How shopping auctions will save you money.

When Kris and I first got married we furnished part of our condo for $400.00 and the majority of our purchases were brand new. 

Table & 4 chairs

How did we get these items for so cheap?

Futon

Easy! Auctions are also places where show homes take their items once the houses have sold. Overstock from businesses and of course treasures from personal consignments as well. These prices are generally a fraction of the prices that you would normally pay through retail. 


What auctions do we shop? 
Our favourite one to shop is Kastner Auctions. They have a convenient online auction option so you can bid on items from the comport of your own home. 

Important things to consider

You always have to register at the auction, make sure you bring a credit card with you as it is a requirement. You will be given a bidder number and this is how your purchases are tracked by the auctioneers. 

Pick a place that allows you to view items before the auction. Kastner Auctions is open on Saturdays so you can view the items. Auctions take place on Sundays. This is also good for you to research your prices.

Know that you are at times taking chances. If there isn't an option to view items before hand there is a chance they are broken and a piece of crap. Case and point the time Kris bought a pressure washer that had no pressure - thankfully that was only a $10 mistake. 

You have to be comfortable with not having the comfort of a warranty. 

Don't get caught up in the hype and shop impulsively- they want you to, but set the price you're willing to pay for an item and don't go beyond that. 

Brush up on your auction etiquette. There are some great tips here.

What are some awesome deals I have gotten from the auction??

In 2011 we purchased a electric reclining sectional and we also wanted to buy the reclining chair ($1000) that went along with it but decided to wait. Two months later the exact same chair was at the auction and we only paid $300. (It still had the tags on)

We recently just purchased a dining room table for our new house for $40. 

In our condo we purchased a brand new overhead range microwave for $80. (Retail upwards to $600) 


Do you have a favourite auction to shop at or have you gotten some killer deals?