You’ve seen the commercial: A young nice-looking couple plop down on a patio set they like and then check the price on the ticket. Way too much for their budget. They spring up from their seats like a jack-in-the-box.
Then they mosey on down to their nearest Lowes and behold, they learn that they can get as nice a set for less money.
Whenever I see the commercial, I want to expand their search: to their local auction house. There, they’ll spend even less on patio furniture than they would just about anywhere else – unless a special aunt gave it to them as a gift.
I’ve become an evangelist for encouraging folks to try out auctions. You can find just about anything you want at a price that’s way below reasonable. I’ve bought a number of items for my home and didn’t even both to look elsewhere – a paper shredder when the old one died, dishes and glasses to replace broken ones, a portable radio that was at the ready for Hurricane Irene last week.
When my vacuum cleaner lost most of its suction, I went hunting and was outbidded on a Dyson. All the other vacuum cleaners I saw at auction were filthy, so I had to break down and get one on sale. I was also looking for an iron at auction but before I could buy one, my friend Elaine gave me a new one she had bought and never used. Several unused high-priced irons have come up since then and I could have gotten one for less than $10.
When I needed furniture for my backyard, I came across three sturdy wooden slatted chairs. I got the set plus about a half-dozen white plastic chairs (which I eventually donated to the Salvation Army) for 30 bucks. I painted the chairs a bright red and they look cozy with the huge red Pottery Barn umbrella in my backyard. I bought the umbrella in my pre-auction days. It’s starting to fade, so I should probably look for another one at auction.
I’ve written about lovely patio sets that I’ve come across, most of which can run for less than $100 for the entire set or not much over that.
You can locate an auction near you via auctionzip.com. You may not find what you want the first time around, but if you’re patient you will. One of the auction houses I visit quite often almost always has a patio set or two for sale.
Most of these are not your plastic sets that may not be able to weather the elements. They are beautiful vintage wrought irons, some with cushions and some without, all just needing a little cleaning. Spend your money on a few nice cushions and you’ll have a set that your friends will think you got at one of those high-end stores.
After seeing the Lowes’ commercial too many times, I started to look through printed ads for the prices of patio furniture. Most were in the hundreds of dollars, and the ones for less were items you wouldn’t want.
Here are a few of the sets from auctions:
I fell in love with this green and white striped set, which was in remarkably good condition. I believe that it was one of the few that went for more than $100.
This black set was among some outdoor furniture. It did not sell high.
This black set, too, was among some outdoor furniture. It did not sell high, either.
The aqua color of this set wowed me.
And so did this one.
