Digital Art by: Rose Wonder Studio

When I moved from Seattle to the East Coast, I sold all my furniture and started fresh in Pennsylvania.

New furniture prices had skyrocketed, though, so I needed a more affordable route to furnishing my space. Enter CTBIDS, an online auction of sorts that a friend suggested. It’s part of the offerings by Caring Transitions, a company established in 2006 to help older adults and their families to downsize, transition to assisted living, or liquidate a household.

The online bidding is simple to learn, and you can even set a maximum bid and the system will automatically bid for you. Bidding for all items begins at one dollar, and most auctions run for one to two weeks. Best of all, from furniture to housewares to jewelry, you never know what you might find. I lucked out with a vintage sideboard for $100 and a $400 Kartell globe pendant for $65. An email alerted me to my wins and supplied an address and time window to pick up my items.

Caring Transitions’ owners across the country help the auction and liquidation run smoothly, ensuring all items go to their new purchasers. With over two hundred locations nationwide, CTBIDS has a midcentury lamp with your name on it.

For more info, visit ctbids.com