Find treasures for your home decor at yard sales

Talk about bringing home the bacon. The wooden pig sits alone on a kitchen shelf staring at my family with beady eyes each night as we eat dinner.

I picked up the sculpted swine for a buck at a yard sale years ago. My house is sprinkled with pictures, beer steins, collector plates and other home decor items that caught my interest during early morning treasure hunts on the South Hill.

Yard, garage and estate sales are a smorgasbord of unusual and useful home decor items that can often be snagged for pennies on the retail dollar. With few sales last year, warmer temperatures on the way and COVID-19 vaccinations ramping up, we might soon see a flurry of yard sale activity.

You never know what treasures you’ll uncover when digging through tables and boxes at a yard sale. Just recently, Sotheby’s New York auctioned off a rare, 15th century Chinese bowl for more than $720,000. The ornate blue and white relic from the Ming Dynasty had been purchased for just $35 at a Connecticut yard sale.

Closer to home, Nicki Krossen appeared on an episode of “Antiques Roadshow” that was taped here in Spokane in 2007 with the gold-banded Rolex watch she picked up for $10 at a local estate sale. The watch was appraised for a stunning $4,000. And, while Krossen’s Rolex watch might not qualify as a home decor item, it did eventually end up decorating the wrist of her son as a graduation gift.

Krossen, who has been hitting Spokane area yard sales for nearly 20 years, co-owns Tossed & Found, a furniture and antique shop in north Spokane. She said those searching for home decor at yard sales – especially those hoping to resell items – should stay on top of current trends. Also, research prices, “so that you’ll know what to pay when you go,” she said.

After scoring those great buys, the next step is incorporating them into your home. The goal is finding “a cohesive look,” said Wendy Nolan, owner of 509 Design, an interior design studio based in Spokane.

She recommends painting wood pieces in unified colors, using coordinating fabrics and paying attention to item groupings to avoid a cluttered look and add “unity in the room.”

“I think most people don’t understand the sense of scale a room needs,” Nolan said.

And, while Nolan has never decorated a home exclusively with yard sale decor, she likes to find one-of-a-kind pieces for her designs.

“Even when we’re furnishing our client’s homes from new, we always like to go with a vintage piece because it’s unique.”

Yard sale tips

Here are some tips that will save you time, money and headaches on the Spokane yard sale scene:

• Check local sale listings in advance for specific items you are looking for and plot your route accordingly.

• Shop early for the best selection.

• If an item seems too expensive, don’t be afraid to make a lower offer.

• Buy in bulk for better deals. Make an offer on an entire pile of items, not just one.

• Look things over carefully. It’s easy to miss chips and cracks when you are rushing between sales.

• If you like it, odds are somebody else will, too. If you walk away, consider it gone.

• Those on a tight budget might try hitting yard sales just before they are scheduled to end. Selection might be limited, but sellers desperate to unload those leftovers are typically willing to make deals.