Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)
  • Good 2nd hand furniture websites?
  • ElShalimo
    Full Member

    We’re looking for a some furniture for the house, bookcase, bench etc. We’d rather buy good quality used stuff than new.

    Can anyone recommend any good 2nd hand furniture websites?

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    eBay

    And the bicks and mortar option – British Heart Foundation. There’s one in Camberley opposite the Ark. I’m sure the Ark just buys their stock there, ruins it with several coats of chalk paint and applies a 2000% markup. But pretty much every town has one.

    Or a weekends MTBing in the Peak district, and a mooch round the shops in Ashbourne.

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    Facebook gumtree eBay Etsy

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    frankconway
    Full Member

    If you like ‘proper’ dark wood furniture – think of what your granny would have had – charity shops are usually a good bet.
    Not all do furniture but the bigger ones (shops, not charities) usually do; I volunteered at Emmaus in Leeds and they aways had loads with even more stashed away for ‘sorting’.
    Comment ^^^ re chalk paint is accurate; not everyone wants good quality, solid wood furniture crudely overpainted to make it look trendy.

    Tallpaul
    Full Member

    The two shops which spring to mind are BHF (as mentioned) and Emmaus.

    EIDT: Too slow!

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    Thanks

    sobriety
    Free Member

    There’s another charity one near Nottingham called Betel.

    frankconway
    Full Member

    El Shalimo – for clarity, you referred to websites in your thread title; charity shops may run rudimentary online shops but you really need to get on the phone and be prepared to drive.
    Don’t forget to think about how you would transport a prospective purchase – check with them regarding delivery.

    tall_martin
    Full Member

    https://www.danish-homestore.com/

    For all your mid century modern danish furniture.

    Not cheap, mostly amazing quality.
    They have a shop in nottigham and deliver to London- hence the prices

    swedishmetal
    Free Member

    I’ve bought the following off eBay in the last 2 years to kit out our new house for a pittance. It all looks fantastic and has either been refinished or painted (not with that nasty chalk paint which is beyond crap but proper wood paint or spray paint to get a high quality finish). Some things I have changed the style of a bit to suit the room but most are bought to fit the style of the room.
    All were solid oak (which can look new with a quick sand and some oil/wax) or high quality old pine.
    First price is probable cost, last price is what I paid.
    £600 Solid oak sideboard for £70
    £800 dresser for £80
    £1500 solid handmade teak dining table for £105
    1950’s dressing table, tall boy and 2x drawer sets all for £210. I could sell them on again for £800 easily
    £1300 triple wardrobe and £300 bedside table, repainted with new handles etc, cost me £80
    Edwardian fireplace for £5
    £600 ikea sofa only a few months old for £50
    £800 wardrobe and £400 drawers for £100 both
    £400 Abbess desk for £20, had to glue it back together and sand/wax it

    How do I find these things? I have looked at EVERY SINGLE item of furniture listed on eBay within 25 miles of my house for the last 3 years. 99.9% is either not our style or overpriced or naff but occasionally I’ll find something we like and I’ll go and see it and offer money direct.
    I do have a big estate car with a roof rack and am prepared to haul all sorts home which helps but a man in a van can do stuff for a few quid for you. I could have hired a van for a day for each one and still saved the thousands I did.

    And the best thing is that I’ve got stuff you can’t really buy in shops right now.

    Ebay is great but you do have to be patient, wade through lots of crap, but you’ll find something eventually. Just decide what you want with a bit of flexibility and keep searching every day.

    When people visit our house they ask where we got stuff and they simply don’t believe I paid what I did. Most try to buy stuff but don’t have my patience!

    ElShalimo
    Full Member

    Thanks everyone. I reckon we’ll be visiting the local shops in West Yorkshire. There’s some BHF shops not too far away. Emmaus sounds like a good shout too.

    I’ve got a Mondeo so should fit stuff in it. If it’s very big, I can use a friend’s van.

    swedishmetal
    Free Member

    Good luck. We didn’t have much luck with those shops but did find a couple of things – the best stuff tends to be bought very quickly so worth going often if you don’t see what you like the first time.

    jkomo
    Full Member

    if you go into a really posh design store, most of the furniture is based on mid century danish style. The original stuff is not cheap but not really expensive. Ebay for the finds the deAlers haven’t added their margins on.
    Good luck!

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    My dad helps run one of your average wharehouse of second hand stuff at Haycock.
    The vast majority is poor stuff – odd style, cheaper or slightly worn/damaged.
    Now and again though they get superb stuff. It’s worth a fortnight browse of these places or a chat with staff about what you want.
    All our work office is from Stirling Salvation Army – all properly good quality office furniture and chairs. Most of it was £10 an item.

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    Depending on the style of furniture you’re interested in it might be enlightening to sit in on an old school bricks and mortar antiques auction. Sizeable furniture tends to go for surprisingly little money. I was at one as we’d put in an old shop cabinet that was too weird (a display cabinet you can only open from the back) to sell anywhere else or give away to a charity shop. I was sat there quite depressed at the effort of taking it there as I watch lot after lot before it – nice big oak units of various sorts – go to the first disinterested bidder for between £10 and £50. And it was all properly nice stuff.

    Weirdly when our weird cabinet came up everyone went nuts for and bids – phoned in bids and everything – just because its was something all the various dealers in the room didn’t already have.

    Ebay / Gumtree is worth an eye this time of year.. before/after Christmas as a lot of people are either buying new stuff in time for Christmas or in the sales just after and as a result theres a glut of stuff like sofas available but a limited number of buyers who can travel to and take away.

    johndoh
    Free Member

    ElShalimo – I don’t know just what sort of stuff you are looking for, but Pool Bank Vintage is great https://www.facebook.com/poolbankvintage/ (in Pool in Wharfedale between Leeds and Otley)

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