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Earlier this week, Jonathan Harvey raised his auction paddle and held his breath. The 25-year-old flight attendant had popped into Ritchies Auctioneers in Toronto on his day off, a rank amateur among the antique dealers and designers who come to scoop up furniture and art on a sunny afternoon.

Now up for grabs was a heavy glass decanter Mr. Harvey had spotted with clean lines to match his style and - he discovered after a few tense minutes - his budget.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure," Mr. Harvey said on his way out an hour later, still grinning from his $30 score, which came with several more crystal decanters that he plans to offload at a garage sale. He also snapped up 13 coloured glasses for $10.

"Thank God hardly anybody knows about this!"

But, auctioneers and antique dealers across the country say, more and more people are discovering them.

As the struggling economy shrinks people's budgets, many are attending auctions and antique sales normally frequented by professionals or collectors. While they may have limited means, they are satiating their taste for high-quality designer style by digging for deals at auctions, junk shops and antique sales.

"They're there to find the one unique thing that they can't find anywhere else for a bargain," Ritchies president Stephen Ranger says.

"And rather than go to Pottery Barn or other generic places like that, they come here."

Mr. Ranger was stunned in March when its semi-annual catalogue sale attracted so many buyers there was standing room only. Many of the new faces in the crowd were "private buyers," he said, meaning people unaffiliated with businesses or clients and just looking to furnish their homes.

The increase in interest hasn't translated into a windfall for the company, he said. While Canadian art sales have been spared the major crashes suffered by international and contemporary art sales, the company's art sales are down 30 per cent.

That means buyers are pickier, but there are also better deals since price estimates for catalogue items are about 20 per cent lower than they were before the economy tanked. "I think what happens in recessions is that people get used to what is called the new normal," he said. "They may not want to really splurge on the expensive dining table but they'll look at something a little more modest and interesting that's going to fit their budget."

In Vancouver, Maynards auction house has hired more staff to handle the upsurge in calls from estate owners who are short on cash and want to make money by offloading some of their art or high-end furniture. Buyers are recognizing a good opportunity, Maynards vice-president Hugh Bulmer said.

"We're seeing more and more private buyers coming into the rooms," he said. "Those buyers recognize that you can buy a good-quality item whose value will remain steady or appreciate over time. They're looking for something that's cheaper. But at the higher end, people are looking to put their money into recession-proof items."

Doug Lane, operator of the Aberfoyle Antique Market near Guelph, Ont., says the uptick in business has been noted by many of the vendors at his outdoor show, which operates every Sunday of the summer and can attract up to 4,000 people on a sunny day. "You'd think with the economy struggling, it might be tough. But it seems to be stronger than even the previous year."

One reason more people may be waking up to the possibilities is the added attention from magazines and blogs. "Cheap chic" is the cover story for the current Canadian House & Home magazine, which features budget makeovers and "flea-market style." The popularity of design blogs such as Apartmenttherapy.com continues to grow as people seek out DIY advice, notices of coming sales and decorating tips.

On StyleNorth.com, Toronto blogger Christopher Jones shares pearls of wisdom gained from years as a Craigslist junkie and scavenger at junk shops and design stores. He started blogging when he realized that although he had filled his apartment with valuable antiques and eclectic finds for practically nothing, all that shopping added up. "I thought, maybe I could curb my own spending if I had another outlet for my passion."

He knows not everyone is ready to tap into their inner bargain hunter. Most people don't have time to attend auctions on a weekday afternoon. Others "would rather stick pins in their eyes than dig through some of this stuff."

But, he said, there's no better time to start. At recent auction, he saw a signed Salvador Dali painting go for $260.

What's more, he says, an auction provides a bonus: With the auctioneers' dry wit and the off-beat characters the events attract, it's almost as good as going to a show.

Mr. Hunter, who was attending his second-ever auction, agrees.

"You get great stuff and you're entertained at the same time. I love it."

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The payoff

Scavenging blogger Christopher Jones's top five finds:

1 Cream wool flokati rug (11 by seven feet) found on Craigslist for $80 (worth about $2,000). One trip to the coin laundry and it looked like new.

2 Brass and marble dining table with cast dragon base found on Craigslist for $300 (was custom-made for $4,000).

3 Sixties brass and chrome bar cart found on Craigslist for $15.

4 Hollywood Regency-style mirror found in a junk shop for $25 (an almost exact match on 1stdibs.com for $2,400).

5 Modern steel coffee-table base found in junk shop for $20 (an exact match on 1stdibs.com for $4,800).

Hayley Mick

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Top tips for scavengers

Budget-conscious design junkies have a friend in Christopher Jones, a Toronto blogger who dishes out scavenger wisdom on StyleNorth.com. Here are his top five tips on how to score big on a small budget:

1. Craigslist is a gold mine but you have to really shake the pan; visit often and use the search

feature.

2. Auctions are amazing for art, decorative art and furnishings (especially upholstered pieces, which tend to sell very cheaply because they're so specific with regards to colour, pattern

and so on).

3. Hold out for a floor model. Got your eye on a pricey piece? Ask the clerk about their floor model sale (nearly every shop has one) and be there the minute the sale starts.

4. Shop early, shop often. If you love mid-century modern, for

instance, troll the specialist s

hopping drag in your city or town as frequently as possible - the best pieces don't last so you have to be on the case.

5. Put yourself on the list. Your favourite stores probably have an e-newsletter or alert - add your name and you'll hear about the deals and sales first. You can also sign up for estate sale notices; Google "estate sales [your town]."

Hayley Mick