Advice on Selling Good Quality Used Furniture?

RefusdClassification on 15/10/2022 - 12:24
Last edited 17/10/2022 - 06:54

A relative of mine recently died and we have a modest house to empty. A few of the items are only fit for landfill, but there are some very good quality items of wooden furniture. Real wood, NOT flat packed, easily chipped particle board rubbish. Real wooden items are now very expensive to purchase new, so we are hoping to get some money for them rather than giving them away to Lifeline or throwing them into landfill (which would be a terrible waste). We aren't in a position to deliver. Most of my clan lives in Brisbane but the house of my deceased relative is on the Gold Coast.

The 3 online marketplaces I know of are of course Ebay + Facebook Marketplace + Gumtree. Which is best for furniture? Is there any alternative, like companies that purchase furniture from deceased estates?

Thanks to everyone who has responded. We might have to get a charity store pick it up, since people have mentioned how difficult it is to sell furniture (lowball offers, people not turning up) and as I mentioned we are 2 hours drive away from where my uncle lived on the Gold Coast.

Update 2: After some web engine searching I eventually found Scott's Trading in Bundall: https://www.scottystrading.com.au/second-hand-furniture-buy-…. They will buy furniture and household appliances off you, and take care of transport to their warehouse. There seems to be at least one company that fulfills a similar role in Melbourne, but I am not sure about other towns and cities.

Home & Garden Furniture

Comments

  • boomramada on 15/10/2022 - 12:26
    +7

    Facebook Marketplace + Gumtree

  • holdenmg on 15/10/2022 - 12:28
    +2

    Well, often Executors send to Auction so there isn't later dispute about "you could have got more" and it clears out the house quickly.

    Depends on the Furniture and how much people want to pay.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/10/2022 - 12:34
    +1

    Real wood as in hardwood?

    Do you know whether the furniture is by a particular brand? There are collectors and restorers that are interested in certain brands that may get you a better price or sell it on consignment.

    • RefusdClassification on 16/10/2022 - 04:07

      I would need to take a good look the next time we go down to the Gold Coast, and take proper pictures. There is a dining room table, 3 tall cabinets (2 with closing doors and various), and 2 smaller stands beside the bed.

    • RefusdClassification on 16/10/2022 - 05:03

      I have to admit I am quite ignorant and cannot differentiate the different types of wood, other than true woods vs particleboard vs MDF. The internet tells me about 80% of true wood furniture is from soft woods (like the pine wood bookcases I own). As another mentioned, the maker can be important, so we will have a look for the maker's mark next time we are down the Gold Coast. I am fairly sure the furniture items were purchased in Syndney.

  • Muzeeb on 15/10/2022 - 12:49
    +9

    Furniture aint worth shit on the used market. Everyone wants a bargain not pay top dollar unless it's got Jimmy Possum or similar brass plate attached.

    • wordplay on 15/10/2022 - 12:58
      +3

      depends on the period, mid century modern stuff is sellling for high prices.

    • pharkurnell on 15/10/2022 - 16:50
      +1

      Agree…. we went through trying to sell good furniture when dad died… people were offering stupid prices.

    • RefusdClassification on 16/10/2022 - 04:09

      I fear you are right. People are selling iPhones and graphics cards for 90% of the purchase price, but furniture seems almost unsellable. Logistics seems to be a major problem, non-flatpacked furniture is just too big to fit into a car.

      • ColtNoir on 16/10/2022 - 10:13
        -1

        People are lowballing as most people who want furniture are there to restore it and sell for a high price.
        iPhones have high resale value as the newer modes work for a lot longer and have an impact on your everyday life. Good quality furniture, while lovely, doesn’t have as big an impact.

        Graphics cards are huge now because of mining and video editing for all the YouTube, TikTok folk.

        • Ultimate Gattai on 17/10/2022 - 01:52

          Not really graphics cards are going to have a massive oversupply due to people off loading them because they have become less effective for mining, plus the amount of GPU manufactures have made during the mining, and the 4000 series has just come out.

          If you're in the market to buy a new/used GPU, there should be good prices for anything that's not the 4000 series.

