We have about an acre of land that is divided into two halves. The top half is landscaped and the bottom half is just open land with an orchard on one side and a whole lot of ivy.We really wanted to create an area for the kids that has a play structure, a vegetable garden, a picnic area, a tree house and an area for grown ups to just sit and hang out while the kids are monkeying around. Problem was there was an old fence made with grape stakes (lots of character) and I didn't want new redwood or cedar planks to ruin the vibe of the landscaped upper yard or get rid of something that had some history, SO... the quest to find old, reclaimed, grape stakes to match the fence began, it took a few weeks, but ultimately our search lead us to Monterey Bay.
Craigslist had an ad and we called a guy down there who has a monopoly on these things and sells them for $2.00 a piece!
We had gotten quotes as high as $800.00 for a simply gate that matched the fence (they had to make it look "weathered"... yadda yadda)
We bought all the stakes we needed for $30.00 and nailed them to a frame. Total cost of gate, $62.55
and I have a few extra stakes left over that I will use for a birdhouse project with the kids. WIN! WIN! Moral of this post, don't discount any option. Look at second hand shops, antique stores, salvage yards, eBay and Craigslist for that obscure stuff you're looking for... you'd be surprised at what other people think is junk and how cheap you can get "junk" for.
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