Happy Friday the 13th...or something

We're now 10 days away from ownership, barring any problems at closing. And, of course, I'm itching to get in there again--this time courtesy of a demolition salvage truck I saw on the way to work this morning. I thought, "Wait a minute, I didn't even think about that as an option for getting some of the furniture and architectural elements for the house, if I need them. I'm going to check that out."

So I did...and holy crap, I can't believe the prices. Maybe I'm ignorant to what these types of things really cost, but jeez, the prices for some of this stuff seems ridiculous--I might as well find a carpenter or tradesman to build me a new version of whatever it is at that price for some of this stuff...then again, I only saw prices on the salvage sites. I did not see what prices are like at demolition sales--where you go to a house about to be knocked down and they sell you pieces of the house that you simply disassemble and take home. I don't know if that's truly honestly a "cheap" alternative or not. Or how much of a pain it is to do that...aside from the whole disassembling thing. I know I can build, but I don't know if I can take apart. :)

So now I'm thinking, maybe demolition/salvage isn't necessarily a good source for this stuff, unless I want to pay out the nose. But I don't know what other "secret" sources are out there...I guess I'll have to tool around on the Internet for a while, or maybe visit some estate sales or check out some antique shops. We shall see...I can't expect to fix the roof, replace some windows, buy a new washer and dryer (even if we get certified and get the appliance voucher) AND spend all this money on something like a vintage sideboard (which is what I'm really craving for the dining room) for the prices I've seen for sideboards. But we'll see. Maybe I'll win the lottery. Oh, wait, I have to PLAY the lottery to win? Darn...