The new year is finally upon us! I hope you all had a lovely holiday season. We got hit with a crazy flu on Dec 19th and it was down hill from there! I had all sorts of plans for an end of the year review style post and more, but germs got me down, hence the mini blog break during the holidays! I know January is a big time for people to kick their bootie into gear to get organized for the new year. Projects that were pending for all of 2018 tend to get done and people start clearing out the junk for the new year. I have had many people reach out to me recently wanting to know the best ways to get rid of their used furniture and figured others would welcome the information as well.

Now, there are a couple of different options for how to sell your used furniture. Some will get the best value for what you are selling and others will just help you clear out your space with little to no financial gain.

Option 1: Facebook Marketplace or Facebook Neighborhood Groups 

Pros:  Interface is really easy and it’s a good way to get a lot of eyes on your item without much effort. While people appreciate a good deal on Facebook Marketplace I have also seen pricer listed and sold. I think you will end up getting more here than on craigslist.

Cons: Dealing with the people on Facebook. I’m sorry, but it’s simply awful. People don’t read and will ask you the same questions that are already answered in the description. The amount of interest can also be crazy if you priced well so, that can be annoying to manage as well. I have used Facebook Marketplace a lot when selling items and they do go fast, but I find the overall experience awful.

Option 2: Craigslist 

Good old Craigslist. I use to use it all the time before Facebook Marketplace, but now I rarely use. I do find that it’s the best place if you are trying to get rid of something for free. When we were moving I had big bulky items that I didn’t want to keep and I just needed moved.

Pros: Listing the items in the free section insured that in a matter of minutes I would have someone wanting to come pick it up.

Cons: Many times the people that would come to pick up the free item would be a lady all by herself that couldn’t possibly move a sectional up the stairs by herself so, I would need to wait for Jon to help them and that sort of defeated the purpose of me making it free.

Option 3: Chairish 

I have a soft spot in my heart and an amazing eye for vintage furniture. So, when I find a good deal I try to pick it up. If I don’t need it for myself or for a client I sell it on Chairish. I would recommend this option for items that are unique and vintage. So, don’t go listing an old Pottery Barn table, but if you find a faux bamboo Thomasville piece then this is the place for it.

Pros: It’s so easy to list! They have an app which means you can do everything on your phone. This is a huge plus for me.Just take some photos and measurements and you are ready to go. If you aren’t sure about pricing try to find something similar on etsy or 1stdibs and price in that range. More etsy than 1st dibs pricing. You can get a good profit for your item. Yes, Chairish takes a commission but it’s not huge and your items now get to be featured to a big audience. Sometimes your piece might even make it to one of their newsletters. They handle all of the shipping! Furniture pieces need to be delivered by white glove delivery and they handle all of the details. You will get a call giving you a window for pick up and that’s it. You don’t need to wrap anything, print any shipping details, etc. It’s easy and painless. Payment comes via paypal once your item has been received by the buyer.  Have nothing but love for Chairish.

Cons: Since you are listing furniture pieces that can be considered and investment piece you might not get a bit right away. But if you don’t mind waiting then listing and testing the waters is great. You can always discount an item if it’s not selling or  let them make you an offer.

Option 4: Everything But The House

I don’t have personal experience with this site, but I am interested in trying it out. From what I can gather it looks like you fill out a form, attach photos of what you have to sell and then they get back to you. If they decide to work with you then they either give you a drop off location to leave your items or pre-paid packaging slips. Once they receive the items they will do all of the photography, listing, etc! Then you get a cut once your item has sold. Feels like an online consignment store and ebay had a baby.

Pros: Very little work on your end. They can take up to a whole estate of items to list.

Cons: You don’t seem to have control over what they list your items for. It looks like the items are listed and then people bid on them. So, depending on how badly someone wants your item you prices/cut will vary.

So, there you have it! My favorite options for selling your old furniture online! At the end of the day if you find that you can’t sell an item then I think letting it go for free is they way to go. It’s nice to know that your piece is going to be used and loved by someone else and not just end up in the trash.