I’ve got a problem…  It’s my ever increasing obsession with craigslist. Sometimes I drive hours away to get a good deal. I’ve known others who love craigslist, too, but not to this degree. I’ve been buying on craigslist for years long before they had posted pictures! What did I do before craigslist? I can tell you that I was a garage sale fanatic. When I lived in St. Louis they had amazing garage sales. The best day to go was on Wednesday. My friends and I would pile into a Suburban and head out for the day almost weekly to find all sorts of treasures that we never knew we needed until we saw them. That’s how I first began decorating my house. This was in the early 90s. After moving away to Chicago, I missed garage sales terribly as cities are no conducive to these types of sales. So, I found Goodwill stores and other resale stores. And then, craigslist came along. Here’s one of my most favorite sets bought on craigslist that I refurbished with the paint and fabric.


Just a little side note about the history of craigslist…It was created by Craig Newmark whose vision was to help people with basic things they need whether it be a job, home, or goods. It first began in 1995 with Craig posting events online that his friends needed to advertise. Over the next few years it grew to include more categories and by 2000, it spread to other cities. Can you believe that it’s in more than 70 countries now?
Anyway, getting back to my craigslist adventures. If you are true friend of mine, I’ve probably taken you on a craigslist pickup…that’s how you the extent of our friendship.

I spend most of my evenings searching online for antique and vintage chairs. And then, I hit the road when I find something that I just can’t pass up. I don’t have to keep the pieces for myself; I get a lot of joy finding these treasures for my clients to purchase through my Etsy shop. Here’s one set I just picked up this past weekend! These are for sale and ready for customization.

While I don’t always drag along my friends or daughters with me, I’m always safety conscious. And maybe I’m lucky or perhaps the majority of people are basically good people (I prefer to believe the latter), I’ve never had a bad experience. Some sellers are lonely and just want someone to chat with. Others have the chairs sitting out in their driveway waiting for my quick arrival and departure. I’ve even met some people in busy parking lots.

On this particular trip up to Dallas I managed to stuff my truck with nine chairs! I barely had any room for my legs as I pushed the seat as far up as possible. But I’m happy, as you can see in the pic! I’ve just made a major score!

On the flip side, I’ve sold a ton of stuff on craigslist. It’s the most amazing platform for unique finds. Do you love craigslist as much as I do? Or maybe you have other places where you find your best stuff? I would love to hear about it in the comments!