What I Learned When I Tried To Sell My Used Furniture For Cash
This is a review of my experience trying to sell used furniture for cash at Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Chairish, and AptDeco.
In January, I decluttered my place and redecorated — clearing out my old furniture. Since I live in New York City, I decided to sell my used furniture online, rather than storing it.
This is what I learned when I tested out various marketplaces, and tried to resell my furniture online.
1. FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE IS THE NEW CRAIGSLIST.
Facebook Marketplace wins over Craigslist. Neither site charges a listing fee, but I found that items that I listed on Facebook Marketplace sold more quickly.
In addition, Facebook has a level of trust that doesn’t exist with Craigslist. On Facebook, I could see the person’s profile and photos, and thus felt more comfortable selling and taking payment from them (compared to transacting with an anonymous buyer on Craigslist).
Here’s how to sell on Facebook Marketplace:
Post photos, a description, and location. There are no seller fees, but you can pay to “boost” your listing for better visibility.
On Facebook Marketplace, I sold these furniture items for the following prices:
2. CHAIRISH 👍 👍👍
I also tried furniture resale sites such as Chairish, and AptDeco. Chairish is a designer destination site, and Chairish and AptDeco are both known for their curated furniture selection and antiques. These sites take a fee for each sale in exchange for managing the payment process.
For me, Chairish was the best marketplace to sell my used furniture for cash. The listing process was simple, and the curation process went smoothly. I uploaded photos and descriptions, and my items sold within a few months. Once sold, I spoke with the buyer directly to coordinate delivery. I didn’t have luck on AptDeco, but if you live in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, you may want to try it. In addition, AptDeco accepts Ikea items, while Chairish does not.
I should note that with these sites, shipping can be expensive, and added shipping costs may make your item more difficult to sell. I live in New York City, and both buyers that purchased my items came to pick them up, rather than pay the shipping cost.
Selling Used Furniture for Cash on Chairish:
Very good resale values and sales success. Requires the seller to post their item and take measurements. Consignment payouts to the seller are higher than other sites. My Chairish sales included the following:
3. GREAT BRANDS WILL SELL FOR MORE.
There are some brands that are highly desired and will sell faster for higher prices. Chairish loves iconic pieces such as those from B&B Italia, Ligne Roset, Roche Bobois, and De Sede. I did not have any luck selling my furniture on AptDeco, but they specifically note the popularity of brands such as West Elm, CB2, Restoration Hardware, and Crate and Barrel. Both sites also love mid-century modern pieces.
You can expect the end resale price of these brands on AptDeco and on Chairish to be much higher than what I achieved for my nonbranded items. People also love Ikea items, so they move well in Facebook Marketplace and on AptDeco (Chairish does not accept Ikea). I know of one person who was able to sell her used Ikea desk for more than she originally paid for it.
4. GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE … ON CRAIGSLIST OR NEXTDOOR
When I am not able to sell my used furniture for cash online, I like to give my items away for free or donate them to a charity.
Craigslist has its own specific category for “free” items, which makes it a great marketplace for these goods. Another site I like is NextDoor, which is a neighborhood marketplace. The Nextdoor audience is in your immediate vicinity, and they are very real-time - which is especially good if you need to move something quickly. For example, the site is perfect if you need to move a piece of furniture out of the house by tomorrow, or if you want to give away the mulch that is blocking your driveway.
One reason that I like to give things away is because I enjoy the 1:1 interaction with the customer. I once gave a “broken” printer away. The person who picked it up later sent me an email telling me that it was working, and just needed a very minor fix (one man’s trash … ). Another time, I gave a bedroom rug away for free to a teacher, and an hour later, I received a sweet photo of her kids sitting on the carpet in her classroom. Then there was the time that I gave away two armchairs, and the recipient was so grateful that he insisted on refinishing a chair for me for free.
Important to note: When giving away furniture, please remember that even though you are giving it away for free, your buyer is spending a lot of time, and possibly money (hiring a moving van, or asking a friend to help move the item) to come get it, so it is really important to be very honest about the age and flaws of your items.
5. DONATE IT!!!
If you can’t sell your furniture for cash, you can ask a charity to come to your home to pick it up as a donation. You won’t make a personal connection, but you can take a tax deduction. In New York City, Habitat for Humanity, HousingWorks, and Yeshiva Kol Yaakov will pick up furniture donations. Before contacting them, you should visit their site, and take note of what each place can and cannot accept.
In addition to furniture, I had a lot of blankets, pillows, and comforters after I redecorated, and I found that some animal shelters, such as the Humane Society, will take used — but clean — linens. If you know other places that take donations of furniture, blankets, or pillows, please comment below.
Summary recommendation about how to sell your furniture online — and a word about safety
My recommendation. To resell your furniture, I recommend that you list on both Chairish and Facebook Marketplace. If your items fail to sell, try giving them away on Craigslist or NextDoor, or donate them to a charity.
A word about safety. I live in New York City, so I feel safe leaving items for pickup with my doorman, and I don’t worry as much about the danger of inviting strangers to my home to pick up free items.
In the suburbs or other areas, I would be more careful, and recommend that you either meet in a very public location (in the parking lot of a bank, a police station, or a supermarket) or just bring your items to Goodwill for donation instead of inviting strangers to your home for a pickup. Never give your exact address when listing the item.
I hope this information is helpful to you when you are ready to sell your antique furniture online!
If you enjoyed this article, please see my other piece about my experiences reselling my designer clothing on sites including Vestiaire Collective, Etsy, Noihsaf Bazaar, and TheRealReal.
