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Used-furniture stores are long overdue, said Sara Childs, manager of One More Time Etc., 1641 W. 5 th Ave., Grandview Heights. She predicts that stores featuring previously owned furniture will become widely accepted — and not only by young people decorating their first apartments.
Young people seem to focus on recent pieces, while older customers are in the market for formal pieces, Childs said.
Living-room furniture — couches, chairs, tables — is the most sought. "They fly out the door pretty quick," she said.
One More Time Etc. takes items on consignment or purchases them outright. Recently purchased items sell for one third to half of the retail value, Childs said. She considers that a good deal for a person in the market for furniture as well as the seller.
People who sell furniture that is fairly new often are moving out of an area or combining households, Childs said. Some people simply tire of their furniture quickly and want to buy new.
When used furniture comes into the store, Childs checks it for stability. "If it has more than a nick and scrape, we won’t take it," she said.
Furniture that has stuffing or padding is sprayed with a sanitizer. The buyer always can steam-clean upholstered furniture once they take it home, Childs said. The store doesn’t take upholstered furniture that obviously has been in a home where people smoke.
People with allergies might need to think twice about buying used upholstered furniture. If the furniture has been cleaned, it is hard to tell whether it might have been in a home with pets.
Some used-furniture sellers find selling wooden furniture easier than upholstered, but One More Time Etc. does a brisk business in armchairs and sofas, Childs said.
When shopping for used furniture, look at all of the joints, she said. On a dining-room chair, look at the rungs, arms and legs. Make certain they are sturdy. In upholstered furniture, look at the seams.
Buying children’s furniture used is riskier. Many older items don’t meet today’s safety standards. And One More Time Etc. does not deal with used mattresses or box springs.
"It’s hard to be able to assure that it has been completely sanitized," Childs said. Despite the precautions people must take when buying used furniture, some finds are worth the search.
Sometimes amazing pieces arrive in the store from upscale furniture stores. Childs pointed to an 8-foot dining-room buffet with curled claw feet. She has seen cabinets from the Far East and a table made out of salvaged parts of a liberty ship — U.S. naval ships quickly constructed during World War II.
"As people become more aware of our store," Childs said, "we get a wider array of merchandise."
Paulita Kincer is a freelance writer looking at home-decorating trends in central Ohio. Designers and renovators can nominate a completed project for a profile. Please call 614-461-5173 for a form.