Resources for Second-hand Shopping

I love giving used items a second life, especially when it comes to amassing decor items for our wedding. From eBay to thrift stores, we've been trying to work every discount source. "Something borrowed," is another angle I'm taking, saving us money while simultaneously bringing a little good luck our way from the lender. Here's a sampling of deals we've gotten so for our big day:


1. Glass cylinders from eBay and Bravo Bride. I admit that luck had a lot to do with the price of the 36 glass cylinders I landed from eBay (~$70). A seller was going out of business, liquidating inventory, and had unusually low shipping charges for the heavy glasses. I contacted him about my concern that they would shatter in transit, and he assured me they would be carefully packaged to arrive in one piece. Fortunately he ended up being true to his word:

These will house floating candles!

I found a set of larger cylinders (21-24") on Bravo Bride. The bride's mom had used them for her daughter's floral arrangements, but now they were collecting dust in her basement. She wanted them OUT, and because she was local I was able to avoid shipping costs.

These might end up lining the aisle during our ceremony!

2. Gold mercury glass votives, from our very own Weddingbee Classifieds.

I had written off having mercury glass holders since these beauties typically go for >$2 a pop on websites like Luna Bazaar and Jamali Garden. But, I persisted in reading through the Classifieds daily and was able to get a whole mess of them for less than half price. The catch? Almost all had used candles melted into them:

Getting used wax out of a votive holder is easier than you might think! Throw them into your freezer, and once they're sufficiently chilled the wax usually pops right out with a little tap. Since I live in MI where it is FRIGID out right now, I froze them en masse by chucking the box into my car overnight. Easy peasy, and you can even re-melt the used wax to make your own candles if you're so inclined!

3. Soy tealights, also from the Weddingbee Classifieds. Oddly enough, I realized as I was writing this post that they're Mrs. Cowboy Boot's leftover candles. It's a small world!

4. An assortment of vintage cake stands via eBay and local antique stores. There are 2-3 treasure marts within walking distance of our apartment, and I periodically made the rounds to snag up these beauties.

There shall be cake, and thou shalt eat it, too!

Other websites that I've perused for second-hand items include:

• Ruffled
• The Marketplace at 100 Layer Cake
• Once Wed (where I purchased my dress)
  
• PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com

Are you planning to use any second-hand or borrowed items in your wedding? I’d love to hear what resources you use to save some moolah!