I’ve been lusting after a new couch for a while now. I’ve also been able to resist buying one for a while, even though my past buying patterns would have predicted that I would never be able to hold off so long.
Until last week.
Last week, I bought the exact couch I wanted (from Ikea, of course), in the size I wanted and the color I preferred, for €43, on Ebay. I find that Ebay is the easy solution for my furniture needs, especially if I’m not in a hurry. My couch is not the first piece of furniture that I’ve bought on Ebay, nor will it be the last I’m sure. I bought two chairs, also from Ikea, several months before.
Buying things off of Ebay requires patience, as do any secondhand purchases. You can’t just walk into a store and order exactly what you want. Thanks to their search feature, it’s possible to narrow down your search by keywords and geographic location. After doing so I save the search so that I receive automatic updates by email for a specified length of time, usually six months.
Most of the time, your patience pays off. Now, not only am I ridiculously happy with my new couch, I’m pleased that I got such a good deal on it. Even though it wasn’t in the budget I found a way to make it work- a lot easier to do with €43 than €400!
One of the easiest ways to justify buying things on Ebay is by selling things on Ebay. I have mixed feelings about this. Usually it’s a last resort for me, although at the moment I have quite a few lots going (see above links). I prefer to take baby and children related things to the consignment store and larger goods to the secondhand shop. I find that listing things and then taking them to the post office can make the time to money equation seem awfully out of whack. I also don’t like the uncertainty of how much an item will sell for, not to mention the fact that you are zinged with posting fees even if the item doesn’t sell. On the other hand, sometimes things go for really good prices, and that tends to make selling on Ebay worth its while.
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{ 1 comment }
I’m a huge fan of Craigslist.org for furniture! My friend just bought a whole Bellini Baby furniture set on Craigslist for practically nothing. I’ve purchased antiques on the site. What I’ve purchased (and still own):
Louis XV Chairs $100
Antique writing desk $40
Antique dining table and 4 chairs $80
2 Dressers $35
With the exception of the Louis Chairs, I had to refinish, recover, or replace knobs on all of the above; however, the construction of everything I bought was quality (solid real hard wood, dove-tail drawers, etc.). I suggest looking on Craigslist.org before you buy anything new!