Tips & Tricks.

Hello readers! With Chris away, I ended up not working on any projects, but I did go to some estate sales. Because thrift stores, yard sales and estate sales are where we get most of our inspiration and supplies for projects, I thought I'd share some tips and tricks.

• Plan ahead. Look on Craigslist.org, or one of my favorite sites, estatesales.net, for a listing. You're likely to get better deals at an Estate Sale because the family is trying to get rid of everything. Pick out the sales you want to stop at and rank them - go to the one you think will be most successful first. 

• Know what you're looking for. It doesn't have to be incredibly specific, but at least know what type of furniture you are looking for. I usually go looking for specific types of vintage jewelry and pyrex. Chris and I have been in search of a coffee table, so I kept an eye out for that too. Without somewhat of a plan, you'll get overwhelmed or buy things you don't need. 

• Don't be afraid to negotiate. I find it easiest when I'm buying several things, I'll just see if they'll take a price that is rounded down. This is much easier late in the day, rather than early in the morning. At the end, when they are closing up, they just want to get rid of everything. 

• Get up early! You'll find the best things if you show up right when the sale starts. This is also a smart move when it comes to thrifting to, you'll get first pick at the newly added items. 

• When thrifting, know when the sales are - you'll get some even better deals! Our thirft store does 50% off just about every Saturday, so we make sure we go then. 

• If you're looking in a thrift store for vintage clothes and shoes, this time of year they sometimes put it in the Halloween section, so don't forget to look there. 

• Another quick thrifting tip - if you're looking for clothes, ignore what size the tag says and make sure you try everything on. Vintage clothes sizes run differently than most current brands. 

• Make connections! It's great to get the seller's contact info and share yours, let them know what you look for and have them contact you if they find more that they want to get rid of. I do this often with vintage buttons - many people have some that they will give you for free just to get it out of their house. Also, make connections with other shoppers at the sale, they may be collectors who have items that you're looking for. 

Good luck searching for treasures and share your own tips with us!