Shopping a Furniture Consignment Store

My internet connection has been dead for the past couple of days, and has been going in and out for like a week. I feel like I’ve been going through withdrawals. Horrible.

Anyway, I wanted to share a few tips on how I shop for furniture at one of my favorite local consignment shops.

The inventory at the shop seems to vary depending on who died or the tastes of people who have recently divorced. I know that sounds weird, but I think most of the furniture comes from people who are looking to downsize or selling off their parents/grandparents things.

This recent trip was a bit of a mid-century modern time capsule. I would have seriously loved to see all the pieces together in one house. I bet it was a total trip. I can totally envision crazy wallpaper and orange/avocado/goldenrod paint colors on the walls.

Here’s what they had in stock this time.

An industrial looking bar cart and bench, totally on trend.

View from the front door. There is a ton of stuff packed in this place. It’s not a luxurious shopping experience, but it’s great when you find a deal.

On the the mid-century collection…

Check out the couch and coffee table.

The arm rests on this chair are amazing, it just needs some new upholstery.

There was such a wide selection of items this time, truly something for everyone.

They even had a solid marble sink for $299. What!

Here are my tips:

1) As you can see in the pics, the merchandise is packed into the shop. It’s kind of a jungle of furniture in there. It’s helpful to do a walk through first, just to get a general idea of where everything is, and to see what they have. Then walk back through again, looking specifically for the item(s) you are interested in.

2) Bring a tape measure with you. It’s the worst when you get something home and it doesn’t fit. The. Worst.

2) Have an idea of what you are going in for (I was looking for a kitchen table). An end goal helps to visually sort through all the stuff.

3) Be open to finding something unique and new. You never know what’s in store for you in these places. Sometimes it’s a total bust. But you can usually find great quality pieces at affordable prices.

4) Once you’ve found your treasure, negotiate the price. Even asking the salesperson if they can give you 10% off usually does the trick. If the store has had the item for a long time, they will more than likely be happy to take a little bit off the price for you.

So, do you have any consignment shopping tales to tell? Have you ever consigned furniture yourself? Let us know in the comments below.

ooox,

Nicole

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.