Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Be Careful While Buying Used Furniture
Everyone buys furniture with the hope that it will last for very many years. You would want to get the most worth for your money spent. It is not necessary to always pay more to get good quality furniture that will last for years. For people not willing to or not able to spend too much, used second-hand furniture is a very good option. It keeps the expenditure in check, and if you are careful about checking the quality you are sure to get a good piece of furniture that will serve you well. What you really need to look for is quality craftsmanship. You can mostly rest assured when buying used Amish furniture because the craftsmanship of the Amish is extremely good and the furniture is made such that it can last for generations.
Before you head out to buy any used wood furniture there are a few things you need to think about. Decide your budget. Evaluate the usage conditions that the furniture piece is going to be put through. Children’s room furniture particularly needs to be very strong as it needs to endure rough usage. Amish oak furniture would be a good option for the children’s study table as it is very strong and can endure rough usage. How much you want to spend on the furniture is going to decide where you will need to shop. If your budget is tight, a good option would be to check for second hand good quality furniture stores in the local newspapers. You can also find inexpensive used furniture at auctions or garage sales or through friends.
Time of purchase can make a huge difference to your cost. One of the best times to find great deals on furniture is over the holiday seasons and during the summer. At such times consumers are spending more money on holiday items. They are less likely to purchase furniture, which is why the largest sales happen during this time. Also, during the summer months, consumers are spending less time indoors so they are less likely to find a need to purchase furniture so this is also a good time to find a good deal through your local retailer. Large retail stores always have the furniture piece delivered to your home in a few days. But if you are purchasing a used item from a thrift or second-hand store, an auction or a friend, you most likely need to take the item with you when you leave. You need to be prepared for such a situation. Now the question of quality arises. With a used wooden furniture piece, you might find some scratches or discoloration or other type of marks. You need to see what kind of defects you can deal with and cure easily at home. With a good wood cream you can take almost all scratches and water marks out of the wood. You can sand the furniture down to get a good fresh wood look and then do the refinishing yourself. It is an easy process and most DIY enthusiasts would really enjoy the experience. At times display pieces may be slightly damaged or dirty because of all the touching, feeling and handling by so many people. You could ask for a further discount on such pieces and then clean it up yourself at home and save a bunch of money. If there is a bigger defect and you think you can deal with it, ask for a bigger discount.
Make sure the piece is basically stable and well-made. A badly made furniture piece is going to fall apart sooner than later. If the furniture joints are loose and the piece is wobbly, it will not turn out to be a good buy. Make sure there are no gaps in the joints, the screws are all tight, the drawers and cabinets smooth to open and shut and the piece stands sturdy without shaking.
If you are purchasing a piece of furniture that includes a drawer of any type, look for dovetail joints on the backs and the fronts of the drawers. Dovetail joints are similar to your putting your hands together and locking your fingers. Wood that is joined together in this manner is going to last longer and be sturdier in the end. The wood intermingles with the wood from another piece of the drawer for a solid fit that is sturdy. Amish handcrafted furniture always has the best quality long-lasting joints made by the skilled Amish craftsmen.
So just by keeping these few things in mind, you can buy a good piece of wood furniture while saving yourself a bunch of money. Good Luck!
Before you head out to buy any used wood furniture there are a few things you need to think about. Decide your budget. Evaluate the usage conditions that the furniture piece is going to be put through. Children’s room furniture particularly needs to be very strong as it needs to endure rough usage. Amish oak furniture would be a good option for the children’s study table as it is very strong and can endure rough usage. How much you want to spend on the furniture is going to decide where you will need to shop. If your budget is tight, a good option would be to check for second hand good quality furniture stores in the local newspapers. You can also find inexpensive used furniture at auctions or garage sales or through friends.
Time of purchase can make a huge difference to your cost. One of the best times to find great deals on furniture is over the holiday seasons and during the summer. At such times consumers are spending more money on holiday items. They are less likely to purchase furniture, which is why the largest sales happen during this time. Also, during the summer months, consumers are spending less time indoors so they are less likely to find a need to purchase furniture so this is also a good time to find a good deal through your local retailer. Large retail stores always have the furniture piece delivered to your home in a few days. But if you are purchasing a used item from a thrift or second-hand store, an auction or a friend, you most likely need to take the item with you when you leave. You need to be prepared for such a situation. Now the question of quality arises. With a used wooden furniture piece, you might find some scratches or discoloration or other type of marks. You need to see what kind of defects you can deal with and cure easily at home. With a good wood cream you can take almost all scratches and water marks out of the wood. You can sand the furniture down to get a good fresh wood look and then do the refinishing yourself. It is an easy process and most DIY enthusiasts would really enjoy the experience. At times display pieces may be slightly damaged or dirty because of all the touching, feeling and handling by so many people. You could ask for a further discount on such pieces and then clean it up yourself at home and save a bunch of money. If there is a bigger defect and you think you can deal with it, ask for a bigger discount.
Make sure the piece is basically stable and well-made. A badly made furniture piece is going to fall apart sooner than later. If the furniture joints are loose and the piece is wobbly, it will not turn out to be a good buy. Make sure there are no gaps in the joints, the screws are all tight, the drawers and cabinets smooth to open and shut and the piece stands sturdy without shaking.
If you are purchasing a piece of furniture that includes a drawer of any type, look for dovetail joints on the backs and the fronts of the drawers. Dovetail joints are similar to your putting your hands together and locking your fingers. Wood that is joined together in this manner is going to last longer and be sturdier in the end. The wood intermingles with the wood from another piece of the drawer for a solid fit that is sturdy. Amish handcrafted furniture always has the best quality long-lasting joints made by the skilled Amish craftsmen.
So just by keeping these few things in mind, you can buy a good piece of wood furniture while saving yourself a bunch of money. Good Luck!
# posted by sunshinecity @ 10:22 PM 
