One thing that I love more than anything in this world is making money out of almost nothing! I hope you enjoy today’s post!
A carpenter at heart – I occasionally get inspired to do some woodworking and run with it. I was out with my wife, checking out some garage sales and we found an old table. The table was in poor condition and as I like to do, I talked the owner down to ten bucks. Ten bucks for a table! This is one reason I love garage sales. As also happens with garage sales purchases, it sat around in my garage and for some time I couldn’t figure out what I was going to do with it. Finally my wife presents me with an ultimatum. Do something with the table or we’re going to sell it at our own garage sale. I love going to garage sales, not having garage sales. “Let me think on it, please honey, let’s not have a garage sale,” I said. I was on a surfing trip with some bros in Mexico when inspiration hit. We had taken a break from the waves (I know that’s hard to imagine but even surfing needs a break occasionally) and were walking through a flea market in Rosarito. I saw this old weather beaten, antique Mexican door and they wanted I think 40 pesos for it which was about the equivalent of $4. Four bucks for a door?! Sure, I’ll take that any time I can find it. I know it’s starting to sound like I have a weakness for bargain shopping but this is not the case. I saw in my mind’s eye, the door and the table in my garage that I needed to handle or suffer some consequences in my marriage. So I put this old door in my truck and brought it over the border. I love buying stuff like this because bringing the door over the border, nobody looked or even cared about it. How can you argue that the door had any value and no one cares. It’s an old door, what are you going to say?
So I get this door and drag it home, I am already aware of the value in old doors. When I was little younger I would go to Mexico and buy few sets of old doors and take them to Newport Beach and other areas along the coast and peddle them to the rich people for 8-10 grand on the spot, this included installation. One day, maybe two days of work an voila, cash money! But I get this door home, the idea hits me over the head to use the garage sale table, add the door to the center of it and put a sheet of glass on the top. I secured the door with a L bracket kit from Lowe’s which cost me 3 bucks. So now I’ve got about 17 bucks invested in the table.
Making the table from the door was easy. The real skill here is looking for stuff that can undergo this kind of transformation. It must be real wood, and posses the traits to become something better and of course, I would have never purchased these items for any real money. The trick is learning to see the potential and a finished project from apparently worthless items.
I took the table to the La Jolla arts and crafts show. A lady about 26 years old paid me with the cash she had on her. She asked me to hold her keys to her G-wagon, while she dug in her purse for the money. Fifteen thousand bucks – almost all entirely profit!
Tools I used:
Belt sander – Skill Saw – Air-Nailer –
Supplies:
One dollar returned can of paint, from Home Depot.
Sand paper.
Sheet of glass. – 60 bucks.
Total investment: about 105 bucks.
I do rehabs all the time, for example I got this dresser for 6 bucks and sold it for 300.00 after refinishing it.
This is just one more example of making money from nothing. Subscribe now so you don’t miss more to follow. And be sure to check out the great money making ideas here.
