Updating your furniture: Auction, consignment, or online?

After moving into our new house, I’m realizing that some of the furnishings we picked out for our small apartment don’t look so great in our new home. Some I can repurpose or find a different use for, but others I would rather swap for a version of a different size, color, etc… I never really throw things out because I hate the thought of it sitting in a landfill, and I am extremely frugal and hate getting rid of things because they don’t “match.” Instead of just throwing them out, there are a lot of options these days (thank you internet!) that make selling your furniture easy and lucrative, which means you keep stuff out of the landfill and you make some money back, which means you’ll have more to put to that piece you’ve had your eye on.

Craigslist and eBay

I have been scouring Craigslist and eBay as of late for a few items on my wishlist, and I will soon be posting a few of my current furnishings on them.  Ebay has been a great source for finding and getting rid of things for and from your home for quite some time. You can set a buy it now flat rate price or set it up for Auction to see how high it will go for! Don’t be worried about shipping, it if it’s a large or heavy you can get an eBay courier free quote online before you list the item so you can mark the shipping cost prior to posting! Getting a courier to deliver your item is always a hassle free way to handle things.  Or, if you use Craigslist, it is common for the buyer to come out a pick up the item, but you are restricted to local buyers more often when using Craigslist.

I’ve been looking at a couple of chandeliers on eBay, and once I find one I will sell the chandelier that was here when I bought the place the same way!

Here are a few on my eBay watch list:

An amazing mod chandelier

Oak and crystals – a unique combination!

A stunning vintage brass and crystal piece…
3 images above via eBay

Auctions

Auctions are a great way to sell your items and a majority of the time you don’t have to do much work for it! If you look in your local listings, most auctions will have an assessor come out and let you know how much he thinks the piece is worth prior to putting it up for auction. Some will even take pictures of the items and give you details about it for free!

There are also online auctions where you can put an item up for sale and see how it goes!

Consignment

images via Designerconsignement.biz

Consignment is the easiest option of them all but you might not get as much  money as the previous options. Find local listings in your area, take your item to the shop, and they will either give you cash or credit. Most of the time the credit is worth more in case and if you spot a great find in the store you can call it an even trade!  If your items are designer or high value, taking them to a consignment shop that specialized in designer consignments means you will probably get more for your furniture.

Do you have any tips for managing your furniture?

this post in partnership with deliverymatch.co.uk