Oh Brooklyn, you bring me back to my early twenties when I fled the beautiful and rainy skies of the Pacific Northwest for your dirty and edgy streets. Man do I miss those days of discovery and feeling like you could conquer the world. Back then we didn't have craigslist so most of my "finds, " or what I considered my dumpster diving trash to be, were a bit harder to stumble upon. Thank goodness we have modernized just enough for me to roundup some of my favorite recent finds on this episode of trolling craigslist. There are some pretty good pieces below, so get at it. Oh and while you're there, can you please grab me a street hot dog?
1. $200 Mid Century Chandelier
A great piece at a great price. This would be amazing over a circular dining table, or even in an entry way, if your entry way is small enough to handle this smaller scale piece.
2. $100 Vintage Tulip Chair
This is a staple piece and nothing new to the eyes, but for the price and the shape that it is in, you have a winner. Not to mention that va va voom red seat that you get to perch you cute little butt on.
3. $40 Vintage Brass Side Table
Simple lines and shape make this the perfect table to throw a fun lamp on and use next to a statement chair in your reading nook. You all have reading nooks, right?
4. $75 Mid Century Sectional
Right now it screams crazy cat lady that hasn't left the house in 50 years, except to jump into the dumpster and raid some past the expiration date food for her little kitties, but man does this huge sofa have potential for the price. It would need a good upholstery job, which would most likely run you $900-1500, but there is no way you could find a new sofa of this size for that price.
5. $50 Pair of Chairs
Once again this is a lesson in, "look at the lines, not at the condition of the piece." This pair of chairs could be beautiful and simple slipper chairs to throw on either side of a credenza, next to each other in your living room, or facing each other in a conversational area. Because the lines are so simple you could get them reupholstered in a fun patterned fabric to bring them back to life.
6. $300 Mid Century Dresser
You know I love a big hefty dresser, but this little guy is so cute I wouldn't be able to pass him up if he was in LA. The condition looks great and those brass accents are pulling at all my heartstrings.
7. $240 Brass Floor Lamp
Might not be for everyone whether that's because of the price or because of the style, but I love it. It would be amazing in a living room as a standing floor lamp.
8. $200 Burl Wood Floor Lamp
Loving the chunky wood base of this lamp, and to give it a bit more life you could even paint the shade any color to match your decor. Which, btw is the EASIEST DIY you will ever encounter.
9. $30 Vintage Moroccan Rug
This price is just too good to pass up. If it is gone, it's because one of us from EHD already purchased it.
10. $225/each Original Mies Van De Rohe Chair
This is a bit pricy, but the worn leather and the fact that it is an original are what do it for me. These chairs are statement pieces and will always be in style.
11. $300 Vintage Theater Seats
If you can get past the thought that countless teenagers made out in these back in the day once the lights of the theaters dimmed, then these chairs are a great piece. I used some similar ones in the Rustic Spanish Bedroom I recently did, and they worked just perfectly at the foot of the more traditional tufted bed.
12. $120 Whicker Vanity
I secretly want to horde this for 10 years until my little girl is big enough to sit at it and pretend to put on makeup just like her mommy does. That is a normal thing for a mother to do right?
13. $50 Pair of Mid Century Lamps
I haven't quite decided if the base of these lamps is funky-cool or funky-definitely-not-cool. Either way, the shape is killer, so swoop them up and throw a coat of high gloss white spray paint on the bottom and you have a new pair of lamps to throw on your nightstand for 25 bucks each.
14. $295 Danish Modern Chair
There must be something in the water over there in Scandinavia because their pieces of furniture are always gorgeous. This Danish Modern chair may need a little bit of reupholstery, but the condition of the frame and wood make it a winner.
15. $60 Mid Century Desk Chair
Classic, Simple, and Cheap (just like all bad first dates).
There you have it folks, now head to the ATM to get your cash and make sure you bring a buddy with you to fetch your new finds...safety first of course. Oh, and they can help you schlep it and conquer the subway without looking like a total crazy hoarding buffoon of a person. Where to next?
Chicago, please!!!!!
Baltimore! :)
I second this!
Yes!!! Baltimore please!
St. Louis!
Minneapolis!! By way of Etsy, too?! ;-)
St. Louis!!!!
Brooklyn Craigslist, when not looking at furniture, can be a bit daunting, so many fake housing ads, so little time!
On the bright side, it’s pretty evident after this roundup that it’d be easy to furnish said housing if you’re able to find it.
Josh | The Kentucky Gent
(Let’s try that again!)
Minneapolis?! By way of Etsy, too?
xoxo from the Midwest-
Tracy
;-)
Detroit!
Yes! Detroit!
I love these posts! :)
I had a chuckle about the Mies chairs. I work in one of his billings in Chicago. He also designed furniture for the building and we are forever telling the students to not sit or lie on his tables. You’d think we were awful people for asking twenty somethings to not do it but they tend to get a bit huffy about it at times.
Columbus, Ohio next, please!
Yes, Columbus, Ohio please!!
Yes! Columbus pretty please! :D
Austin, Texas! Everything on Craigslist here is so overpriced that I would be inspired to check it out more thoroughly if good deals on desirable items were really possible.
Yes, ditto for, Austin!
Hi Emily!
Do you have any advice for avoiding bedbugs when dealing with Craigslist items and other low-cost vintage furniture? Maybe I’m paranoid, but it would be nice to know that I’m implementing best practices, at least.
Thanks!
Fern
Hey Em, will you do a “Trolling Craigslist” post for Atlanta? :)
Please don’t paint those lamps! They are perfect as is! I wish I was closer to Brooklyn to snatch them up.
Denver.
I go through the thrift store and imagine all the cool things I see the same way…. I live in a modest 1 bedroom apartment in LA and its good to know I am not the only one with trolls, gets inspired, and imagines the perfect way to use, redo or place items. My focus is vintage costume jewelry and I always get distracted by home furnishings and decorative accessories!
thanks for your website
About hoarding something for 10 years – HA! Let me share a little fact about my life – I have bought some things without even being pregnant or knowing that I will, one day, get to that point, and held onto them for, hm, 11-12 years in hopes that one day my child will be using them. Luckily, it did work out, and he’s happily using the aforementioned things, but yeah.
So, no, I don’t think there’s anything abnormal about your desire ^_^
Emily! Help!!!! Seriously! I need to know if this is a good find:
You should do a Duluth MN troll sometime. Small town (90,000) but lots of little treasures.