There is nothing I love more than the thrill of the hunt. Stumbling across a perfect piece of furniture or discovering an amazing painting by a mystery artist is all part of the magic of shopping second-hand.

I’ve been shopping second-hand in one form or another for as long as I can remember; my parents have always collected antiques, books and art, and brought us to antique shows and flea markets since my brother and I were tiny. I loved finding great vintage clothing from the 1950s when I was in high school, always something unique and beautiful to be found and reworked into a modern wardrobe.

Nowadays, I’m mostly on the hunt for beautiful furniture and home accessories  –  that’s where Kijiji comes in. While spending a day hunting out treasure in second-hand shops and markets is a lot of fun, as a busy mom, I don’t really have time for such epic expeditions anymore. Not only that but I am a lot more specific in my pursuit which is why I love Kijiji. I can search for exactly what I want.

I am so excited to have partnered with Kijiji to show you some of the amazing things about the second-hand economy. Kijiji just released their third-annual Second-Hand Economy (SHE) Index which reveals Canadian’s second-hand practices. The report found that the average Canadian earned an average of $1,037 in 2016 by selling second-hand items. Kinda makes you want to get to listing all of that unwanted stuff you have sitting in your house, right?!

Last Thursday, I joined the Kijiji team for a really fun and interactive event in downtown Calgary, spreading the word about the benefits of buying and selling second-hand  and giving away tons of free cash.  Representing the average number of items exchanged per person in Calgary’s second-hand economy last year, the first 104 guests that joined us had the chance to carve out between $5 and $1,037 from a large ice wall installation!

The reaction was so amazing and I loved hearing people’s responses to the stats from the SHE index – people were really excited about the money-making potential they have on Kijiji. One of the things I found the most interesting was the fact that Calgary is leading the country as the number one city for using the second-hand economy.

I think Kijiji Calgary has an amazing range of great finds in so many different categories. In fact, some of my favourite purchases from the past couple of years have been from Kijiji – for example, our Bugaboo Cameleon stroller is a second-hand purchase I made on Kijiji. When purchased brand-new those strollers are usually around $1,300. I managed to track one down just before Jack was born for about $250!! I purchased a new fabric cover for it, a cup holder and it was as good as new, all with an extra thousand bucks in my pocket from the savings. I expect to resell it back on Kijiji once he has grown out it in the next couple of years. It makes perfect sense as the average total spend on Kijiji for baby clothes and accessories was $2,071 while Canadians think that they would have spent 1.3 times more to buy those items new. That is nearly $800 in savings. It is truly a great way to shop for your children.

I did some hunting this week on Kijiji to find some really cool furniture pieces that would make a great addition to any living space looking for some fresh additions – at great prices.

Vintage Lounge Chair: I love the original upholstery of this great mid-century lounge chair but it has such a great shape I think you could also recover it in a soft velvet (I’m envisioning mint or blush pink) for a new look.

Small Teak Dresser: You can’t go wrong with vintage teak pieces – they always stay on trend and are easily resold on Kijiji if you want to change up your loo. This small dresser is in great shape and would make a beautiful addition to a bedroom or office.

Eames Shell Chair: While I’d prefer to stumble upon a real Eames chair rather than a replica, this adorable orange chair is too cute to resist. Would look great in an office or for a pop of colour in a living room.

Vintage Boho Rug: How cool is this rug?! I can already think of a zillion places that it would be perfect for – including the wall. I love how vintage rugs can become instant art when you hang them up.

Happy hunting!