  • CurlCurl on 15/10/2022 - 12:57
    +1

    Have you seen the price of second hand Parker furniture?

    • [Deactivated] on 15/10/2022 - 13:06
      +1

      A friend of a friend restores Parker furniture only and sells it at a premium. He has a small client list where ppl sometimes out-bid each other to buy certain pieces.

  • x x on 15/10/2022 - 13:14

    I just sent you a message. Can you please take some photos of the good furniture and send me a link as I may be interested, depending on what you have. I live on GC

  • Cheaplikethebird on 15/10/2022 - 14:11
    +1

    To get the best price your market is inner city kids/young couples. Sell on marketplace and offer delivery option. Reference mid century modern in the listing even if it isn’t

  • SmiTTy on 15/10/2022 - 14:42
    +2

    Those market places are for people who want a bargain and most don't appreciate good quality (the ones who do, will want to snap up a bargain)

    Try specialist groups… Maybe there is a Facebook group specific to wooden furniture sales or something. You want to find buyers who are looking for what you have specifically rather than a group that sells anything and everything

  • Benoffie on 15/10/2022 - 15:35

    Depends on the furniture and I agree with others - makers marks are important. Mid Century/Danish is obviously still going off, Australian made is very much in demand (regardless of era).
    More details would help. However, I always recommend speaking to local Auction Houses for an appraisal. They will give sound advice on the local market.
    At the very least, you can post it on the local Buy Nothing groups on FB and give it away.

  • mskeggs on 15/10/2022 - 17:55
    +3

    There are specific styles/pieces that are valuable, but the bulk of wooden furniture bought in the last 40 years has almost no value. If it is earlier than that, and quality, then worth getting an auctioneer in to take the lot.

    I’ve found gumtree and facebook a pain to deal with - I’d usually rather sell for 99c starting price on ebay - at least people usually show up.
    I’d reconcile yourself to getting peanuts, but at least you can tell buyers what great value they are getting.

    All that said, if you could store it for 20-30 years, I bet the price will go up substantially. The costly stuff now is things that were tossed in the 1980s as they were desperately out of style - just like grandma’s floral print couch is now.
    I’m sure my kids will rue the day they sent the apricot floral to the tip when their grandkids think it is hip.

  • macfudd on 15/10/2022 - 23:33
    +2

    Someone (probably you) is going to end up wasting literally entire days trying to sell these off. Driving back and forth to the gold coast only for prospective buyers to not turn up, or to only turn up with half the money.
    Then you'll split all the proceeds between everyone in the will and probably only end up with a couple hundred in your own pocket. In the month or so that this takes the house is sitting empty and costing the estate money. Plus everyone is going to second guess you for the amounts you get.

    When our grandmother passed family members were asked if they wanted any of the pieces. Nobody did and nobody wanted to put in the time to sell them so we called up a charity who sent a truck around to collect the lot. All done in a single afternoon.

    On the other side of the family there was a great-uncle who passed and left a lot of good quality furniture. His kids rented a 3T truck (can drive it on a car licence), everyone picked one piece and did a working bee in an afternoon to drop them off at each house. Then they could sell it or keep it as they wanted.

  • LFO on 16/10/2022 - 11:00

    Mmmmmm … solid/real wood does not mean quality, worthwhile furniture.

    Crappy furniture was built well before chipboard and similar were invented. They were made using crappy solid/real wood using crappy techniques and glues.

    You'll need a knowledgeable person to assess.
    Perhaps an auction could help but then, if not properly advertised, might go for a few dollars only.

    Takes time, patience and effort.
    Will be worth it??????

  • Sweet3st on 16/10/2022 - 18:14
    +1

    70s stuff like Tessa, Chiswell and lessor known brands, mostly solid teak, are in demand. I think Gumtree is the best of the lot, it has the best selection because no fees and pick up generally expected. I thought FB Marketplace was rubbish myself. As the poster above said, label as MCM or mid century modern and you will get lots of views. Lots of dealers will be looking to flip. You need to take the middle road, be patient, wait for someone who seems genuinely keen, and don't expect too high a price.

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