This is happening everywhere and much of it that I've seen in that awful chalk paint that looks as if the piece has been set out in the elements for at least a decade. UGH!

Ha! My CL had an MCM credenza partially painted with Ann Sloan chalk paint. It was an abomination.

1929Spanish, it always seems to be the MCM pieces that are assaulted first.

I want to send them a message that says I would have bought this piece before you ruined it with your paintbrush!

Huh. I typed MCM in my Craiglist, and sure enough, up popped painted pieces. Why?! I am very that sorry I looked up your quaint old time ice box :( Horrible!!!

Someone on my CL does this, too. I see the pieces sit and sit...they are so taste-specific as well as overpriced.

Worse is seeing them in a local vintage shop. They hang a chandelier over it and put some pretty vases on it and suddenly it's supposed to be wonderful. I always wonder if the seller is hiding damage this way. Patch in the flaws and paint then double the price.

Rob333 I really want to post the link, but kind of hate to out the person who has no taste...lol I can not imagine who might actually want to buy that icebox as is and use it other than at the circus.

If they had the little drum table in its before condition and the little night stand with out the sponge paint and colors, I would have driven down and bought both. As is, they could give it away free and I don't think I would think about the drive for a minute. I just don't feel like spending that much time stripping their bad paint colors off.

Some of the "shabby chic" stuff I see is not that bad, not that I would buy it or want to live with it. I did just paint the legs of a Duncan Phyfe style table and refinish the top, but it was only a $20 find and in poor shape.

Haha, I'm going to post some pics:

At least they're only asking $10 for this painted Nemo sofa

$100 shelf

$45 racing stripe table

Speaking of colonial style, $50 for all of these -- I considered it!

Really? $325

And this is actually a lovely one for only $525 (I can't tell if the hardware is painted too, not sure that was a good idea):

Ha! It's the HGTV era where everyone is a designer, builder and artist. I am not.

Oh, my goodness ... that Nemo sofa! No words, except possibly ... WHY??!!!

Well a little off topic but I have to share- there is a cute, stucco 1920s Tudor home a few blocks for us that was sponge painted (the OUTSIDE) in beige and melon. It reminds me of when my son threw up after eating spaghetti !

Diane

That's a pretty gross visual powermuffin! ;-)

Ditto what Melle said about the house paint. Yuck!

What gets me are the ones that share on their blogs or Hometalk where they take the time to remove the old worn finish and then paint it! Always makes me extra made because as I scroll down I get my hopes up only to be kicked in the head when I see the beautiful piece painted! UGH!

At flea market last weekend saw some really handsome (and massive) pieces made out of old industrial iron, wood, corrugated metal, etc. priced in the $800-900 range. Wish I had a pic because they were truly better than you might think - tables, workbenches, storage pieces, etc. Also enjoyed 1930s metal dressers and such where they removed all the paint and left it bare metal. What I didn't like was all the sad old early 1900s wood furniture that was either painted dreary grays or treated with multicolored layered paint effects to try to make it look "primitive" like it had been stored in a barn for 60 years. Actually Ive seen the multi layered paint thing done very well but you really have to have an artist eye to get color/texture right.

I would much rather have the choice to buy "as is" for cheap and do my own work on it instead of paying top dollar for someone else's foolish or questionable tastes. These are probably the same people who take an early 1900s house and mess it up with cheesy remuddling under the illusion that it's good for "resale."

The Nemo sofa is actually not bad, I mean if you were outfitting a kids' playroom and had an old sofa you planned to paint and....I just can't imagine anyone buying it at this point in its life, but as recycling your own sofa for your own use, it's kinda not awful.I bet it was orange to start.

But yeah, there's a few shops (shoppes) in my area that do the chalk paint. I'm sort of looking for a china cabinet or secretary and those sad things keep popping up and making me depressed. And they always point out CHALK paint, like that's a good thing.

There are a few virtual yard sale sites on FB in my area and it is amazing to me how many items people have ruined with Chalk paint and good intentions.

And the ones where you can see the sanding swirls in the "distressed" finish.

Distressed = can't be arsed to do a good job

Nearly cried over a magenta waterfall dresser today. I didn't even look at the price. Why, why, why?? I saw a couple of pieces I would have been interested in but not if I have to spend $40 on stripper and a week of my time stripping it. IF I can get the paint off. And I made a similar comment as rob and got a snippy reply. Do I care? No. She'd already ruined the piece. And then there's this piece which is beyond destroyed. Tin? Corrugated tin?? I have some in the barn that I won't even use on an out building.

http://masoncity.craigslist.org/fuo/5147509597.html

How about this one? http://masoncity.craigslist.org/atq/5162468158.html

Kitchen Island Pretty sure I will not be eating off this one. I think I took better loads to the dump

Why not Kippy? Whats a few lead paint chips in your food LOL.

Lead and dirty wood all for only $200....what a deal

I confess to watching flea market flip b/c I hope somebody will have a really cute idea that can inspire me, but it never happens. But what I do find intriguing is those New Yorkers paying $$$ for stuff that cost $. Don't they watch the stupid show? Nowadays, every time I go to one of those flea/antique shops, all I can think of is: I bet he/she only paid $. Nope, I can't pay $$$. Might as well just go to Home Goods...

TV Show

Interesting turn of events.....

Time and Place. It is all about time and place. This genre of furniture seems best suited for college apartments. How fun it is to be barely and adult, find a sturdy piece at a thrift store and make it match the rest of the place!! Unfortunately someone thought these "treasures" were worthy of marketing!! I can totally see a handed down piece being a memory one wants to keep in their home. I can totally imagine assaulting it with paint and making it fit in one specific place. To do this as a living, collect cast offs and paint them dramatically, and think others will have just the right spot for them or even WANT them??? Well good luck with that!!

Some one must be tired of the Ventura persons ads and they have a sense of humor....or so I hope Hipster Desk

We were at a large Vintage/Antiques outdoor marketplace yeaterday and I saw the most beautiful buffet painted awful pepto bismol pink. They tried to dress it up with a glass top and sparkly jewelry but all I could think of was Why??