Treasure or Trash?: Youtique's Guidelines for a Pick

When I go picking for items, especially furniture, I usually do my "preliminary test".

• Look the item over. If its feasible, pick up the item and look from the bottom to the top. Look for flaws that cannot be patched or fixed with stain or paint. In my experience wooden chairs with splits in the seats are bad news.
• Check its stability. Just to clarify right off the bat, I do not mean try standing on it. Junk shop or not, the terms "You break it, You buy it." still apply. What I do for furniture is find a level piece of ground and give it a little rock, listen to the piece.. Chances are if it pops and cracks, its not going to be worth it to fix it up.
• Look beyond the cosmetics. When I pick a piece I try not to pay as much attention to its paint job rather than its structure. Just about anything can be painted and if the structure is good then you are more than likely in for a beautiful piece.
• Will this be fun or require extra funds? I am always up for a challenge but know your means and the importance of your project. You may find something you think would look gorgeous fixed up, but you must also take into consideration the money you will have to invest to accomplish the look you are seeing in your mind. I myself have been guilty of lusting over a item that would just turn into a money pit. I think having vision is a wonderful thing, but I like to be able to see my vision come true.
•  Is this project out of my capabilities? Sometimes money isn't the issue when it comes to knowing your means on a project. It is important to take into consideration the hours of work and the difficulty involved in some projects. So before you pay for something that is going to be more than you can chew, estimate how long it will take you to redo the piece. Otherwise you will have a million half done projects, and the name for that is "Hoarder".

I know everyone has their own routine, and I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on picking!