Some of you may know that I am still hunting down pieces of furniture for our home. I was disappointed in the items that I have seen at second hand stores but checking anyway has really paid off.

Today, I found an old real wood dresser for $15 at the local Goodwill. It had been repainted pink and someone added Disney princess stickers to the drawers. The paint is a little chipped but it looks far better than the dresser our daughter has now. The cabinet door on it has the hinges broken off but it did not damage the wood so it only needs new hinges. A piece of support wood under one drawer is also broken but that too is a very easy and cheap repair. 

I won't be painting it anytime soon as my daughter loves it as it is. I'll repaint later and let her enjoy it as another princess piece for now. So the purchase cost and repairs will run us far under what  a pressboard dresser would cost. It's sturdy and should see her through to her teen years and beyond.

I'll hang in there in watching for other good deals that happen along.

mikasha:

It's worth it to hold off until you find what you want

It got hard at times. We still sleep on a mattress on the floor, son is sleeping on a cheap futon that is uncomfortable and daughter can't open the drawers of her dresser herself as she tips it over. We had books we used daily in boxes until I found bookcases at a yard sale recently.

I hate the idea of spending a lot on furniture and we really don't have a lot to choose to spend from anyway. So I have been hunting and feel fortunate with some of the things I have found.

What a great find! I hope your hunt continues to go well!

I agree that nice, old, real wood is much better than pressboard!

mamasjob:

I agree that nice, old, real wood is much better than pressboard!

 I have a few old pieces I have picked up over the years that survived our issues with a hurricane. I do like those better than the cheaply made new stuff. Even when they show their age with some fading, scarring or chipping, they look better to me. Thankfully my family agrees with me.

 Brandy, Do you have many "moving sales" near you. In our local paper we have moving sales all the time, with this economy. People can't afford or don't want to move an entire contents of their house to their new location, and sell the furniture cheap....

Newfs:

People can't afford or don't want to move an entire contents of their house to their new location, and sell the furniture cheap....

I live in a somewhat affluent area that is not as hard hit by the economy.  My neighbor's yard sale was a perfect example of what is seen here. They were selling a three year old couch for $350 since they had paid more than $1,000 for it.Last year another neighbor was selling a bed for $350.

If one is looking for Pottery Barn, Peir One items, Laura Ashley or whatever higher end furniture brand it is at a lower cost than new  then I guess that's a good deal. But if one is looking for a small budget bargain then that's harder to find.

 I am happy your were able to get a piece of "real wood" furniture. That is getting harder to find, but it well worth looking for. 

Speaking of "hanging on until you can find what you want", one of my neighbor/friends is moving this weekend.  She is just going around the corner & down the street, but she had two of the nicer presswood dressers from non-furniture stores that she was not going to move, so she offered them to me for my DD!! They are not in perfect shape, but only have a couple of dings to the finish. All the drawers still work fine. DD was delighted to find out she was getting a couple of "new" dressers for free, the next time I go to visit the grandkids. Free is still my favorite price, & these dressers will help her hang on until she can get "real wood".

zohnerfarms:

but she had two of the nicer presswood dressers from non-furniture stores that she was not going to move, so she offered them to me for my DD!!

Pressboard is ok when it's free! It's even very doable when it's a low price compared to other options. I was really opposed to paying $100 or more for a low end dresser made of it.

I hope she enjoys them.

Brandy:

Pressboard is ok when it's free! It's even very doable when it's a low price compared to other options.

Brandy:

I was really opposed to paying $100 or more for a low end dresser made of it.

Brandy:

I hope she enjoys them.

I'm sure she will enjoy them. Interesting thing is, one of the pieces matches a nightstand that has "come home" to store with me during her younger sister's clinical rotations.  As soon as I saw it, I knew it was part of the same set as the nightstnad temporarily in my guest room.  Isn't it funny how that sort of thing happens?.