Why I Love Buying Home Decor Secondhand

3 Reasons Why Thrifting And Shopping On Facebook Marketplace Is Worth It

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For the most part I share home finds that can be linked to retailers, but for those of you who have been following along with Click & Love for any length of time, you have probably seen all my Facebook Market finds and projects. Aside from shopping on Facebook Marketplace, I am a huge fan of thrifting. It seems like thifting has been a become a bit more trendy over the past few years. It definitely took off more during the pandemic because it was the only place you could find home items like furniture in stock. Thrifting is also a fun for those who like to repurpose or refinish home goods. I for one love a good DIY project. I tend to take on too many at a time, but it keeps life fun. I know not every city had the best thrift stores, but when you find a good one, it’s worth stopping at every week or at least as often as possible. I have one shop here in Birmingham, Alabama that I like to stop by weekly. Birmingham is rich in quality antique stores, thrift/secondhand stores, people here have the most amazing yard sales and let’s not even talk about how often I find treasures on Facebook Marketplace. This paragraph is just me encouraging you to give “secondhand shopping” a shot. Some of my most-loved home finds can be traced back to Facebook Marketplace or a local antique store.

My Facebook Marketplace Win

Recently I found the most beautiful antique dining room table on Facebook marketplace. It was love at first sight. The shape, size and style of this table checked every box. There was one problem though—it needed to be refinished because some parts of the stain were faded from where the previous owners had styled it in their home. Only a portion of the table was exposed to direct sunlight. After a little sanding and staining, it looked better than ever. To see the dining table project from start to finish click here.

1. Secondhand can be less expensive

I know this isn’t always case, but for me it rings true most of the time. Furnishing a home is expensive—especially when buying brand new pieces. I can’t tell you how many gorgeous pieces of furniture I have purchased secondhand—there’s no shame in my game! Furnishing and styling a home can be done on a budget and can still look beautiful. There are some killer deals out there that just taking a little bit of searching for, I have a friend who bought a mid-century dining room table and set of 6 chairs for $400. turns out, the entire set is actually worth $5,000+. You never know what you may come across!

2. Unique Pieces With rich character

I love decor that makes people ask questions. Decor that tells a story and sparks interest. There is something really great about people asking “Ooh where did you find that?” and being able to proudly respond with “It was thrifted”. It’s part of the thrill of the thrift. Hunting for just the right piece and finally coming across an accent or piece of furniture that is perfectly unique for your space. It’s also really neat to know that the chances are slim that anyone else has the same piece of decor in their home. Not only can you find one-of-a-kind pieces, but also pieces that have rich character from their age and history.

3. Sustainability

The amount of natural resources being used, and the amount of energy and pollution being emitted is drastically cut down when buying something secondhand. For me, it’s nice to know I was able to give a pretty piece of furniture a new home instead of letting it just end up in a landfill somewhere—it’s getting the long life it deserves. I don’t buy everything secondhand, but I try to do my part by browsing Facebook Marketplace, local thrift stores, yard sales and antique store when I am on the hunt for something “new” instead of always resorting to buying brand new items.

Another Secondhand Success

This beauty was another Facebook Marketplace find. It was in amazing shape when I purchased it, but the hardware did need a nice cleaning and some shine. Brasso is my go-to when it comes to fixing up hardware and it seriously makes all the difference. Here’s the DIY Brasso video.

Make It Shine

My go-to when it comes to cleaning up my secondhand finds and keeping all my other hardware around the home nice and shiny.

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Check Out The Difference

Using Brasso is so easy. Just squirt a little on an old toothbrush and scrub your hardware. Then, use a wet cloth to rinse off and it will look good as new! I like to let mine sit for a minute or so before scrubbing but don’t let it fully dry.

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Click here to downloaded the free guide.