the PERFECT secondhand TV armoire on Craigslist (90’s Pottery Barn) and gave it a fresh coat of paint to match our colors. Then we purchased some swivel chairs that sit on the two narrow sections of wall across from the sofa. This enabled us to actually be able to use this space well. It was life changing!

As far as secondhand scores go, well, there’s plenty. Our piano was FREE! Grabbed that off Craigslist. Our sofa was also found on Craiglist, Ethan Allen, for about $250, delivered! The Pottery Barn lamp that hangs over our sofa was a Marketplace find that I picked up for cheap, and shoved in to my Subaru. The gold mirror was passed down to me from my sweet Grandma (she had a sticky note on the back with my name for the last decade) and the entryway bench was where Taylor’s grandpa ate breakfast every morning as a kid. Talk about special secondhand scores!

A lot of my blankets, throw pillows, picture frames and lamps in this space have also been thrifted.

Secondhand Swedish Sunroom

In addition to dining rooms, another space I constantly see when looking for Swedish cottage inspiration is a glass/screened-in porch or sunroom. This makes a lot of sense, since the northern folk are always trying to maximize light. I fell in love with this idea and it wasn’t until our recent remodel, that I realized it might be possible.

This space still needs some work. I need to get the wood trim painted, the library wall needs a coat of paint, and I think it would be great to install a beadboard wainscot. This space sits on the opposite side of the entry from the dining room, and that would math well. But all I’ve done so far is furnish this entire space with secondhand finds.

The antique daybed was a Marketplace find, costing me just $100. It came with the pad and a few of the pillows. It’s so cute and the perfect size for this space. The chair in the corner with the matching ottoman was also a Marketplace find. $75! I grabbed this brand new Target rug off the old FB Marketplace also, a fraction of it’s sticker price.

We are LOVING this space. I sit in here every morning, my boys take turns working in here during homeschool and I’m just so grateful I was able to furnish it so quickly and inexpensively before our school year began. It’s already been a gamechanger!

Secondhand Playroom

Another room we gained during our recent remodel was this new playroom space for our boys. It’s not a new room, in fact, we were using it as our primary bedroom before we moved everybody up to the newly finished upstairs. But it’s a pretty good sized space, and now it gets to serve as the home for all the toys, games and kid clutter than used to haunt the main part of my house.

Because this room is in the back of the house, all the front rooms now stay clean. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. I no longer worry about people coming over or stopping by, and I don’t even have to go back there if I don’t want to. It can stay messy for a few days without driving me crazy. Perfect for Lego creations.

I don’t have the best photos of this room as it’s hard to get it all in the limited perspective of my camera, but this space contains a few secondhand scores. This white shelving system- solid wood- was a FB Marketplace find. The sweet couple delivered it and everything. What a gift!

It holds all the toys you could ever imagine, with lower cabinetry to hide the less aesthetic ones. It was touch and go as to whether we were going to be able to squeeze it back through our low, narrow hallway. So, we went in through the window instead! It’ll probably be in here the rest of our lives. We also have a beautiful cherry game cabinet on the other side of the room and loads of thrifted baskets for storage.

Secondhand Guest Room

I think every single thing in our guest room may have been found secondhand. Minus the black and white painting and cross stitch. The bedding from Poshmark, the nightstand from my favorite antique shop, the $10 lamp from Goodwill, the IKEA cabinets from Marketplace where all my canning supplies live, the gorgeous oak dresser and all the other decor. This room gets the best light in the house, and it’s such a soft, welcoming place. I fold all my laundry in here, store my vacuum and ironing board here, and even though it’s an “extra” room, it really serves us very well.

When my kiddos are sick, we always set them up in here with all their creature comforts, and there’s something sweet about tucking them in here while they rest and recover. Close by where Mom can deliver hot tea, dry toast or, God forbid, a barf bucket.

Attic Primary Bedroom

I almost didn’t share this room because it’s still very much in process. It’s a brand new room after all! We’ve only been in this space for about a month, and I definitely haven’t figured it out quite yet. We don’t have any clothes storage in here right now save for this tiny white dresser (Marketplace find!), so we’re trying to figure out some sort of built-in wardrobe situation that might fit the bill. Have I mentioned there isn’t a single closet in my house?

As far as secondhand items go, this room is also full of scores. The nightstands were basically brand new from Pottery Barn when I got them for $200 off Craigslist. The lovely bench at the end of the bed was inherited from Taylor’s grandparents. I’d still like to sand it down to the raw wood, but we’ll get to that eventually. All of my Quince bedding was purchased on Poshmark for a fraction of the price, and most of the picture frames were thrifted.

I’ve got to get rid of those teal lamps, but I’m hoping I’ll stumble up on the perfect set in my thrift store travels at some point. Fingers crossed!

Secondhand Attic Kids Room

When we all moved upstairs, our boys also moved in together. They’d eased into it by sharing a bunkbed during the remodel, but when we grabbed these twin metal beds off Marketplace, there was no going back. It’s actually going pretty well, and they look forward to their nightly “chat time.” This dresser used to be in our room, but we moved it in here and it seems to be working well. It was a Craigslist score, we actually got for FREE when we bought the one that’s in the guest room. Broyhill Attic Heirlooms, solid oak. It’s gorgeous. One of my best scores.

All of the boys’ bedding was bought secondhand via Poshmark. It is also Quince brand, just like ours. The rocking chair you can just barely see was passed down to us by Taylor’s parents, and it’s been special to rock my babies in the same chair my husband was rocked in.

I have some really cool vintage soccer prints coming for this room, but I haven’t gotten them framed or hung yet.

Inspired to try secondhand shopping?

Well my friends, have I motivated you to get out there and hit the thrift store? Or cruise Facebook Marketplace for the perfect piece? Secondhand shopping can be a real joy, and a super affordable way to furnish your home with beautiful, high-quality goods.

I will say that it’s important to remember that secondhand shopping is still shopping. And if you are in a place where you need to save money, watch what you spend and be conscious about purchases, it is important not to let yourself justify spending money just because it’s cheap. Be wise about what you bring home, even if it was a great deal.

I will also say that secondhand shopping can give you a little more freedom to make decorating mistakes. Because things are cheaper, it’s a little easier to try things out and then either resell them or donate them back to the thrift store. I like Miss Frizzle’s motto from Magic Schoolbus,

Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!

– the Friz

Leave a comment

Alright people, I wanna hear about those amazing secondhand shopping scores! Please leave a comment below and share with me! Also, pin this image to remember all my tips and tricks for the next time you visit the thrift store, or scroll through Marketplace. Happy shopping friends! May the force be with you.

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