Pleasing the Masses (Or Two People. Whichever.)

A ton of people (wherein a "ton" is something like two) asked a question after I posted this post. Since I'm too lazy to answer ALL of those people individually, I figured I would just post my response here. I'm saving myself at least three minutes this way!

Anyway, the question that a ton of people asked was something like, "Where do you find all of your broken and scratch-n-dent furniture?" My answer is mostly Pittsburgh specific, so if you aren't here, I'm sorry. You'll have to find someone else to ask. Good luck with that. ;-)

1) Just about every furniture store has a clearance section which includes some scratch-n-dent stuff. Usually it's a small section hidden way at the back of the store. Since you can't walk into a furniture store without being accosted by sales associates, just ask one of them where to find it. Throw in that you're looking for a dining room set under $50 and usually they'll leave you alone while you look for whatever it is that you really want.

2) Levin. I know Levin has mostly generic furniture, but I find it to be a fantastic source for affordable pieces of slightly beat-up furniture. But, not just any Levin will do. While every store has a small clearance area, the Levin in West Mifflin is where most of the company's clearance ends up. Our $98 couch is from there, as is the chair that matches it and our leather couch. The West Mifflin Levin is part regular store and part Clearance Center. When you go through the door, turn right and keep going until you enter the warehouse-ish part of the store. Then seek and destroy.

One other note about the Levin Clearance Center in West Mifflin, they have a HUGE sale once per year. I couldn't figure out if it's at the exact same time every year, but I do know it has been late July/early August the past two years. They have about ten times as much damaged/scratch-n-dent merchandise then and it's super discounted.

3) HomeGoods. It's a relatively new store for Pittsburgh and is located in Robinson in the plaza across the street from IKEA. It is owned by the same company that owns TJMaxx and Marshalls. If you like the occasional furniture and accessories that you find at TJMaxx and Marshalls, get your butt there. That's all it is.

HomeGoods moves the clearance/damaged items around the store, but once you find them, you might just find a good deal. The scratched $69 dresser from the previous post was there.

4) TJMaxx and Marshalls. Check your nearest locations and see if they seem to sell damaged items. Not all stores do, so I think it's a manager's discretion sort of thing. For example, I find that the Marshalls on McKnight Road is completely useless (I've never once found a damaged item there), but the TJMaxx in Bridgeville is fantastic.

5) Accentique. You're already in Bridgeville checking out the TJMaxx, so go there, too. (It may have changed names, but Accentique is in the basement of the big brick building at the corner of Station Street and Washington Ave). The trick with Accentique is that you need to park in the back of the building. There are four doors back there. Put on some close-toed shoes and go through the two middle doors.

What you will find through those two doors is what I imagine happens when Grandma shoves decades of old crap in her basement and you happen upon it decades later. Basically, several retired women own the place and stock it with the stuff they buy at estate sales. They don't clean or repair anything first, so there is definitely some scary stuff lurking in the dark corners of those low-ceiling rooms. But tucked between the scary is some seriously good stuff which is often priced very low. Just about every photo of a desk or dresser from this post was taken at Accentique.

6) Construction Junction. While technically Construction Junction is known for construction materials, sometimes furniture ends up there, too. I have found decent dressers for less than $10 there more than once.

7) Habitat for Humanity ReStore. It's relatively new and completely volunteer run, which apparently is why the hours there SUCK. If you can get there when it's open, though, there's a good chance you'll find something worthwhile. Prices seem to be a little higher than I would like, but I'm a cheap-ass and very hard to please. ($20 for a dresser? That's crazy talk! I demand that it be under $10!)

8) Garage Sales/Estate Sales. I know this one is a given, but they really are a good way to find some decent stuff. It can help to shop in neighborhoods that are more affluent. For example, I tend to have better luck in Sewickley than I do Aspinwall.

9) Let's all have a moment of silence for the Macy's Furniture Clearance Center that was in Century III Mall. Life is sad without it.

10) I am most certainly forgetting some good places, so please add them in the comments if you have them!

10 Tips for Buying Used or Damaged Furniture

Nearly every piece of furniture in our house was purchased at a bargain price because it was used, scratched, dented or just flat-out broken. I love to troll garage sales and the scratch-n-dent sections of stores for a hidden treasure or two. How else can you get a gorgeous couch for under $100?

Yes, REALLY. We paid $98 for that couch (new!) because the back was completely broken off on one side. The trick is that we know when something can be fixed and when it's a lost cause. That particular couch just needed a little wood glue and was as good as new.

It can be daunting to consider buying used or damaged furniture, but the potential savings can really make it worth your time. How can you spot a worthwhile piece of furniture if you're interested in reconditioning or fixing it? Here are some tips:

1. Price. Price. Price. Before you investigate the amount of damage on an item, look at the price. I'm willing to do a lot more work on a $6 dresser than I am on a $200 dresser.

2. Find furniture that is well made. Wood furniture is easier to repair and/or paint than laminate.

[Editor's Note: Action shots taken with a phone.]

