One strategy I use to pay off debt includes buying, refinishing, and reselling mid century furniture. It requires some skill and fair bit of knowledge, but I enjoy the style and most of the furniture in my home is original or reproduction. I also have friends who can offer me their advise on any projects that may be a bit ambitious for me at the time. After watching a couple seasons of Mad Men on Netflix, you’ll have a good foundation of what to look for.

Here’s my process:

• Find a piece of mid century furniture (on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Goodwill, occasionally the side of the road) and get it home. Start small (coffee table, pair of side tables, liquor cabinet, etc.).

• Assess what needs to be done to bring life back into the piece. Does the piece need a good cleaning and oiling? Does the piece need to be touched up with stain? Does the piece have major wear or water damage that requires a sand and strip down to the wood? A quick assessment of what needs to be done, in combination with your current skill level, may determine whether or not you even pick the piece up at all.

• Do the work. Get the piece back in shape. Depending on overall condition, this might take a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks. Be patient. Watch YouTube tutorials and ask others for advice. There are mid century furniture FaceBook groups with plenty of people willing to answer your questions. Beware of traditionalist trolls. 

• Photograph the piece. Channel your inner interior designer.

• Cross list the piece on FaceBook and Craigslist. Add on eBay if you’re willing to ship.

The more you learn, the quicker the above process becomes. I keep electronic notebook of ideas and products I’d like to test out, along with list of completed pieces, descriptions, and photos. I’ll post some pieces below that have recently sold. I also keep a record of pieces on an Instagram account (@mid_century_metro). Give the page a follow if you’d like to see what I’m working on at the moment.