Whatever Wednesday

I’ve been on a roll getting things done in the garage….Remember that garage sale where I bought a ton of furniture pieces?  Well this is yet another piece that I bought there.  Before I bought it I did a lot of debating…a LOT!  It was marked at $75.  That’s more than I typically spend on a piece to re-do and sell.  A lot more.  I liked it…I liked it a lot but then the internal debate started…would someone else love it.  UGH!  Who knows?  I don’t want to be out $75.

Then another guy came to the garage sale.  He had his wife on the phone and was talking about the furniture.  He was driving a trailer and was picking some furniture pieces.  I quick grabbed the lady who was operating the sale and said-  “I want all of these things (and then pointed them out)…will you shoot me a deal?”  I could visibly see that the guy was angry as some of the pieces he was talking to his wife about were the pieces that I had taken.  I didn’t know what he wanted…  This the garage sale life.  He got a couple dressers I wanted so I think we were even.

The lady ended up giving me what was equal to $5 off the piece so I paid $70 for it.

As you might have noticed from the picture above you can see that were was some damage to this piece.  Here’s a close up picture of the top.  UGH.

I showed Hubby and he wasn’t thrilled with my purchase.  He wasn’t mad.  He definitely didn’t think it would be a money maker.  When buying it is my real goal was to try to learn from it and at least get out of it what I put into it.  But after his lack luster thoughts on the piece, I had all the motivation I needed to fix it right and actually turn a profit.

Hubby wasn’t much help on suggestions on renewing the top so I just did what instinct called for….sanding.  I sanded and sanded and sanded.  I used different sand paper weights and sanded until my arm vibrated.  I sanded for almost two hours.  Those water marks were deep.

I ended up giving up on completely removing the worst mark but it had GREATLY improved.  The dark marks were gone.  I didn’t think it needed to be perfect as it is a vintage piece.  If it was too nice on the top then the bottom might start to look bad.  There’s a fine balance and I thought I had found it….now what to do about staining the top?  Do I varnish it?  Hmmm.

I asked Hubby if he had any light stain around.  We don’t do light typically so we had none.  He said, “I do have that scratch (Old English Scratch Cover-light wood version) stuff you like in a light version”….Hmmm.  That was my only option so I decided to give it a try….

Here is how the cabinet looks now….

Much better.  MUCH!  I’m so happy with the work I did to bring it back to life.

Here’s a picture of the top.  You can faintly see the water stain in the middle of the top.  Now it looks used but not abused like it did before.  I got three water stains, black stains and a square stain to all disappear.

I’m really please with how it turned out.  The Old English Scratch Cover was awesome.  It added the color back but didn’t add a thick coat of varnish.  The piece didn’t really have varnish on it so this was just what it needed.

The story of this piece continues.  Kalissa and I were in the garage and she got a message from a gal in our community who was looking for a piece and was inquiring if Kalissa had anything.  Kalissa didn’t but then I wondered if this piece would work for her.  I told Kalissa to send her a couple photos.  She did and an hour or so later….my piece had sold.

Can you imagine how happy I was to tell Hubby I sold it for $120?  I was.  I love a little friendly competition with him!!  He had told me earlier that I’d be lucky if I could get $80 for it.  Score for me…but mostly score for the little cabinet.  It needed a new home and new life.