9 Good Reasons to Buy Used Furniture Instead of New

(OKC-Craigslist.Blogspot.com) - Before you head out to buy furniture or accessories for your home, consider these nine reasons to buy used furniture instead of new. The low cost of used furniture isn't the only -- or even the most important -- reason to buy furniture secondhand.

Here are nine reasons to buy used furniture instead of new:

1. Buy Used Furniture Instead of New To Save Money

Your decorating dollars go a lot further when you buy used furniture instead of new. If you're just starting out, shopping secondhand may mean the difference between furnishing your home and making do with just a futon. Even when a low budget isn't strictly necessary, shopping secondhand frees up funds you can put toward retirement or the down payment on a house. The home furnishings at flea markets, auctions, antique malls, and estate sales are typically priced lower than those you'll find at retail stores. Garage sales and thrift stores frequently yield the biggest furniture bargains.

2. Buy Used Furniture Instead of New To Get Better Quality

You can furnish a home cheaply with new flat-pack furniture -- meaning it comes in a flat box and you put it together yourself -- from supercenters and brand exclusive retailers. But, you'll get what you pay for. It won't look that good, and it certainly won't last. For the same low price or less, you can buy good-quality used pieces when you shop secondhand. Everything used isn't worth having, of course. But, if you shop with quality in mind, you can find furnishings with finer craftsmanship and better materials than inexpensive new pieces.

3. Buy Used Furniture Instead of New To Preserve History

When you furnish your home with a 17th-century signed antique, you're preserving history. When you add a kitschy 1960's collectible cookie jar to your kitchen, you're still preserving history. It's just more recent history. Buying and living with pieces that have their own histories is one of the joys of buying used instead of new. New pieces can't evoke the same sort of nostalgia.

The history you preserve can be your own. Perhaps you'll opt to furnish your home with pieces that remind you of your grandmother's house. The history that matters to you may be one you admire but never lived. If you adore those old black-and-white movies from Hollywood's golden age, for example, you might enjoy buying glamorous, vintage Hollywood Regency style furniture and accessories for your home -- and a mirrored table (affiliate link) should probably be the first item on your wish list.

4. Buy Used Instead of New To Help the Environment

No matter how environmentally responsible the furniture company -- and many don't bother to try -- the manufacturing process pollutes and uses natural resources. That doesn't even account for the fuel you have to burn to ship new furniture pieces across the country, or worse, from overseas. It's much greener to furnish your home with used furniture pieces that already exist.

5. Buy Used Furniture Instead of New To Support Good Causes

If you shop secondhand at affiliated thrift stores and group yard sales held as fundraisers, the profits may be designated for a good cause. For most folks, that's not a reason to buy something you hate. But, if you do find a treasure, the money intended for charity is another plus. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.

6. Buy Used Furniture Instead of New To Get a Certain Look

You can put together almost any decorating look from the furniture pieces you find while shopping secondhand. That's true if you love the antique look, prefer vintage charm, or even long for a relatively recent retro vibe. If your dream vacation to Provence inspired an affinity for the French country look, for example, find out which antique mall or flea market dealers in your area import containers full of antique furniture from France. Then, haunt those booths -- unless you're planning another trip to comb the finest French flea markets.

7. Buy Used Instead of New To Personalize Your Space

There's nothing personal or creative about copying a catalog page. That catalog page -- or furniture store vignette -- reflects the stylist's taste and vision, not yours. You can try to use those pieces in new ways, sure, but even then you're limited to the manufacturers' current lines. Why limit yourself? When you shop secondhand, you can buy used pieces of from numerous styles and periods. Then, for a truly personalized space, mix and arrange your finds to suit your own taste.

8. Buy Used Furniture Instead of New To Own Originals

The lines from most major home furnishings manufacturers contain mostly reproductions of earlier styles. Few specialize in cutting-edge new designs. There's nothing wrong with that, but why buy reproductions when you can own the originals? Consider a mid-century modern table lamp with a tiered fiberglass shade, for example. A reproduction will never have the magic of the original, and the reproduction shade will likely be made from plastic.

9. Buy Used Instead of New To Hunt for Hidden Treasure

Were it the only reason to shop secondhand, the thrill of the hunt would be enough. Shopping thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, etc. is a big treasure hunt. You never know what you'll find, and there's a good chance you won't find anything. But, there's nothing like the moment when you do spot a bit of treasure amidst the trash. If you manage to haggle and get the price reduced even more, that's an even bigger thrill.

SOURCE: http://fleamarket.about.com/od/insidershoppingtips/qt/9-Reasons-To-Buy-Used-Instead-Of-New.htm