Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Shopping 101: Shop Around

As I said in the previous post about coupon codes, I like to get a great deal. When I’m decorating my house, I want to make sure it has a sense of warmth and feel like home. I want items to create character in my home.

To me, that doesn’t mean I have to buy everything right out of the Pottery Barn catalog that I may or may not look through nearly every day. To be quite honest though, when I do occasionally look through it, I am inspired with some great ideas on how to use vintage items in my home.

Those of you who are frequent admirers also know that Pottery Barn is pretty pricey. I’m willing to pay their price on some things, but when it comes to vintage items, I simply refuse.

Here is an example:

coasters pottery barn

Pottery Barn Silver Plated Coasters (4) for $29.95

IMG_1880

Antique Store Silver Plated Coasters (6) for $1.50

The difference is mine aren’t brand new, and they need a little cleaning up. The above picture is just how I bought them. I haven’t done a thing to them. They’re not perfect, but after a trip to the cleaners {for a cheap price} with a few other finds, it will be worth the $1.50 I paid for them.

I’m not anti-Pottery Barn by no means, but I do encourage you to get out to those antique stores and shop around. Another tip is to find some of the stores that have people who rent booths. You will likely find cheaper prices there than places who have only one owner.

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