There is dedication, and then there is getting out of bed at four in the morning to drive two hours to a house full of other people’s furniture. The shopper behind @simplysydney6 did exactly that, and she says the reward was her dream piece of furniture. In a post tagged with Cincinnati and Ohio, she introduces the coffee table that got her up before sunrise and walks through everything she brought home from the sale.
@simplysydney6
The Early Start
She says she woke at 4 AM and made a two hour drive so that she could arrive two hours early. Then she literally sat in the dark, waiting for the estate sale to open. Anyone who has chased a good sale knows the feeling: you want to be first through the door because the best pieces rarely last long.
The Coffee Table
The star of the day, she says, is a coffee table she believes is by Maitland Smith. She thinks these were made in the 1970s, and she says they are hard to come by, especially in this exact design. She paid $250 for it, and from the research she did, she says that is an absolute steal.
She loves the details. The top drawer works like a shadow box because there is glass on top. When you pull it out, you can display books or anything else. She tossed in a few random books to show how it works, though she notes the drawer is fairly shallow, so not every book she wants to display will fit. She says she is amazed by the detail and the quality of the wood.
The Extras She Did Not Plan On
Estate sales have a way of turning one purchase into several. She also came home with a brass lamp, which she says is very heavy, for $35. Then there were wingback chairs that match the table. She says they look as though nobody has ever sat in them, and they cost $45 each, or $90 for the set.
Back at home, she and her husband redid the whole space, and she says it looked completely different. She thanks him in her caption for being on board with all of her crazy ideas. One of the chairs will be used somewhere else, because it does not match the vibe of the living room now. The family has also had a cat painting for about ten years, and this redo finally gave it a place to hang.
A Matching Side Table
There is a bonus piece too. She shows a matching side table with a top that lifts up. She probably will not use the lifting top, because she plans to set a lamp on it. It lives in her reading nook, a different room from the coffee table, and she says it fits perfectly there.
About Maitland Smith Furniture
Maitland Smith is a name that comes up often among people who shop for decorative furniture. The brand is associated with detailed, handcrafted style pieces, and its tables, chests and accent furniture show up regularly in estate sales and resale shops. Collectors often look at the material, the construction and any maker’s marks, including a tag, label or stamp.
How to Win at Estate Sales
This shopper’s early start is not unusual. Here are some tips that experienced estate sale fans often share.
Arrive early and bring a plan
Many sales hand out numbers or form lines before the doors open. Showing up early gives you a better spot and a better pick. Look at the sale listing in advance, check the photos and decide which rooms you want to visit first.
Bring the right tools
Take a tape measure, a list of room measurements, a flashlight, a few blankets or moving pads, cash in small bills and a vehicle with space. A big piece of furniture is not much of a bargain if it does not fit through your door.
Inspect carefully
Open every drawer. Look underneath and at the back of each piece for labels, repairs, scratches and signs of moisture. Test any moving parts, such as a lifting top or drawer slides. Sit in chairs and check that the frames are sturdy.
Know your numbers
Before you go, search for similar items in recent sold listings. That gives you a realistic idea of what a good price looks like. The shopper in this story says her research told her the table was a bargain, which is exactly the kind of homework that pays off.
Be flexible
She says she found a few other things she had not planned on. Allow yourself some room for the unexpected, especially when a lamp or a pair of chairs is clearly well made and fairly priced. At the same time, set a budget and stick to it.
Mixing Vintage Pieces Into a Room
Her makeover points to a bigger idea. Matching wingback chairs can anchor a living room, while a statement coffee table gives the eye a place to land. If you are building a space around a vintage piece, start with that piece and choose colors and textures that complement it. Brass lamps pair nicely with warm wood. A matching side table in a reading nook can echo the look of the main room without repeating it.
You can also use a coffee table with a glass top drawer to show off a small collection, such as books, souvenirs or family treasures. Just make sure the weight will not be too much for the drawer, and keep items away from direct sunlight so they do not fade.
Worth the Wait
A story like this one is a reminder that good things sometimes require a little discomfort, like sitting in the dark for two hours. For this shopper, the effort ended with a redone living room, a happy reading nook and a table she calls her dream piece. You can see more of her finds at @simplysydney6, and if an estate sale is on your own calendar, set your alarm and pack your tape measure.
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