Thrift Store Scores - Ikea couch & bonus!

Thrift store shopping (aka, treasure hunting) is one of my favorite things to do.  It actually fulfills quite a few of my passions; shopping, shopping at a discount, and reselling for profit.  I have been an on and off ebay seller for quite a few years, and have been involved in the children consignment sale scene for a year or two as well.  Having multiple kids and living on a fairly tight budget has made me much more aware of quality brands that will last and I am frequently able to find items used that will last through a child or two and still be able to sell at consignment when we are done with them.  Very rarely do I buy brand new kid clothes from the store, and when I do its always when there are sales/free shipping offers or other rewards involved. 

Finding half off deals at the thrift stores is even more exciting!  I love the ability to find things we can use in our home, and knowing what I can buy at a fraction of the retail price and sell to offset the cost of the thrift store scores we keep. 

This recent trip to our local Salvation Army during their half off customer appreciation sale has been one of my best trips yet!

As an avid fan of everything Ikea, I noticed this little couch right away and was happy to see the $75 price tag that equaled $37.50 with the 50% off sale.  I carefully inspected the couch for stains, structural issues and yes, I did the sniff test too because no one wants to take home a stinky piece of furniture.  The couch is in great condition, I wonder if maybe it was a floor model at the store, or just something the owner decided wasn't going to work out for them because it sure doesn't seem used to me.  When we relocated from northern California to the Portland, Oregon area we ended up renting a home that has a front room and a family room/den.  The extra space is great, but we haven't had furniture to fill both rooms.  Its nice now to have a comfy little seating area in our front room turned play room AND it is a pull out style that can double as a place to put an overnight guest.  (My mom recently visited for the weekend and apparently its comfortable enough for an adult to sleep on!)

Of course, when I got it home I was excited to find the retail value so off to www.ikea.com I went and this is what I found:  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70087108/  Under no circumstances would I have ever paid $169, but for $37.50 I am thrilled! 

But wait.... there's more!

I also noticed this pair of shoes:

Cool, huh?!  They were Vans and possibly a size that would fit my older son so for $3 (half off the marked price of $5.99) I grabbed them up knowing that if they didn't work out for him, they would be a great resale item.  Again, I searched to find the resale value and found that they were only available at the store Journeys and had a retail value of $41.99! http://www.journeys.com/kidz/product.aspx?id=241289&c=1508

When I determined that they weren't going to work out for my son I posted them for sale on ebay with a buy it now price of $30 and offered free shipping.  After shipping costs, paypal fees, ebay fees and figuring in my initial "investment" I ended up with a $16.32 profit on the shoes.  (man, those fees add up!)  I like to think that after this was all said and done my cute little couch only cost $21.18 out of pocket.  I love these types of shopping trips.  Its a hobby, its a passion and sometimes its even a small income.