Three Good Reasons to Buy Furniture at Public Auction

How can reading the Sunday paper save you hundreds or even thousands of Dollars? Check out the auctions in the classifieds section. There are several different types of auctions and for the purpose of this article, I will focus on estate or consignment auctions. Estate auctions may be held onsite (virtually anywhere) or at a local auction center. Consignment auctions will typically be held at an auction house on a regular (weekly or monthly) basis. People consign items to auctions for a variety of reasons including combining or downsizing households, a change in decor and replacement. A buyer with a sense of style can save a small fortune.

Many buyers justify the high cost of furniture on very simple terms. It is a long term investment. Good furniture can last a lifetime, so it is relatively easy to justify a $5000 dining room set when a $30000 car is only expected to last 5-7 years.

Here are three good reasons for shopping for furniture at public auction:

1) Cost. Here is the obvious one. I recently saw a Thomasville dining room table with extra leaves, 8 chairs and china hutch sell for $575. There is a Willett maple dining room table, 8 chairs and buffet in my dining room that I purchased for under $250. You are unlikely to find this kind of deal at your first auction, but theres always next week.

2) Quality. If you are fine with particle board furniture covered in paper laminate, fairly inexpensive furniture may be purchased at your local department store. This furniture is typically of poor quality and does not hold up to being moved around. Older furniture is typically of much better construction even less expensive veneered pieces. I do not mean to imply that older is necessarily better, however a much higher percentage of furniture sold was of good to very good quality. Combined with cost, this factor simply gets you more bang for your buck.

3) Taste and Style. If you are the type of person who has a flair for decorating, this is the type of shopping for you. Loads of furniture is sold every week that can be utilized in many ways. A little paint or a well-placed doily can take a dated piece into the perfect solution for that corner. There is also the wonderful potential to add a sense of period to your home by finding furniture that suits its architectural style. There are also ample opportunities to purchase timeless furniture that will suit virtually any decor.

3a) Recycling is good. It takes nearly a century to grow a tree of quality hardwood. This is an opportunity to recycle beautiful wood that has a sense of character and may just become your treasured piece.

Recycling furniture makes financial sense, environmental sense and is an opportunity for you to find a style that makes it uniquely yours. What more can you ask?