Some of us are lucky enough to have a man cave ... and others simply have a garage or den to decorate how you see fit. Whatever the scale of your space, there's always one constant - a need to stretch your budget while finding unique and awesome items that you are passionate about. In an ideal world we'd all be able to hire the guys from American Pickers to source unique items from us or simply head to a game room store. Unfortunately, money is an object for most of us but here's how you can find some awesome man cave decor items cheap!
There are two kinds of shopping that you should be doing when looking for deals on items for your man cave. The first is hunting for specific item. Generally this is to build or complete a collection. For instance, you might be looking for autographed baseballs or jerseys from a specific year that has significance. The second type of shopping is general "filler items" as part of a larger theme. For instance, this might be that you are a 80's nostalgia geek and looking for anything from video games to movie posters and even electronics like an original Sony Walkman.
While all of these methods are great for finding items, you need to be careful about checking on the condition. Some will simply need a wipedown to remove dust ... other times you'll need some technical expertise. Furniture especially can be challenging since what might smell fine outside might have cigar smoke embedded in the fibers or worse ... bed bugs. Luckily, there are solutions such as a bed bug heat treatment for that if you end up bringing something home and discover some unwanted visitors.
Flea Markets and Swap Meets
The first place you should be looking is Flea Markets and Swap Meets. This can be a great source of items of all shapes and sizes. You'll NEVER know what you might find at flea markets. From statues to lamps and furniture there's something for everyone here.
Fan Sales at Professional Sports Teams
Many professional sports teams have after-season sales to dump inventory that didn't sell during the regular season as well as jerseys, posters, and other items from players that are no longer with the team. I've seen deals on apparel and collectables where NEW items were going for 25% of their normal retail price. While this is best for apparel, the team sales I've attended at the San Diego Padres also have posters as well as autographed items.
Estate Sales
This is where you are going to find the biggest OMG! discoveries. Unfortunately most of these Estate Sales - unlike Garage Sales or Moving Sales - happen because someone has passed away or is moving from a house into assisted living. As a result of this, you'll often find that items are being sold with little expertise in what something might be. As a result, you can often find incredibly rare items that simply look like "an old baseball glove" or "an old pinball game" when with a bit of TLC and knowhow it can be restored to something worth thousands of dollars. Of course, not everything is about money ... sometimes you'll find an entire collection from someone who shares a similar passion. This gives you an opportunity to make a bulk offer and not just get a great deal but inherit items and continue a passion for collecting.
On The Web
If all else fails, then you can find literally everything on the web. The internet is filled to the brim with a near infinite volume of ‘stuff’, from framed wall art to funky furniture. Just type in a few specific keywords, and you’ll be greeted with page after page of results that you can browse through. It’s essential that you can take the time to find trustworthy websites when you shop online, as sometimes the crazy deals you find will actually be too good to be true. Don’t fall victim to online scams, as you need to hand over your name, card details and home address to shop on the web. Search for websites that have a ‘https’ URL rather than a basic ‘http’, as this extra s makes all the difference in terms of security. You can visit home décor stores, browse auction websites or even utilize social media marketplace pages - there are so many options to explore on the internet to fill your man cave with cheap décor!
If you're buying from a private seller, ensure you send your money via legitimate channels (or request it if you are selling too). You can also via money transfer sites to private sellers and get a receipt for your transaction without handing over your bank account details.