Laminate furniture is often REALLY shiny, or will have tell-tale "I was cheap and somebody assembled me" stickers inside drawers or on the back.

3. Don't be afraid of scratches. Many scratches can be fixed with stain markers, which are available at your neighborhood home improvement store. You can tell how easy a scratch will be to fix by checking its depth. If you can slide your fingernail over it without it getting caught, that scratch will be very easy to conceal with just a bit of stain. If your fingernail gets caught? Well, refer to #1.

That dresser was at a local furniture store. The scratches vary in depth, but some are as much as 1/4" deep. That means I would need wood filler to level the surface, I would have to sand things smooth, AND I would have to stain the area until it is a close match.

While that is a lot of work, that dresser was solid wood, well made, and marked down from $800 to $69. If I had a need for a tall dresser, I probably would have bought it because that, to me, is a good price for the quality and style of the dresser.

4. If it's truly broken, walk away.

That sofa table is missing the entire corner. There is no easy way of fixing that. You could try to sand it smooth and perhaps use some wood filler and stain to disguise the damage, but it's still going to be there. (It doesn't help that the store was only discounting it 25%. I personally would expect at least a 75% discount for that severe of damage.)

5. When you're shopping garage sales and antique stores, look for items that haven't been repainted numerous times in the past.

The white dresser above had "great bones." It was well-made and sturdy, but it had been painted at least twice before. The best way to refinish that dresser would be to completely strip the paint off of it. That's A LOT of work, so I would pass on it.

6. Don't be afraid of worn items.

The top of this desk has seen a lot of love.

And while the stain is completely worn away in most places, the top is still very smooth. That desk would be an excellent candidate for a coat of paint. (For best results, use a paint with primer in it or start with a coat of primer.)

7. Test it out. Open all of the drawers, lean on the desktop, sit in the chair, or try wobbling the table. Furniture should feel sturdy, even if it's old.

8. Smell it. Yes, really. Smell furniture before you buy it, because there is nothing worse than getting a gorgeous table home and realizing it smells like dog pee.

Oftentimes, furniture that smells musty can be brought back to the land of reasonable just by leaving it outside in the sun for a day or by wiping it down with soap and water. You should be sure you can live with an odor before buying, though, just in case the odor can't be removed.

9. Ask yourself if you can learn to love the imperfections.

With some clean-up and some new knobs, that white dresser could actually be pretty cute in the right room. It has a lot of wear, but sometimes that works. If you love a piece of furniture just as it is, that's OK! You don't have to refinish everything that you find at a garage sale.

10. Price is everything. What's that? I already mentioned price? Well, it's worth repeating. If the piece of furniture isn't worth the price, walk away. Keep in mind, though, that often you can negotiate the price of used or damaged furniture.

When I try to buy damaged furniture in a store, I estimate what I think repairs will cost in terms of money and effort before I ask to speak with a manager. I then say something like, "I really like this china cabinet, but these scratches need wood filler and the door hinges need to be replaced. Since that's going to cost around $25 to do and will take several hours, would you be willing to accept $100 for it?" Sometimes the manager goes for it and sometimes they don't. Either way I'm a winner, because I've given serious consideration to the amount of work needed. I know what I consider to be a fair price, so it's easy to walk away if the manager isn't on the same page.

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Putting New Meaning to "Fight Like Cats and Dogs"

If you've ever been to my house, you might be under the impression that you're special because Max saw you, lit up like a Christmas tree, and was all, "LET'S BE FRIENDS, FRIEND!"

I'm sorry to break it to you, but you're not special. Max loves everyone. E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E.

The kid who traumatized Ali when she was a kitten, thus turning her into the wussy fluff of cowardice that she is now? (Long story...I won't bore you with the details.) Max loves that kid.

The guy who once came to fix our fridge and ended up making it sound like we have a drum kit in the kitchen? Max was in looooove with him and his groovy pipe-banging beats.

The herd of kids who were at our house for Alexis' birthday party? Max made sure to introduce himself to every single screamy one of them. Twice.

Max is super-friendly because Max is a punk. He will steal food off of a plate, walks across my kitchen counters, and opens the door when I try to go to the bathroom. Total punk. But because he's so damn loveable and friendly, I forget that he's a punk and end up picking him up and squishing him with love. His ability to love anybody and anything is what keeps him alive.

Of course Max's propensity to love extends to the latest fuzzball to enter our home. When we showed up with Penny, Max greeted her with open paws. If I'm not mistaken, he gave her a basket of cookies and a fern as a housewarming gift. Max doesn't actively seek Penny out, but he's certainly willing to share space with her.

Even if she is five pounds of spunk and mischief.

The thing with Max, though, is that he's more than willing to admit that he loves having Penny around. He doesn't just cower in the corner and wait for her to waddle away, he tries to give her hugs.

He smooshes her chubby cheeks and tells her that she's cute.

Max lets Penny borrow his tail for a prosthetic leg.

And he invites her to take a nap with him.

Seriously. SO. MUCH. LOVE.