Antique and Second Hand Furniture

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Mark Parry

Unfortunately, most antique, second-hand furniture, and general household items have a relatively low value in the current economic climate, this is due to cheap mass production and the current availability of these items through online markets and charity shops.

Over the last few years in every town or city, there has been a surge of charity shops opening up on the high street, all selling antique, second-hand furniture, and general household items and all within a few hundred yards of each other.

This combination of the charities coupled with the online markets has resulted in an abundance of good quality antique, second-hand furniture, and general household items being available at very low prices, this creates good opportunities for buyers but not so good for sellers.

Several Charity Shops Next Door To Each Other

Charity Shop Competition

The charity shop competition has resulted in a price war driving the value of good quality second-hand furniture through the floor and resulting in the lower value item's becoming worthless, in the end, most good quality second-hand furniture now has a relatively low value, for more information about the impact of charities on the high street please click our link named charity house clearance.  

Internet Sell Second Hand Furniture Sites

Online Markets

There are also loads of online markets selling furniture and general household items, again this creates issues with the value of these items, the same rule applies in any market the more availability of a product there is then its value will drop, I think at the moment furniture and general household items are at an all-time low, this creates good opportunities for buyers but not so good for sellers.

An Antique Welsh Dresser

What About Antique Furniture

Unfortunately antique furniture has become a thing of the past, and yes that joke was intended, it is common practice to define "antique" as applying to objects at least 100 years old, but in reality, the antique trade now very rarely class a piece of furniture as Antique unless it's at least 200 years old.

And even then they would prefer Items that are in good condition with no repairs needed, which to be honest is rare for a piece of furniture that old, the above photo is of a genuine Welsh Dresser that is a couple of hundred years old and worth around £500.

Not A Welsh Dresser

Not A Welsh Dresser

We don't buy second-hand furniture anymore but when we did I would get 2 - 3 calls a day from people asking me if I would like to buy their Welsh Dresser, please be aware that the above piece of furniture is not a welsh dresser it is a display cabinet and has very little if no value what so ever.

The cost of the collection, storage, resale, and re-delivery of this type of item would far outweigh any resale value it would have, if you have a similar display cabinet to this I would advertise it on Facebook for £20 and hope someone will collect it and take it off your hands. 

Auntie Ethel's Wardrobes

Auntie Ethel's Wardrobe

I'm sorry but Auntie Ethel's dark brown bedroom suite from 1950 just doesn't cut it as an Antique, or the Victorian Mirror Backed sideboard that has been in the family for over 100 years is now only worth around £20 - £40 on a good day, the whole market has moved away from this type of furniture, it just doesn't blend in with modern family living.  

Mirror Back Side Board

Stately Home

So in reality the truth is unless you live in a Stately Home or a Palace the chances of any of the dark brown furniture in an average family home being worth anything is pretty slim, you could try donating these items to charity but even they will only take a piece of furniture if its easy to transport, practical and functional, chests of draws, bedside cabinets, etc. 

Whats The Value Of Second Hand Furniture

Value Your Item

When you sell anything knowing how to price it is obviously the most important aspect, price it too high and it won't sell, price it too low and you will feel short-changed, so how do you go about pricing your second-hand items and realizing their true worth, the first thing to do is to decide whether your item is worth selling in the first place.

You could just end up wasting your time and getting messed about by what the car trade refers to as "Tyre Kickers", a few things to take into consideration are condition, quality, style, and desirability. 

Stained Mattress

Soft Furnishings

Below I have used the example of selling soft furnishing but the same rules apply to anything from clothing and collectibles to cars and furniture, the normal soft furnishings found in your average family home are beds, sofas, and chairs, when it comes to beds then I think unless they are new and still in the wrapper then they would have no value.

Beds are a very personal item and there are very few people if any who would buy a second-hand bed that someone else has slept in, this just leaves sofas, chairs, and other types of soft seating.

Condition Of Second Hand Furniture Is Very Important

Condition

The condition of any second-hand item is obviously the main factor in its value, if the item has been looked after with minimal signs of wear and tear then it has a good chance of selling, but if it comes from a home of a smoker or the dog has been sleeping on it for the last ten years then you might have a problem trying to convince someone to buy it.

Style Of Second Hand Furniture Is Very Important

Style

You item might be in good condition but if it's a little bit outdated your gonna have problems selling it, due to cheap mass production there are thousands of stylish modern looking items on the market only a click away on the internet, although they may not be of very good quality there will be more modern and up to date items out there for sale.

Quality

The quality of anything will also determine how much it is worth, a perfect example would be flat-pack furniture it may look modern and stylish but it doesn't travel well and falls apart, better quality items sell easily and for more money, so if your item is desirable, modern and stylish and in good condition but may be of poor quality keep the price realistic and you should have no problem selling it. 

Desirability

Ok so your suite is in fantastic condition and of very high quality and maybe even tailor-made but it just might not be everyone's cup of tea, desirability is the main factor here, for example, if you have a brown, black or cream leather 3 piece suite then it will be more desirable than the suite above, so you have to weigh up these factors to determine whether it's worth the effort trying to sell it. 

Second Hand Value

For more information about the value of second-hand furniture and antiques and how to value it yourself click the link below.

How To Value Your Item > > >